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Photo by Jiri Lindfors. | ||
He is one of the leading producers on the Internet at the moment with an amazing 4.5 million song plays and 1 million page hits. The fact that he is only twenty-one years old proves that success has no age requirements. His name is Hi-Fly (Jiri Lindfors), and he has been professionally and commercially over the last eight years producing tracks from a list of top name performers.
Although he is from Joensuu, Finland, Hi-Fly markets his beats mainly in the US Market. Even more impressive is his list of production credits which includes Bizzy Bone and countless others. Most recently, he was named by the music resource community, Soundclick.com, as “soundclick.com best artist"; a title held many times before. Hi-Fly was good enough to allow us to interview him. Here is his story:
Isaac-Joseph: How would you describe yourself to someone who is new to your music?
Hi-Fly: I’m a music producer from Finland. Been doing music for a while now and it’s pretty much my profession although I also study marketing and management at University of Joensuu. You summed it up pretty good in the introduction.
Isaac-Joseph: I read in your bio that you have been doing this for about 8 years. What has been the fuel that has made you want to continue to working in this genre of music?
Hi-Fly: I’ve always made the kind of music I like myself. My favorite genre is definitely hip hop and that’s what I’ve been mainly doing. I’ve also done some electronic, pop and of course R&B. I guess it’s the cliché; love for music, that has kept me going all these years. There’s a certain feeling you get when you finish a beat and also when you hear the final song. It’s just great.
Isaac-Joseph: I read in your bio that you are consistently 1 in Finland's Hip Hop chart at MySpace. Could you describe the Hip-Hop scene in Finland? How is it different than in the United States? How is it the same?
Hi-Fly: Finland is a small country in terms of population. There are only 5.3 million people here so the market for music is very small. Hip hop isn’t as big here as it is in the US. We have only couple major rap artists. It used to be a bit better. Most dominant genres in Finland are rock, heavy metal and pop. Big rap artists visit Finland pretty often though, for example, Kanye West, Nas & 50 Cent have all performed recently here so there is a hip hop fan base.
Isaac-Joseph: How important has the Internet been for you as an artist to get the message and work across to the masses?
Hi-Fly: It’s very important. It would be very hard to get my music heard internationally otherwise. When I started doing music I also wanted to learn how to do websites because I really wanted to put my music out there. Not only does the Internet help to spread your music but it’s great for connecting with other artists and clients. It makes everything so simple.
Isaac-Joseph: One of my favorite tracks is the Kilo Business. What was the inspiration when you first compiled this track?
Hi-Fly: I saw the movie American Gangster and listened to the Jay-Z album of the same name. Those gave me the inspiration for this track. I’ve also made a couple similar tracks earlier and originally I got the inspiration for this style from Rich Harrison’s work.
Isaac-Joseph: Describe a day for you in the Studio:
Hi-Fly: My studio is at my home so whenever I get inspired I lay something down. Sometimes it might be just a melody I play or a drum pattern. Sometimes I do a full beat straight. I might go trough my library, find something hot to sample and go from there. At the end of the day, I’ll be banging the beat I made loud, haha.
Isaac-Joseph: I read in your bio that your influences include these iconic giants: RZA, DJ Premier, Dr. Dre, Just Blaze, Kanye West, Rick Rubin, Alchemist, Scott Storch, The Neptunes, Timbaland, Pete Rock, Nate "Danja" Hills, Rich Harrison. That is an impressive list of top names in the business. What have you learned from their style that you feel you bring to our own deliverance of your beats?
Hi-Fly: All these producers have brought something new and unique to the table. They all have a specialty. I’ve definitely learned tricks by listening to their beats. At the early stage of my production, I used to mimic certain beats from for example Blaze, Dre and Kanye. I still get influence from these producers but try to be original and have my own style.
Isaac-Joseph: It takes a lot of hard work to get to the status where you are at the moment. Describe to younger kids wanting to get into the business what type of sacrifice it takes to make it:
Hi-Fly: At the beginning, it’s hard because you get a lot of critique. Of course, your music doesn’t sound like the songs on the radio; you just started! It’s all about motivation and hard work. It takes a lot of practice and time to get good. Most of all you need to like what you’re doing. There’s no reason to start doing music to get famous, get money or whatever. If those things come, it’s just extra.
Isaac-Joseph: What role has your family and friends play with your music?
Hi-Fly: They’ve always been very supportive. I think my sister is my biggest fan. Most of the time I let me friends hear my new tracks before others to get their feedback.
Isaac-Joseph: You have a long list of credits with some of the top names in the business. Name which entertainer that you worked with that you felt you learned the most from and why?
Hi-Fly: I haven’t had that many chances to work closely with many top names; mainly because I live on the other side of the world. Sometimes it’s pretty amazing what these artists have made out of my track and that makes me respect their work. Right now I’m working with MTV Finland’s host Axl Smith who is about to release his debut album. It seems like our visions of music are very similar. You learn most from artists with totally different visions though, and sometimes when you do something together with an artists like that it’s hard work but the result might be something really unique.
Isaac-Joseph: When I am listening to your tracks, I feel soul, heart, and passion. This comes across easily for me. Have you had others who have said the same thing that I am saying to you? What are your own thoughts about your music?
Hi-Fly: Yeah, I’ve heard that. I think the music I make reflects the feelings I have at the time pretty well. That’s because I try not to force music but to do what comes out. I also love that soulful sound and try to put that in my beats. On the other hand, sometimes it’s just time to party and make the track bang. Also, the face I have in life effects a lot on what type of beats I’m making.
Isaac-Joseph: In the next five years, what is Hi-Fly is hoping to achieve with his music?
Hi-Fly: Hopefully, I get to produce more and even bigger major artists. The ultimate goal is simply that more people will hear my music. That’s what it is all about. Also, the more people know the name Hi-Fly and what I represent the better.
Isaac-Joseph: It is Shout Out time: Give props to anyone that you would like to right now:
Hi-Fly: Shout out to all my friends at the university, all the fans that keep sending me mail, rappers and singers that I’ve worked with and my family.
Links:
hi-fly.net
soundclick.com/hifly
http://www.myspace.com/hifly
