Needlz is one of the most sought after new producers on the music scene. His production on the 50 Cent songs "Piggybank" and "God Gave Me Style," won him critical acclaim as a producer. Needlz completed his Masters Degree from NYU in Music Business. I completed my Masters Degree in Education (Instructional Technology). I think people like me and Needlz represent a little exposed population of young African American's. You can graduate from college, even graduate from graduate school or law school and still be hip, fly and dig hip-hop. You can find out more about Needlz at www.tygereye.net/needlz

Interview conducted by Dorrie Williams-Wheeler.

I told a couple of people on my mailing list that I was interviewing you and about 10 people had the same question, so I will start with that question. Needlz-How did you hook up with 50 Cent?
Needlz- Well, I'm pretty much the cat that's in the studio all the time. My manager she's the one that goes around and shops my music. I've met him a couple of times. It wasn't like I was in the studio with him. They heard the beat, they called, and we gave them the track.

Have you worked with any other G-Unit artists…or well submitted tracks to them?
Needlz-Yeah. Before I worked with 50 I did something on the G-Unit album which was 50, Buck and Banks. Then after that I did Young Bucks first single "Let Me In," along with another one on his album "Bang Bang." When Game was in G-Unit I did a song on Game's album called "Special." That's been it so far and the two joints on 50's. I'm hoping to work with them some more.

I know you mentioned your manager shopping your tracks. Do you ever get in the studio with artists?
Needlz-Yeah. Mostly newer artists and stuff like that I'm in the studio with; collabin' with. It's the nature of the biz sometimes. The nature of the production game is kinda like unless you are Timbaland, The Neptunes or something like that most times the artists take the beat, do what they want to do with it, and call you when its done or something.

I read in the bio that you went to college in Florida and pursed your masters degree at NYU. Did you finish the masters?
Needlz- Definitely.

So you have a masters degree?
Needlz-Yep, I got a masters degree, it's in music business.

That's really good. I mean I do too. I was just wondering, well people think of people in the hip-hop industry as being a certain way and there are a lot of stereotypes. Are people often surprised when they find out you have a masters degree?
Needlz-Yeah. I mean I think so. I don't know. To me it was just a part of paying dues as far as getting in the industry. If I didn't come up here and go to school and meet the people I met and stuff like that I don't think I would be where I am. Basically, it's just a part of paying dues. Both of my parents are educators, actually all of my brothers have masters and my one brother is about to get his doctorate.

Listen to Needlz

I also read you had an internship at Bad Boy. What did you do during your internship there?
Needlz-Got coffee, went to McDonalds did little small stupid stuff like most interns do at first. I wasn't feeling it at the time obviously. It just made me realize that I went to school thinking I was going to be on the business side and behind a desk or whatever but I found out at the end that I didn't want to do that either, there is a lot of ass kissing and stuff like that. I did it and I met some people there that helped me out. I can't complain. I think everything that I've done has kind of put me to where I am right now.

Speaking of meeting people, I have all of these websites online and I always come across people who are producers or rappers and they always want me to listen to their stuff and I try to tell them "I'm just a writer I can't help you." How did you get your music heard by the right people?
Needlz-It goes back to my manager. Her name Folayn Knight. I met her. At the time she was A&R at Def Jam. She was the A&R of Method Man, Redman and DMX. Through her connections and a little bit of hustle work on my end we just met the right people. It's really no one way to do it. I can't say why it happened.

So you would suggest to them to maybe get a manager; someone who maybe is in the industry and can get your music heard by the right people?
Needlz- Definitely. It's really important whose walking your stuff in as well. You may get a manager that nobody likes in the industry. Just because he knows everybody nobody might not like him, or her. You definitely got to get somebody that can get your stuff into the managers hand if not the artist themselves.

I read that you have some songs that are going to be featured on the 50 Cent game Bulletproof. Are those songs you already did in the past?
Needlz-Yeah I think "Piggybank" is going to be on there.

I read you are from Lansing Michigan. Growing up in Michigan were you always into music?
Needlz-Yeah I started out as a DJ. My father by being an educator he was really into jazz and blues and he had tons of records downstairs. I grew up with music always being around but I never really wanted to pursue it like that until I saw the movie Juice. I thought that dude was cool. I thought GQ was cool. I said, "Hey let me try this deejaying stuff." I started deejaying. I dejayed everything, high school functions. I won homecoming king and I had to DJ the party. Like I was on the radio at Michigan State and from there I went to Florida. I had to kind of adapt my music, the selections, to what was going on in Florida. I did that all the way until 99' and from there I picked up the producing stuff.

I know there are a lot of producers who have crossed over into being artists. Have you ever considered being an artist?
Needlz-Yeah I mean, I get frustrated. Sometimes I don't like the songs people do over my beats. Sometimes I want to do what I want to do. I have flirted with the idea, maybe one day I'll do it. Right now I'm just trying to get established on the production tip.

What are you going to be doing for the rest of the fall?
Needlz- I'm about to move into a house. Still doing the music stuff. About to get another artist and try to get them signed, just keep grinding, same old thing.

Are you going to build a studio in your house?
Needlz-Yeah. I'mma have a little personal studio, nothing big, just something for me to be able to go downstairs and work when I feel the need, when I feel the itch.

You can find out more about Needlz at www.tygereye.net/needlz

Needlz interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com 2005
Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is the author of Be My Sorority Sister Under Pressure and the Unplanned Pregnancy Book for Teens and College Students. She is the founder of Thabiz.com and Imissthe80s.com and writes for the Rap, Teen, and 1980s section at Bellaonline.com. She is an ASCAP member as a writer and a publisher. Please contact Dorrie for advertising inquiries, lyric writing inquiries, reprint rights, paying entertainment jobs, or general comments.
Visit Dorrie on the web at www.sparkledoll.com or e-mail her at webmaster@thabiz.com.
Ne-Yo interview may not be reprinted, copied or distributed. You may link to this interview.
Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com October 2005.