Zaytoven has been making hit records for a decade now. In the fast-paced industry, the Atlanta producer has become a staple for artists across the game and in a new audio book, he shares his secrets to success.
Following up on her first Experience Hope project, which dropped in September, publicist Tamiko Hope releases Experience Hope Vol. 2 with Zaytoven. The 10-track project explores various factors that helped Xavier Dotson go from a barber who made beats in his free time to one of the most sought after producers in the industry. Exclusive sounds from Zaytoven are woven throughout the interviews.
The mixtape series is an offshoot of the Experience Hope lecture series that Hope started in early 2015 and she explains why teaming up with Zaytoven for a full-length project made sense.
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“I would invite an industry professional to talk about their experiences in the business to help guide or motivate budding creative entrepreneurs,” Hope says to HipHopDX of her vision behind her work. “The one I did with Zay was not only packed but overflowing with people and I kept getting requests to bring him back because attendees learned so much. Zay has so much insight and wisdom that I felt needed to be shared in a creative way outside of a classroom environment. I thought an educational podcast set to music would be a creative project we could do together. I actually absorb information better when I have music playing and I figured other people may feel that way too. And being that he suggested I do some sort of mixtape project a while ago and offered to give me as many beats as I needed, this seemed like the perfect opportunity and idea. I’d love to do a tour with Zay and bring Experience Hope to schools and studios.”
Zaytoven was featured on the first Experience Hope and shares why he was happy to do a full-length edition of the audio book. He explains why working beyond the studio, such as writing his book, From A to Zay, with Tamiko, is important to him.
“I liked the idea of being able to connect with my fans in a way that goes beyond just making beats and doing movies,” he says to DX. “With this project, it’s like I’m in your ear whenever you may need a little push to keep going. I’m hoping that folks will listen to this and get inspired to live their dreams and realize I’m just an ordinary person with an extraordinary work ethic. I think this project goes a little more in-depth on how I’ve been able to make it in this business and stay in it. Tamiko’s been my publicist since ’09 and we did my book together and so she’s been around to witness my hustle and growth and she’s asking me things that I don’t typically talk about.”
Stream Experience Hope Vol. 2 above and view the cover art (credit @pompeiiarts) and tracklist below.
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- Intro
- Mindset
- Reinvention
- Work Ethic
- Sacrifice
- Loyalty
- Excuses
- Investing
- Balance
- Bonus
