JD On Tha Track is living out his dreams on the daily.
Describing himself as “a person who made it out of Brazil, and is a multi-Platinum producer now.” the 22-year-old is having a standout year.
For one, his beat for Polo G’s “Pop Out” featuring Lil Tjay has gone 3x Platinum, while Lil Tjay’s breakout hit “Brothers” also goes Platinum.
Teaching himself both English and how to make beats, JD has a relentless work ethic.
He also has a crazy story, revealing that he’s almost died 6 times — but won’t explain why. JD plans to save that for his documentary and book down the line.
AllHipHop: How did that happen (Polo G and JD on the Track linkin’ up for “Pop Out”)?
JD On Tha Track: After I made the beat with my brother Iceberg (Beatz), I sent the beat to Maria who’s an A&R at Columbia. I sent it to Polo and Lil Tjay, one of ‘em. I don’t know who got it and who actually put it in (or put it out), but somebody got it and made it happen.
AllHipHop: I’m a huge fan of Polo, his entire album is fire.
JD On Tha Track: Exactly, Polo has some deep music.
AllHipHop: Did you have any placements before that?
JD On Tha Track: Yeah! Way more. I got a bunch. I got some with NBA Youngboy. I got some with Quando Rondo.
AllHipHop: How did you get in with YoungBoy?
JD On Tha Track: I sent a pair to Carl, who is his DJ. That’s how I got it. With Quando, he texted me his phone and I started sending him a bunch of beats for him. A bunch of packs and he was hopping on all of them. At first, I was sending them to his email, but after that, he’s like “yo, send them to my phone.” So I started sending them to his phone.
AllHipHop: Have you met him?
JD On Tha Track: Not yet, but it’s going to happen real soon I feel. Oh, I also got a Platinum plaque for “Brothers,” so that’s 4x’s. I got a Gold plaque for Die a Legend, that album by Polo G which is going to be Platinum soon.
AllHipHop: Damn, at 22! How do you feel?
JD On Tha Track: I feel great! It’s a wonderful feeling. I’m the first Brazilian ever to make this happen, first producer to make it out of Brazil. To hear a producer do what I do, get to all these placements I’ve been getting and get plaques, I’m the first-ever. So I feel like I can open doors to a lot of people in Brazil. I can be like a king in Brazil, and open doors to a bunch of people.
AllHipHop: What is Brazil’s hip-hop scene like?
JD On Tha Track: It’s getting bigger now because it wasn’t that big. But everyone sees out here as an inspiration and motivation. They look up to here, to the artists out here and everything. We’re getting bigger now but to be honest with you, I don’t even listen to Brazilian music. I just don’t feel it like the way I feel it here.
AllHipHop: Growing up, were you always listening to American music?
JD On Tha Track: Exactly. Since I was a kid, I was always listening to Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, Eminem. Of course Eminem, that’s one of my favorites. If I had a Top 5, he’s definitely on my list. 50 Cent, The Game, I used to listen to him back in the day. That’s a legend for sure! Akon, Chris Brown, all of them who were poppin’ back in the day, I was listening to them. I used to ride around in the car with one of my cousins, he had a big speaker on his car and that’s one of the reasons how I got into it. I discovered Eminem and all them by myself, but my cousin used to listen to rap too so he got me into a couple of artists.
AllHipHop: How did you get into producing?
JD On Tha Track: I always wanted to be a part of this music thing, always. I’m like “man, I’ve got to do something,” then I found FL Studio (Fruity Loops). This was 7 years ago, I was 15 or 16. I didn’t even know nothing about the program at all, nothing. I started to go crazy, I started to learn everything about it. All-day, all night, on it.
Looking online for tutorials, everything. I used to look up to Lex Luger, Southside, Nard & B, DJ Spinz, who was really poppin’ back then. I mean, they still are. But I started looking up some videos and I got into it. I swear, I was all day and all night trying to learn and trying to get better at it. All I was doing was that. I was getting home from school, the first thing I did was get on it. The last thing I was doing before sleep was music. I was in it every day, all day, all night.
AllHipHop: Sour Matt says you have crazy stories.
JD On Tha Track: There’s a lot to talk about, really. If I were to talk to you about everything, it would take days and days. One of them is that I almost died 6 times in my life. I’m not going to get into it, but it was 6 times. It’s too deep for me. The actual happenings, it’s crazy. I’m just going to say that I’m here for a reason and I feel like I got God by my side at all times. All the time. Instead of saying angels, I’ll say guidance. I feel like I have a whole bunch of guidance with me, guiding me all the time. I survived 6 times and I’m blessed to be here.
AllHipHop: What brings you out to LA?
JD On Tha Track: At first, it was work. I also wanted to know how the city is, the vibes out here and all that. Because I’ve been to Miami, New York, Atlanta, and now here. I love Miami, but I plan on moving here soon from Atlanta.
AllHipHop: What made you go to Atlanta?
JD On Tha Track: Just wanted to see how the vibes were. The music scene and everything.
AllHipHop: Your label is named 46 Music Group. What’s the meaning behind it?
JD On Tha Track: 46 is not just a random number. My full name is Joao Victor Alba Duarte. Joao has 4 letters, Victor has 6 letters, Alba has 4 letters, and Duarte has 6 letters, so everything together is 4,6,4,6. And everything together is 4. I was born on June 4th, so that means 4,6, 6,4. That’s really my number and also, I survived 6 times.
AllHipHop: What can we expect next?
JD On Tha Track: A bunch of new plaques. A bunch of new hit songs. A documentary, a movie, a book coming.
AllHipHop: What’s the book going to be about?
JD On Tha Track: My whole life, all the things I’ve experienced. I will put everything in the book: all the details, everything. I want to do everything because the story of my life when people are going to see it, they’re going to be like “that’s incredible. This dude is incredible.” Because it’s not just about the music, but about my life. What I have been through, what I go through, and also what I have learned. Because I have learned too many things that I can teach people. I want to teach a lot of people, a lot of Brazil people who want to come here how to move. Because it’s different.
AllHipHop: What’s the biggest culture barrier coming to America from Brazil?
JD On Tha Track: I think the way people are, it’s different. If a Brazilian person comes here in a Brazilian way, he’s going to be looked at different. I know how to move here already. I know how to deal with ya’ll already. So if a Brazilian person comes here with their style and all that, I have to tell them how to be and how to interact in a certain way. But I got too many other things to teach them like the game, how the industry is.
AllHipHop: How’s the music industry for you?
JD On Tha Track: I don’t want to handle the business part of the music, that’s the most annoying thing. I just want to make the beats and be happy. All the other stuff, I don’t want to be involved. All the business parts…
AllHipHop: Did you know “Brothers” was gonna be a hit?
JD On Tha Track: I had a feeling for “Brothers.” I ain’t going to lie, I had that feeling. In my opinion, Lil Tjay is one of my favorites. Because his flow, the pain… he’s so fire. He’s 18, he’s got so much more potential to keep going like that. We’re just getting started though. We have a bunch of songs together. But I did have that feeling for “Brothers,” I really did. That was special. The lyrics, the beat, and everything together, it’s a whole care package of good music right there.
AllHipHop: Is there anyone you want to work with that you haven’t yet?
JD On Tha Track: Drake, Travis Scott, and Post Malone. I got a bunch. Ty Dolla $ign, Juice WRLD, Meek Mill, Quavo.
