6th Sense is a producer/mc/songwriter from New York. Whether it's creating original soul, space-aged minimalism, or dusty backdrops, 6th always manages to deliver. His productions strive to have a human element within them that other producers cannot replicate.
His productions have been featured in national Adidas TV commercials, as well as EA Sports games. Music videos for songs he has produced have been featured on MTV, spun on all formats of radio, and have even been the iTunes Single of the Week. He has worked with many influential aritsts such as:
Outasight, Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, B.o.B., Smoke DZA, Joey Bada$$, The Kid Daytona, Tanya Morgan, Joell Ortiz, Bun B, Mickey Factz, Kardinal Offishall, Melanie Fiona, Nitty Scott, MC, Alchemist, Ja Rule, Asher Roth, Mistah Fab, Nicolay, Big Pooh, Scram Jones, U-N-I, Evidence, 88 Keys, Adele, Peter Bjorn and John, The Lonely Island, Homeboy Sandman, Chip Tha Ripper, Emilio Rojas, The Noisettes, CharlieRED, Mick Boogie, Jenna Andrews, Tiara Wiles, Spree Wilson, and plenty more.
OK-Tho:
Congrats on the album with Tanya Morgan, great project! Where did you get your name from?
6th Sense:
I gave myself this ridiculous name at the tender age of 14, maybe 15. When you're first starting out, you gotta give yourself a moniker, and I felt like music was my 6th sense. And there you have it.
How long have you been producing for?
6th Sense:
I'd say I started around 16 or so. Looping instrumentals, making simple beats with whatever software like Fruity Loops 3, Acid, Sound Forge, whatever. When I met Frequency I had him making the dope beats for me to rap to, so I kinda fell back. But when Kanye's "Late Registration" dropped, it put the biggest battery in my back to jump full fledged into production. I guess then it's been 8 years? Or 13? I dunno.
How did you get into producing? Anybody teach you, how did you learn?
6th Sense:
I got into producing because I got sick of DJing. I was tired of lugging mad equipment everywhere. Lugging crates, spending all my money on new records. Begging for rides to and from the parties. I just got tired of it, especially when the highlights of the party were when I threw on instrumentals and started freestyling. So I just felt it made the most sense to start MAKING the records as opposed to just playing them. I taught myself a lot. Trial and error in recording studios. Listening intently to my favorite records to logically figure out how to do things. I picked things up from the engineers. Me and my friend Marc Arena would swap Fruity Loops techniques. Picked up a lot of things from Frequency. Scram Jones showed me a few things. Recording classes in college. I'd say I learned the most though through paying attention. I still learn new things to this day because I want to, and I feel there's so much to still learn.
Being from New York, what was your local hip hop scene like growing up? Where there any up and coming artists or producers around you that have blown up now?
6th Sense:
I'd say the time when I jumped full into the "scene" it was towards the end of that golden underground era in NYC. I was also really young. But I'm glad I got to experience it from within. Being 17, 18 hitting the Nuyorican, doing shows at the Knitting Factory, cyphers outside of Fat Beats… you had to have skills. It's cool to talk to some of those guys now. These were guys I looked up to when I was young. Now we talk and they tell me they're fans of my music. It's humbling.
OK-Tho:
What was your first musical equipment when you started producing?
6th Sense:
When I was a teenager I'd be on my dad's computer using the early Fruity Loops. But I'd say my first real setup, right after "Late Registration" dropped was an iMac, MBox, MPC1000, MicroKorg, and whatever other keyboard someone would lend me.
OK-Tho:
What albums from start to finish do you consider masterpieces?
