This week on Local Music Monday DeBraun Thomas profiles hip-producer Cory McArter.
Cory McArter is a native of Lexington who performs under the name Cory D. Music was in his home at a young age and he was always inspired. His brothers were musicians and he says they inspired him to carve his own path musically.
“At 16 years old I saved and I worked for, like, studio equipment, I bought a microphone, I got the little USB interface and things like that, I bought a computer from my brother’s girlfriend at the time for real cheap, I learned to use Fruity Loops via another one of my brother’s friends and just kinda took it from there, like I learned how to do it, once I learned how to do it, I started programming my own beats and then 6 or 7 years later, here I am practicing, trying to practice every day and grow as an artist.”
McArter spends most of his time in the studio as a producer, frequently working with rapper Fredd C. While he creates in his own way, McArter says collaboration with other artists is just as important to his sound.
“For instance, when I produce with Fredd, I prefer him to be there, it’s not necessarily that I’m making something for him, but as I’m creating, he might say ‘oh I like that,’ or ‘that was tight, loop that back’ or something like that and I can take his contribution and run with it myself, ultimately it becomes something that caters to his style because he’s there to contribute to everything that I have as I’m creating, but for the most part when I’m creating on my own, it just kinda comes about I’ll just sit there and I’ll just do it.”
McArter learned his craft by doing it himself and also was mentored by other producers. While learning is something he stresses the importance of, he says understanding the technology and why it works is more important than having the ability to make beats.
“To have Youtube there, to see somebody actually do it and actually apply it themselves because, again, you can be told how to do whatever, but if you’re not actually applying it properly or if you’re not using it in a way you understand, because anybody can take a preset and just apply it over top of whatever, like a sound, a sample, or whatever the case might be and have it sound a certain way, but do they understand why it’s doing that and so that’s to me is very important to take away from the ease [laughs] because we can all know, but what are we doing with the knowledge that we’re given.”
Cory McArter performs as Cory D. More information about McArter can be found at FreddCMusic.com.
