Before “Low” went diamond and “Walk It Out” became a movement, it all started in Atlanta.

In this iconic episode of BackTrak, legendary producer DJ Montay steps into the studio to recreate the records that made the South dance—and the world follow. From Flo Rida & T-Pain’s chart-destroying “Low” to the snap-era classics “Walk It Out” and Shawty Lo’s “Foolish,” Montay breaks down the sounds that helped define a generation of club music.

It’s more than nostalgia—it’s a blueprint for how ATL shaped the culture.

0:00 Intro

3:05 Origins: Born and Raised in Atlanta

4:26 The 90s Mixtape Scene & The Identity of Atlanta

11:31 Street Respect: Oomp Camp

17:15 First Equipment: From the Boss 990 to the MPC 2000

22:51 Balancing Radio, Production, and Touring with T-Pain

26:52 Behind Andre 3000 on "Walk It Out" Remix

30:34 Sacrifice: Balancing Music with Fatherhood

32:16 The Success of "Low": T-Pain and Flo Rida

34:06 Spending the Royalty Checks: Buying 15 Cars

37:47 Realigning for Success: Day Trading and Investments

41:58 Technology in Music: AI and Modern Production

44:29 The Business of Selling Catalogs

45:55 Beat Breakdown: "Foolish" (Shawty Lo)

1:00:41 Beat Breakdown:"Walk It Out" (DJ Unk)

1:10:56 Beat Breakdown: "Low" Sound (Flo Rida & T-Pain)

Follow DJ Montay

📸 https://instagram.com/djmontay

Follow us for more insights into hip hop history and music production:

📸 https://instagram.com/tmronetwork

📸 https://instagram.com/Doncannon

🎽 Merch: https://shoptmro.com/

#tpain #walkitout #florida

No I.D. isn’t just a producer—he’s the quiet architect behind some of the most important careers and sounds in hip-hop.

In this special episode of BackTrak, we sit down with the legendary Chicago native to talk legacy, growth, silence, structure, and why true creativity takes time. Known for shaping artists like Common, Kanye West, J. Cole, and executive producing for Jay-Z, No I.D. reveals the philosophies that have guided his multi-decade career. He reflects on building from intention, not clout—on letting the music age well—and on the lessons he's still learning every day.
He also gives us a rare look into the DNA of “I Used to Love H.E.R.”, remaking it live in the studio—but that’s just one page of a much deeper book.

0:00 Intro
4:52 The Rise of House Music & DJ Dion Wilson
9:46 1988: The Apex of Influence (Criminal Minded & Paid in Full)
11:24 Learning to Dig for Jazz Samples with The Beat Nuts
13:14 The Pursuit of Dopeness vs. Commercial Success
15:47 The South: Getting Pennies Thrown at FAMU
17:23 Character Building: Opening for KRS-One in Jersey
19:17 Moving to Atlanta: Seeking Jermaine Dupri’s Infrastructure
21:19 Songwriting Lessons: Learning the Artist Side of Producing
23:35 Mentoring Kanye West: Watching Him Break the Rules
26:11 The Jesus Piece vs. Buying Equipment
30:16 The "Diamond Era": Street Rap & The Shift to Big Money
36:44 Long-term Career Strategy: The Rick Rubin & Quincy Jones Model
37:54 What do you need all that money for?
41:30 The 5-to-7 Year Artist-Producer Relationship Cycle
45:47 Staying Sharp: Why Value Trumps Loyalty
48:37 Debunking the Jay-Z "Rock the World" Production Myth
54:15 Dealing with Industry Calamity & Storytelling
57:04 List Culture: Being Offended by "Top 50" Producers
1:04:13 Legacy Beyond Music: Photography & Writing
1:07:21 The "Vintage Chair" Philosophy
1:10:00 Reconnecting with Kanye after the Loss of His Mother
1:12:15 The Hawaii Sessions: Treating the Studio Like a Band
1:14:33 Technical Breakdown: Producing "I Used to Love H.E.R."
1:21:56 Recreating the Sample & Bassline in Ableton
1:31:27 Realizing the Legacy: When Resurrection Became a Classic
1:34:51 Final Reflections: Doing it for the Love

Follow No I.D.📸 https://instagram.com/cubansozeFollow us for more insights into hip hop history and music production:📸 https://instagram.com/tmronetwork📸 https://instagram.com/Doncannon

🎽 Merch: https://shoptmro.com/

#common #jayz #kanye

In this episode of BackTrak, Zaytoven retraces the creation of “Make the Trap Say Aye” by Gucci Mane and OJ Da Juiceman—a record that helped define the Atlanta trap sound in its rawest form. From the churchy melodies to the unfiltered bounce, Zay walks us through how the beat came together in a flash, why Gucci and Juice were the perfect match, and how this song lit up the streets like a firework. This is trap history from the man who scored it.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

3:21 Early Upbringing and Moving All The Time

10:40 Church Lifestyle

15:10 First Placements

19:15 Moving To Atlanta

24:28 So Icy

29:28 Gucci Locked Up | Working With OJ

31:26 Instruments & Still Playing In Church

36:01 The Zaytoven Sound

40:32 Musical Influences & Family

44:14 Make The Trap Say Aye Backstory

48:58 Collaborations & Engineering

53:04 Prepping The Process

55:59 Beat Recreation

01:07:57 The Legacy

Follow Zaytoven

📸 https://instagram.com/zaytovenbeatz

Follow us for more insights into hip hop history and music production:

📸 https://instagram.com/tmronetwork

📸 https://instagram.com/Doncannon

🎽 Merch: https://shoptmro.com/

#zaytoven #guccimane #zaytoventypebeat