Melbeatz: From Underground German Hip-Hop Scene to Producing Tracks for Kanye West

Photo courtesy of Franziska Sinn via Landr.

Meet Melbeatz: the German hip hop producer who has worked with German rap greats, traversed the Berlin graffiti scene, and can call herself one of the few female producers who has made beats for Kanye West. She got her start in the underground rap and graffiti scenes in 80’s and 90’s Berlin, and was one of very few women in these communities at the time. “People obviously get upset if you have sharp elbows, but without them you won’t get anywhere,” she tells Broadly of her experience as a tough-as-nails woman coming of age in male-dominated spaces. “I’m very confident, so I didn’t take any shit from anyone.”

Melbeatz got firsthand experience working with German rappers and producers in the 90’s. She soon began working with Kool Savas, an up-and-coming German rapper, and ended up producing his debut album “Die beaten Tase sind gezhält” (“The Best Day of My Life”).

Though she primarily produces in the underground German rap scene, Melbeatz is has also done work with American artists such as Mobb Deep and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, not to mention big break with Kanye. In 2004, she released “Rapper’s Delight,” a compilation album of tracks she has produced. She has since been a three-time winner of the JUICE Award for “Best Producer,” and was voted best producer at the hiphop.de awards in 2007 and 2009. In 2011, she started working with on a music and dance project called Durstlöscher (“Thirst Quencher”). Their first music video, “Dance to the End,” was released in 2012. Meanwhile, she has continued producing for German rap and hip hop artists, including a foray in to movie soundtracks.

Her advice for female producers? “All you can do is produce, produce, produce. If you really want to be part of the scene, then you’ll make it at some point.”

You can check out Melbeatz’s music on Soundcloud, and keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.