Portland-bred producer Nonstop has been in the game for a minute but has only began to get the recognition he deserves. Last year was a big one for the 808 Mafia member as he landed his biggest placements to date on Drake’s ‘Scorpion’ cut “Elevate” and Cardi B’s “Drip” featuring Migos, which both earned him Grammy nods.
Breaking into the industry in 2003 he began making beats for local acts in Portland before transplanting to Atlanta in 2007 and eventually linking with Southside in 2014. That was the turning point in his career as he joined 808 Mafia, began gaining traction with the his beats and getting recognition.
I linked up with the Grammy-nominated producer for a Q&A session where I asked him about meeting Drake for the first time, landing big placements, his beat-making process, and more.
B-NYCE: What made you move to Atlanta in 2007?
NONSTOP: “I got my first placement with Twista, he had Adrenaline Rush in 2007 and it was coming out. I was working with Nelly and Chingy’s production company called Basement Beats at the time and they quarterbacked the situation and got me placed on Twista. So we went out there to go shoot a video for the record I did and uh everybody I met was all on some you gotta move out here. Two weeks later I’m like fuck it, packed up my baby mom and my kids and drove my ass down here.”
B-NYCE: How did you link with 808 Mafia and end up joining the crew?
NONSTOP: “I met everybody early, like when Waka first started takin’ off. There was a dude I was working with named A Wax and Uhh A wax and Waka from the same hood so it’s kind a natural that they were together doing music and what not. I linked up with with Southside and everybody then and that was in 2009 when everything first started taking off and then uhhh later on I linked back up with him when I was in New York working with Juelz. Southside had came through to play beats and everything for everybody I mean we just been cool ever since then. But, then I did everybody’s shit for Yo Gotti and uhhh after that I went over to Southside’s house and he was like why you ain’t put the tag on that beat? I’m like I ain’t know I could he said “bro you know you family.” So ever since then I mean shit it’s been 808 mafia, got that shit tatted and everything.”
B-NYCE: How long you been producing?
NONSTOP: “I started rapping early on. I’m a 80’s baby so I’m a little older you know what I’m saying. But, uh I started rapping with all the homies and shit from the hood. We was all doing are doing our lil shit rappin’ being dumb incriminating the shit out of ourself rapping everything we was doing. We only had a few local producers and they really weren’t that dope so like I’m hearing better beats in my head so I’m like let me go ahead and start producing this so like, my big homie‘s they would buy studio time so at this one producer house he had a lil triton and shit but he was trash. So, they just buy studio time and have me go over there and cook. They would come in and try and kick me out until they see that pistol sittin’ right there (laughs)”
B-NYCE: Growing up in Portland being and being an 80’s baby, who some of your inspirations coming up?
NONSTOP: “I was a huge fan and still am of Battle Cat, Rick Rock, Dr. Dre and DJ Quik. Portland is the nephew of both L.A. and the Bay, we got put on by both. We love it all up there. We were the first supporters of the Hyphy movement the North West. Mac Dre even had a spot in Portland he used to be up there messing around with my cousin Syko who just passed. Rest in peace, he did “Thizzle Dance” for Mac Dre.”
B-NYCE: So your cousin is obviously older than you. Is he someone who inspired you to start making music?
NONSTOP: “He did actually. His first CD was like my favorite CD in high school so I used to listen to it all the time. Actually it was his second CD it was his first solo CD, he did a lil EP before then his name was
Syko.”
B-NYCE: What’s been something that has kept you afloat and kept you going when you were feeling low?
NONSTOP: “Having a good support system you know what I’m saying. I got family that understands what I’m doing. My mom used to always attribute it to me being in school it’s like you’re working right now, it’s like you’re going towards getting your masters, your Ph.D. You gon’ be a doctor she would say. It came to a point where my mom was in Portland but she was kinda going through shit and I had already left for Atlanta I come back and she’s about to get evicted so she’s trying to hustle up money. I said nah you’re gonna ride back with me we going to the A. She said what you mean I said we about to find a spot find and go to the A.”
B-NYCE:How did you find out about the Grammy nominations?
NONSTOP: “I kinda new ahead of time what was going to be nominated because my manager is a part of the the Grammy lil committee. I didn’t know exactly which ones, he wouldn’t tell me but he was like you got a few you’re good. So then when they finally announced it and I found out which ones I was thinking it was going to be ‘Culture II’, ‘Invasion of Privacy’, or ‘Scorpion’. ‘Culture II’ got left off that surprised me that was a first heavy hitting album of the year but hey I guess “Stir Fry” ain’t do enough.”
B-NYCE: Off of ‘Invasion of Privacy’ you did “Drip” how did you land that placement?
NONSTOP: “Me and another producer that was working real close with the Migos at the that the time was fucking with it. I had the beat already done and when I pulled it up in the session he was like yeah we should probably switch a couple things around so I moved shit around did what I did. We sent it off to Offset and he had a record with him and Hood Rich Pablo Juan over it. Quavo had it too and he put Future and Young Thug on it, that’s where Quavo’s verse came from.”
B-NYCE: I was gonna ask you had you sent it to somebody else before Cardi?
NONSTOP: “Offset and Quavo both had it and they both did songs to it and they both had promised us that it was going to be on ‘Culture II’.I already had one on ‘Culture II’ called “Made Men” so that was gonna be my second one on there. Last minute Offset gave it to Cardi.”
B-NYCE: Where you hanging all these plaques up, do you have a trophy room at the crib?
NONSTOP: “I got a little wall” (laughs)
B-NYCE: When you made “Elevate” did you already know you was making it for Drake?
NONSTOP: “Nah honestly at this time me and PARTY [NEXTDOOR] was working real close together. Me and PND still are but like everything I’m doing and I’m sending to him. I got snowed-in, in Atlanta and I live in Atlantic Station on top floor so it’s like when it started snowing and shit it look like I was sitting in the cloud. So that was my inspiration when I come downstairs I open up the blinds fully open all them shits up and we just had this big ass cloud surrounding me and then I just started playing with the angelic voices and everything from “Elevate” and I literally just made it and sent it to PND on some fuck it. I was sending him everything probably giving him like five or 10 beats every time. He was like send me everything so I sent it to him it was labeled “January 4th.” January 13 that’s my daughter’s birthday that’s when they tapped me into the group chat it was him and Drake talking about how excited they was and they’re gonna throw that muthafucka on there. So I’m sitting there like oh yeah this is pretty lit.”
B-NYCE: So you hadn’t even met Drake in person yet?
NONSTOP: “First time was at Avenue this week. I walked in there and he was like man “Elevate” is still one of my favorite records on the album.”
B-NYCE: If you were to create your own dream track right now and you can have anybody on there with two verses and one hook, who you putting on there?
NONSTOP: “Jigga, Cole and Drake. Drake on the hook. Jigga and Cole on the verses. I actually already made the perfect Hov beat today. I’m gonna send him like a 10-pack and hope one bounces back.”
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