If “sleep is the cousin of death,” then consider Ramon “!llmind” Ibanga, Jr. to be immortal. With over 400 produced tracks to his name, calling !llmind a “force to be reckoned with” is an understatement, and since he officially started producing in the early ’00s, he has never showed a sign of slowing down.
Having worked with the likes of Heltah Skeltah, Skyzoo, Little Brother, 50 Cent, Emilio Rojas, Redman, Chaundon, Tek, Jared Evan, KRS-One, Buckshot, Scarface, Sean Price, Akrobatik, Saigon, and countless others in such a short amount of time, almost sounds too good to be true, but to !llmind, it’s just another day at the “office.”
!llmind checked in with AllHipHop.com on a plethora of topics, including his background in production, his early aspirations to be a rapper, and having the opportunity to meet his all-time favorite producer, J. Dilla, before he passed. Check out the first part of our interview with !llmind below:
In part 2, !llmind spoke on the Beat Society and the integral role it played in his life and career, his experiences teaching at New York University, and making people aware of his new venture, B.L.A.P. (Beats, Love, Alcohol and Party):
In the final part of our interview, !llmind talked about the work he’s currently doing in the studio with Jared Evan and Skyzoo, as well as his goal to bring Korean music to the U.S. in a major way:
Check back next week for a continuation of our time with !llmind, where he speaks on the Five Beats he is most proud of and his “Top 5 Producers Dead Or Alive.”
Follow !llmind on Twitter: (@IllmindProducer).