Sak Pase - Finding Success with A Heart to Serve, Making Hits for Kanye, Jay-Z, Rihanna & Shaboozey

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🎙️ New Episode Alert! 🎙️ (Full Episode!)

Interview by Elmo Chong

In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, host Elmo Chong sits down with legendary producer and record executive Sak Pase (Sham Joseph). With a career spanning collaborations with icons like Rihanna, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, and Travis Scott, Sak Pase has shaped the sound of modern music. From co-producing Man Down to his work on Watch the Throne, he continues to redefine the industry with innovative hits, most recently Shaboozey’s record-breaking song, A Bar Song (Tipsy).

This episode dives deep into Sak Pase’s journey, from his childhood in a Haitian immigrant household, to learning music out of necessity in church, to eventually producing multi-platinum hits and shaping the careers of emerging artists as an A&R. He shares insights into music production, artist development, and the intersection of creativity and commerce.

Key Highlights

🎶 Origins in Music – Growing up in a Haitian church, Sak Pase's father encouraged him to play music to save on hiring musicians. Learning by ear from radio hits, he developed an innate understanding of what resonates with the masses.

🎹 Early Influences – His exposure to Sting, Julio Iglesias, reggae, dancehall, and hip-hop helped him shape his own sound. The Fugees, and particularly producer Jerry Wonder, became his biggest inspirations.

📀 Breaking into the Industry – After leaving Full Sail University, he got his first paid gig as a producer through an unexpected Yahoo Chat connection that led to a record deal in LA. That moment solidified that he could make a career in music.

👑 Watch the Throne Era – He spent six weeks studying Queen’s discography to craft the perfect beat for Jay-Z & Kanye West. The result? A pivotal production on Who Gon Stop Me.

🔥 Kanye’s Genius & Creative Process – Working on Watch the Throne and Yeezus, he observed Kanye’s obsession with innovation and disruption, describing his ability to extract and transform ideas as "one of the greatest sampling minds in history."

🎤 Shaping Shaboozey’s Success – As an A&R, Sak Pase saw Shaboozey’s potential early on. He encouraged him to lean into his storytelling and world-building rather than focusing on rap alone. This led to the creation of A Bar Song (Tipsy), a viral, record-breaking hit.

💡 The Role of an A&R Today – He explains how his production background gives him an edge as an A&R. His job is to serve as the bridge between artist vision, commercial strategy, and industry execution.

📈 The Balance Between Creativity & Commerce – He emphasizes the importance of embracing commerce as a tool to amplify creativity rather than as a limitation.

Final Takeaways & Advice for Aspiring Music Creators

🎯 Find Your WHY – It will guide your WHAT, HOW, and WHO.
🎯 Dream BIG – Set goals that seem impossible so you stay motivated.
🎯 Treat People Well – Relationships in music last longer than trends.
🎯 Embrace Commerce, but Lead with Art – "Make music for people, not just yourself. The more accessible your music is, the more opportunities it creates."

🎧 Tune in to this insightful episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast!

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