6th Sense:
Start to finish Masterpieces:
Miles Davis - "Kind of Blue" "In A Silent Way"
D'Angelo - "Voodoo" "Brown Sugar"
Slum Village - "Fantastic Vol 2"
Tribe Called Quest - "Low End Theory"
Michael Jackson - "Off The Wall"
J Dilla - "Donuts"
Nas - "Illmatic"
Stevie Wonder - "Innervisions"
Albums So Insanely Close To Being Start to finish Masterpieces except for maybe iike one song or because I'm too picky, aw fuck it:
Jay-Z - "The Blueprint"
The Roots - "Game Theory" "How I Got Over"
Common - "Like Water For Chocolate" "Be"
Kanye West - "Late Registration"
Outkast - "Aquemini" "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below"
Amy Winehouse - "Back to Black"
Justin Timberlake - "FutureSex/LoveSounds"
Fleetwood Mac - "Rumours"
Dr. Dre - "Chronic 2001"
OK:
If there was one beat that you wish you could of made, what would it be?6th:
Only because this is how I feel today, Vic Mensa's "Orange Soda."
Do you think De La Soul were better with Prince Paul?
6th:
Ha! I can't say. I love "Buhloone Mindstate" to death. And I also LOVE "The Grind Date." I mean "The Grind Date" came out FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER 3 feet. And it's dope as fuck.
Buhloone Mindstate def grew on me but their first album without Paul, Stakes Is High, I'd have to say is their best ever. RZA or DJ Premier?
6th:
Nah man. I never rank Primo. He does things with beats that make me want to in the highest form of respect cause physical harm to him. And RZA? RZA is like Sigmond Freud
OK:
How did you link up with Outasight?
6th:
An MC by the name of Black EL linked us through Myspace of all places. We met up at his apartment and had a couple beers and the rest is history.
OK:
Can you explain the experience of touring and DJing for live shows with him?
6th:
I can go on for hours about the experience and the stories. 300 something shows in the last 2 years, I've lost count. Rocking for crowds of 20,000 (and 20!). I lived in nightclubs for like a year. I learned the radio game. Frequent flyer miles, drove across the country and back multiple times. Just priceless shit.
What era of hip hop would you say was your favorite?
6th:
1996-2001. Dual cassette boomboxes. Taping the radio. Copping mixtapes, making mixtapes. White label 12"s. Fat Beats, Rock and Soul, Harmony Records. Nuyorican. Wetlands. CD Burners. SandboxAutomatic. Rawkus. Napster. Neo-Soul. I could go on.
Ha, Sandbox Automatic was the shit. And I also used to love going on Hiphopsite.com as well. Would you say that hip hop today could be better?
6th:
It's getting better.
Name your favorite place to travel to?
6th:
Cali for the weed, Memphis for the BBQ. Dying to go all over Europe.
OK:
How did you link up with Tanya Morgan?
6th:
Just being in NYC we got to know each other. I first met Von Pea in maybe 2004 or 2005 we rocked together during a Nicolay show. Donwill and I met shortly thereafter. We've ALWAYS been cool.
OK:
Is there gonna be more albums of theirs that you will produce?
6th:
That remains to be seen, but we've definitely talked about it quite a bit.
OK:
We noticed you also spit as well, is that a lane your still trying to get in, do you consider yourself as a producer first then a MC?
6th:
I been rapping for 20 years. I'm finding out a lot of people don't know that. I may have to put something together and see if I still got it.
OK:
When making a beat, do you already invision who you would like on it or who you would give it to?
6th:
Jay-Z, every time. Lol, just kidding.
OK:
Is it hard to determine what beats you want for yourself and what beats you should shop or give to others?
6th:
Yeah it's insanely hard. The choice of shopping the beat has lost over and over again over the last few years.
OK:
Name some up and coming artists that you are feeling and would like the pleasue of working with?
6th:
Chance The Rapper, Vic Mensa, Dyme-A-Duzin, Isaiah Rashad more stuff w/ Joey Bada$$, more stuff w/ Action Bronson, ZZ Ward, Miguel.
OK:
Whats the future looking like for 6th Sense?
6th:
Me and Outasight constructed a little studio in Yonkers and we're going to be working on his next album. Gonna try and record some more rhymes for the first time in years. Couple of DJ mixes for people to enjoy. And more production… keep the soul alive.
Check out 6th
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