BWW Exclusive Interview: Behind the Board with REY REEL!

While the big news for Beyonce fans will most assuredly be the four-disc re-release of her self-titled album, it's time too look at those who help make the music happen. Producers and those behind the board are the ones who take the ideas, rhythms and beats and often turn them into something even the artist often didn't imagine.

Rey Reel is one of those people. From his studio in Los Angeles, Rey discussed his latest project, the remix of "Flawless," which features Nicki Minaj.

"The record is a woman empowerment kind of song," Rey explains. "It's very unique in a sense. Beyonce stands for women all over the world, and it's an honor to have one of my records speak in that manner for her."

The list of artists Rey's worked with is an enviable one, with Mariah Carey, Drake, Will.I.Am, Skeme and Casey Veggies on the list. One thing that's stood well for Rey is: "Being very diverse musically, opening my ears to sounds the average producer would not, expanding my ear to different genres that help me compose ranges of music I would like to dabble in."

Rey lists Missy Elliott, along with Timbaland & Magoo as early favorites, but notes that his interests go beyond the imagined. "One of my first albums was the Rush Hour soundtrack," he says, "my sister bought that for me. I listened to a lot of Sneaker Pimps, their Becoming X album was one of the big influences. I love different experimental music, that way it keeps me going, keeps it fresh and new. Even though I was doing mostly hip hop and R&B, the unique sounds they used helped me build a different (personal) sound."

Rey is part of a team called HS87 (Hits Since '87), founded by Hit-Boy. Friends from their early years, Rey got in on the project at the age of 15. The team's roster is an all-star lineup in itself, with Audio Push, Haze Banga, K. Roosevelt, S. Dot, B. Carr, Bmachthequeen, Kent Money and Preston Harris. Rey describes the crew as, "a brotherhood, a sisterhood, everything. We have nothing but family within our group. It's talented people getting together and expressing their creative minds."

You might think Rey has a big-time studio, but in the digital age, size no longer matters. Rey's choice of gear is a laptop, FL Studio, a MIDI keyboard and sequencer, plus a stable of session players he can call upon.

Born in Sacramento, Rey moved to the Inland Empire at the age of eight, and into the apartment complex where Hit-Boy and the roots of HS87 were found. "My first idea was to be a lawyer," Rey admits, "and then after that I started getting into basketball in my high school years, and wanted to be an NBA player. Then after that I fell into music, just off composing, playing with sounds."

The offer to join HS87 was one Rey didn't take much time in thinking about, and he immersed himself in the project.

"When I first saw it, I was like, 'Oh yeah, this is what I wanna do, this is where I wanna be.' It felt good; it felt like home. That's what you need, is something that feels like home.

'I looked at it as a big opportunity," Rey goes on, "and I was seeing how certain music that I did for mix tapes, minor things in talent shows at school really changed how people viewed us."

Rey spent two years in a band program at the high school level, but quit for home study. "I didn't even make it through that," Rey says, "because I started getting into music so heavy, that I had to take my focus and put it 100% towards that. I think that did help me at least to build an ear for sound and for key and the direction of where you physically want to take something."

The learning process for any producer includes the need to build a relationship with the talent. "I have conservations with them, find out their background, who they are, what they represent and how they want to open up without exposing too much of themselves," Rey explains. "Some people you vibe with really well and some people you have a hard time pulling it out of. They don't want to be too open with you and I understand that, but you have to make them feel as comfortable as possible."

Once that's established, Rey says, "Let's just vibe out, and whatever happens, happens. If they feel like they want to continue and it's a success, I'm all for it."

A further stretch of one's skills comes based on what's brought to the table. "A lot of people come in with a cappella (tracks), or what I like to do is Blueprint Beats. Blueprints are ideas of beats, they're not tailored for anyone specific, they're just minor sounds. Then I like to play it for them and if they like it then you go back, write a song or work on it, and make it theirs."

Privacy is one of Rey's rules. "I like closed sessions myself; the artist, writer and engineer," he says. "That way you can focus a lot more, cause if you have a little distraction it blows up the vibe. I like to work later sessions. The majority of my time is spent 7 to 7, you know, night owl and it works very well."

Rey has future projects lined up, and these include an acting role in a coming television series. He hopes also to get into movies, but going back to his interest in soundtracks to work on those as well. In terms of solo work, Rey would like to do something of his own. "I want to put out an album like Neptune Presents the Clones, a collage of artists, do within by the end of next year, something that represents me."

In the end, there are plenty of spots for those who aspire to be involved in music. In any aspect, Rey has this advice: "Stick with it. You never know how close you are. Believe in it, graduate for sure. Anybody that's gonna help you along the way," he adds, "take it when there is advice or help from other people in other ways, take it, but in a positive way, and always be ready to give back."

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReyReel

Instagram: http://i.instagram.com/reyreel

Website: www.reyreel.com

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/reyreeelhs87

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reycalifornia?ref=br_rs&fref=browse_search