Photo by Andrea Morales
IMAKEMADBEATS
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IMAKEMADBEATS is a Memphis native, having grown up immersed in the city’s unmistakable sonic identity. But despite the definitive identity of the region, he often felt disconnected from what creative paths were supported there. After leaving his home to find infrastructure and creative synergy, he would eventually end up in Manhattan’s legendary Quad Studios, where he became a go-to ghost producer and found a new niche in scoring for film and television. He went on to provide music many companies, including NBC, ABC, HBO, DC Shoes, Oxygen, and more. Inspired by the idea that music could speak without words – a theme that he would uphold years later with debut instrumental EP Better Left Unsaid – he further developed the IMAKEMADBEATS persona and mask, and worked with a who’s-who of the indie underground scene in the ‘00s on wax, in the studio, and on stage, including Black Milk, Oh No, Talib Kweli, Solange Knowles, Ludacris, and more.
Photo by Andrea Morales
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MOTHER SANG TO US. AN ANIMATED COMIC MUSIC VIDEO.
Upon returning to Memphis years later, IMAKEMADBEATS discovered he was no longer the only odd man out in his home. “I found other people that felt like they had no representation creatively, and they too felt like they had to leave,” he says. “I realized that people will never know that others share their outlook if they feel suppressed and don’t speak on things that could possibly alienate them. Understanding that need was there was the start of Unapologetic.”
In 2015, IMAKEMADBEATS founded Unapologetic, a company/label that would not only change the landscape of his career as a producer, but also would focus on shifting the culture of the community he was raised in. The idea was simple: create a forward-thinking & culture based organization that allowed creatives of all kinds to represent themselves and their ideas unapologetically. The multifaceted organization included music production/distribution, videography, merchandising, event coordination, and the Unapologetic World App, an app designed by IMAKEMADBEATS himself as a platform for Unapologetic’s content and it’s Uncover journalism series.
SOMEONE IS WAITING ON YOU TO BE YOU
IMAKEMADBEATS @ TEDX MEMPHIS 2019. Photo by Gabby Duffie
Unapologetic’s bold and unique execution turned heads nationwide, getting the attention of media outlets and celebrities abroad. Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson invited the crew to play at his highly acclaimed Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem after visiting IMAKEMADBEATS’ home studio in Memphis. Steve Case, founder of AOL, said his favorite part of visiting Memphis was hearing IMAKEMADBEATS’ vision for the music industry and arts there. The New Memphis Institute named IMMB an “entrepreneurial unicorn” for his innovation and approach to all things art and business.
After spending the majority of 2018 advocating for accurate representation and investing in Orange Mound (the neighborhood he was raised in; the oldest black owned neighborhood in the U.S.) in meetings, panels, and online, the producer was asked to be one of 18 speakers for TEDx Memphis and provide the opening music for the online video content. Many people, including Memphis news outlets, felt the masked creator stole the show with a never before seen stage presence and message. After almost two years of being the most mentioned music collective in all of Memphis media, the Unapologetic movement cemented itself in Memphis’ music legacy when the city’s initiatives recognized the work of IMAKEMADBEATS and put the masked man on several billboards across the metro area.
As of 2020, IMAKEMADBEATS is scoring his 3rd full length feature film. While IMAKEMADBEATS has a lengthy resume in music and community development, it feels like he’s just getting started and won’t slow down any time soon.