T-Minus is a young producer from the GTA who has all kinds of major label, indie label, and no-label artists clamouring to record over his beats. For this issue of Black Ink, he steps away from his home studio setup long enough to answer a few questions about how he got started, what he’s learned along the way, whether the recession is affecting him, and what his fans can expect to hear next. If you think about your favourite producer, a typical fan of hip hop or R&B will probably answer with at least one of the following well-known names: Timbaland, Pharrell of The Neptunes/N.E.R.D., Swizz Beats, Dr. Dre, Kanye West. The common perception is that all the hottest urban producers come from the States (especially New York, Los Angeles, or Atlanta), but the industry is slowly starting to recognize the incredible talent that resides on the cold side of the Canada-US border. Case in point: T-Minus (Tyler Williams), an up-and-coming producer from Ajax, Ontario who is represented by Lavish Life Management. At the age of 21, this prodigious talent has already worked with heavy hitters in the world of hip hop and R&B including Ludacris, Drake, Plies, Young Jeezy, Mya, and Chris Brown. Williams first started experimenting with music as a student at Pickering High School. “I’ve always loved music,” he says. “I used to play the drums, so I’ve always been interested in music in that way.” After sitting at the drum kit for a few years, he decided to try making … [Read more...]