Having grown up in Watts, CA, Ron-RonTheProducer told HipHipDX that he was heavily influenced by experiencing the different eras in rap music like G-funk, gangsta rap and the jerking movement — so it is somewhat of a no-brainer to think he is now one of the leading producers in the new generation of rap music brewing in Los Angeles.
Serving as the executive producer for Shoreline Mafia, Ron-Ron has produced some of the group’s biggest hits including “Nun Major” and “Dirty,” among others, while also carving out an impressive résumé of collaborations of his own with artists like Drakeo The Ruler and 03 Greedo.
In October, he shared his RonRonDoThatShit EP, featuring Renni Rucci, 1TakeJay and others, and returns today with the premiere of the video for “Stuck Up” featuring AzChike. HipHopDX spoke to the producer ahead of the release of the visual to discuss several topics including the inception of his catchy tag, the origins of his Hitmob group label and his work with major rappers in the new L.A.
HipHopDX: I want to start by asking you what your opinion is on the current landscape in rap in Los Angeles?
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Ron-RonTheProducer: I feel like, in L.A. wise, it’s more of how Atlanta was when they had Thug [Young Thug] and everybody coming up. When everybody was coming up in Atlanta, now I feel like that’s how LA is. We got everybody linking and coming up together. I feel like the new scene, right now, music-wise, is more like a party sound. It’s like a turn-up sound that people want to dance to now. It’s not too much of a slow vibe no more.
HipHopDX: How do you feel the work you have done with new L.A. artists like Shoreline Mafia, Drakeo The Ruler, 03 Greedo and others has either influenced or added to that new sound coming from the Land?
Ron-RonTheProducer: Shit, they influenced a lot. I really think Drakeo [Drakeo The Ruler] influenced more people then a lot of people think. And then it was like, after Drakeo, it was like DJ Bugzy started influencing a lot of people too and now Shoreline [Shoreline Mafia] started influencing a lot of people too. Because I’m starting to hear like, a lot of Hispanic rappers are starting to rap like Fenix [Fenix Flexin] and Ogheesy.
HipHopDX: Do you have any new music on the way with Drakeo The Ruler? How people he collaborates with like you and his team still working throughout this difficult trial?
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Ron-RonTheProducer: Yeah — I think, to be honest bro all of the shit we been doing, he just dropped. Like I only got, Like I’d say, two exclusive songs from Drakeo that I did with him while he was out. Because honestly, I barely even knew Drakeo bro — I met Drakeo when we were making the “Out The Slums” to be honest. I like met him in person then and there, you feel me. But I been chopped it up with him and shit. And then it was just like, when we made “Out the Slums” that’s when shit just really kicked off with me and Drakeo. So that’s when I really met him. But yeah I had met him when we made that track and then I had made a couple of songs with him and Greedo [03 Greedo] and we made like two songs, me and Drakeo and then I got a couple of songs, like two or three songs with him and Greedo.
HipHopDX: What has it been like being the executive producer for Shoreline Mafia and how would you say you have grown or experienced things seeing how quickly they blew up in such a short amount of time?
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Ron-RonTheProducer: Shit, it feel crazy bro to be honest. Shoreline the reason why I’m booming — I was already booming but then Shoreline took me to a whole other level. So it’s like, seeing that, seeing them tour, seeing them do all types of shit, that shit just crazy to me — because I’m coming from Watts and then I got a whole of niggas from Hollywood I’m working with and they just booming, you feel me. So, it’s just a different experience.
HipHopDX: What is the creative process like when you’re working with Shoreline Mafia? Has it changed at all? Do you still get in the studio together?
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Ron-RonTheProducer: I mean, yeah it’s always going to change, you feel me, because niggas got families now. So, I feel like that shit is going to always change. But for sure we have grown up and matured music-wise. Now, when I made a song with Shoreline, them niggas kind of picky with the beats now. So it’s like — they not bout to just rap to any beat no more that I just give them. I gotta either really be right there with them cooking up or just, I have some hot shit already.
HipHopDX: How do you feel working with this new generation of L.A. rappers has helped you grow or elevate what you do from a technical standpoint?
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Ron-RonTheProducer: Yeah I feel like everything — yeah they helped me a lot. Just on sound wise and me expanding my brand with this whole beat shit, you feel me. Because I don’t want to be stuck in just one sound when I could have a whole lot of different sounds.
HipHopDX: Since you work with a lot of different artists, where do most of the collabs?
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Ron-RonTheProducer: At my studio, it’s in Torrance. I got that studio probably about two or three years ago. I got a whole team with me called Hitmob — so them the niggas that push me. They push me to do what I need to do.
HipHopDX: Can you tell me a little bit more about Hitmob? What does the group have planned for 2020?
Ron-RonTheProducer: It’s a group label. It’s me, the homie Jugg, my lil cousin Marlee, My cousin Ace [Acetheface] and all the other homies. So it’s a couple of us. We all started this shit on our own.
HipHopDX: What motivated or inspired you to release the RonRonDoThatShit EP?
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Ron-RonTheProducer: Honestly, I felt like it was time for me to drop something bro. I been in the cut too long, after Shoreline dropped their album. And then, I was just doing stuff on the side getting little placements and stuff. So I felt like it was time for me to drop another big project. So, the RonRonDoThatShit album I feel like it was like, I needed to drop something. The EP, it’s not an album — I felt like I needed to drop the EP because it was like, I needed to give the fans something. I haven’t given them anything of my own since the Soundcloud days. I felt like that was something special to give fans until I drop the album.
HipHopDX: How did you recruit some of the features on the EP?
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Ron-RonTheProducer: It was more of like the people I fuck with right now type shit. It was like, all of the homies type shit, you feel me. I’m going to drop shit with all the homies going up right now. That’s basically what it was, it wasn’t like really thought out to be honest. It took me a week to put together. Like, I had most of the songs though — like I had “Superman” in the cut, I had 03’s songs in the cut, and “That Bag” song with Beno and them, I had that in the cut too. The only new songs are Chike’s [AzChike] song and Rucci’s [Renni Rucci] song, and the 1TakeJaysong I had in the cut too.
HipHopDX: How did you link up with AzChike? Do you guys have more music coming out?
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Ron-RonTheProducer: Me and Chike was already connected because of Sway. I was already mixing stuff for Chike and Sway. And Chike is like, ‘man we gotta do something,’ and then that’s when me and Chike been — man me and Chike got a cold little EP bout to drop. Like a little album we got done, we got like 25 songs done already. And we just going crazy on them. That’s gone come out real soon.
HipHopDX: What inspired the video for “Stuck Up”?
Ron-RonTheProducer: Honestly on the “Stuck Up” video it was kind of some in the studio stuff me and Chike was already recording for me and his project and we decided to shoot “Stuck Up” because the vibes was right there in the studio.
HipHopDX: Now that you have released the RonRonDoThatShit EP, what’s next for you in 2020?
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Ron-RonTheProducer: I’m trying to drop the album in 2020 for sure, I dropped the EP, so now I’m trying to drop the album. I’m going to drop the same — it’s going to be the same name, it’s gone be RonRonDoThatShit. It’s gone be an album this time. And this one I’m going to have a real marketing scheme, a real plan to it, everything. I got some of the songs ready, it’s just we need the real marketing plan for it right now.
HipHopDX: What inspired the name RonRonDoThatShit?
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Ron-RonTheProducer: My mom came up with it. My mom was in the studio with me, and she was like, we as vibing together, smoking, because me and my mom smoke weed together — so she was like smoking with me in the studio and then she was just like, ‘Ron-Ron do that shit,’ and it was just like a light bulb in my head. And I told her to say it on the mic and then that’s how my tag came. Then I just ran with it ever since.
Watch the video for “Stuck Up” above and re-visit RonRonDoThatShit below.
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