One of the better depictions of LA’s landscape is G Perico’s, “Welcome to the Land”, G Perico rides through pockets of the city, from Inglewood to South Central in a light lime green Cadillac lowrider. At the minute mark, the music abruptly stops by an LA Romeo-and-Juliet love story told through a DoKnow phone call. A Los Angeles synopsis over the production of the city’s own, 420 Tiesto.
In 2016, 420 Tiesto began his hip hop production career with Hawthorne-rapper Lil House Phone. At the height of the “Soundcloud-era” clouding LA, the duo released their most viral song, “Tokyo Goons”. In our interview, the experienced producer reflects on that time saying he disliked how outsiders were coming into LA and moving with no cultural context or respect to the city. Since then, 420 has produced for some of LA’s most consistent curators including: 1takejay, Top Rank Gang, Rucci, G Perico, 1takequan, and most recently rising-star Big Sad 1900.
I met up with 420 at a studio in Montebello, a city I called home in my teenage years. A city I would not have expected to have hubs of LA’s rap scene, especially reflecting on the amount of times police would show up to 11pm family parties. Yet on the late night I visited the studio, music blared freely without noise complaints. The Long Beach rap group Top Rank Gang and Benny Ave. creating in one room, and MixedbyCrook with Kaswun creating in another. The quietest location to interview 420 was the hallway in-between, and yet, whoever passed by greeted the L.A. producer.
The energy from our interview transferred into a studio collaboration with Benny Ave and MixedbyCrook. After our interview, 420 was ecstatic about showing the producers a newly learned trick on fruity loops exclaiming,“It’s a game changer!” The 5-second sample of 420’s keys continued gaining life with Benny Ave drums and MixedByCrook chords. “Music is a feeling thing not a brain thing” the “Tokyo Goons” producer explains.
As the loop continues to build, 420 Tiesto remembers the best advice he heard was from an artist featured on NPR. He shares advice, “Never sacrifice your art for money. You gotta support yourself financially first.” He admits how he loves listening to NPR and learning about cultures, but wishes the station spotlit current Los Angeles culture, West Coast hip hop. A sign of acknowledgment, that’s LA culture. After all, 420 Tiesto was the person who first approached me at Big Sad’s album release for The Reason. Where we met. He asked me, What brings you here? What do you do? And that’s where we began our conversation.
We met up at the Big Sad 1900 album release. How’d you get connected with Big Sad?
I was just immediately impressed by him musically. I think that’s true for a lot of people… his music resonates with them and that’s obvious. I ended up getting a song with him through White John. I got a song with him, White John and Rucci. That was my first time working with him. After that I just hit him on Instagram. I was like, Yo, let’s work. I sent him another beat. He got on that one. Then he said, pull up to the studio and he told me he wants to do a tape with me. And I was like, man that’s crazy. Cause, no rapper has ever wanted to do a tape with me and put my name on it. That was a big deal to me. That really helped me out a lot.
Did he tell you why he wanted to do a whole tape with you? Is there something about your sound..
I don’t know, Big Sad just had a vision, to be honest. Some rappers don’t have a vision, they just do whatever. Big Sad really has a vision, you feel me? He knows exactly what his game plan is, like, what he needs to do to get to the next level.
What was it about Big Sad that you felt attracted to his music?
My favorite rapper of all time is probably Lil Boosie, he really was one of the first pain rappers talking about sh**, if you’ve gone through hard times you can relate to it. Hard times are something that anyone in any situation can relate to. You can be a kid in the suburbs and completely relate to hard times. Everybody’s life is hard. So Big Sad speaks to people who have been having a hard time. That sh** resonated with me a little bit, his music really hit me.
This whole question or debate came up online: is Big Sad one of the great new California artists.
Oh, for sure. Off top. He’s the best. I’m going to say it right now. Big Sad is the number one rapper in California, really rapping right now. I don’t know anyone else really doing it like him right now. Who in the country is really making real music right now? He’s making real music, timeless music. And that’s what it’s about.
Another big collaboration who you were known for at a previous time, cause you’ve been in this for a while, right?
Professionally since 2016.
Was Lil House Phone, right?
Yes, that’s one of my best friends for a long time, bro. Still is one of my best friends. House Phone helped me out too, man. Shout out Lil House Phone. He gave me my first chance in music. I remember before that I was just, you know, trying to make it every day. Music is the hardest thing in the world to make it in. It’s just not easy. Monte gave me a chance.
What would you credit your success or your consistency to?
I think one of the things is you gotta give the people what they want. You gotta think, what do they want from this artist.
There’s been a lot of ups and downs within West Coast music. What do you think is one thing that’s been consistent through all of those different waves that come and go?
I am still cool with the same homies. In the beginning I was working with 1takequan and I’m still working with 1takequan. I see him almost every other week, if not every week. Crook [MixedbyCrook] just passed by, I’ve known him since the beginning of the West Coast shit.
The SoundCloud era was interesting, I didn’t like the SoundCloud era to be honest.
Why?
It was kind of hard to maneuver in the SoundCloud era because you’re dealing with a bunch of kids who aren’t from L.A. Here we are kind of more respectful to each other than these kids that aren’t from here. We’re respectful to each other because we know you could die in any minute. Someone could say the wrong thing and you’re in a bad situation. You feel me? You could make the wrong turn and you’re in a bad place. We know that there’s consequences out here. Whereas these kids were coming from all over the country. Flying here. Just like not really respecting LA. I would say it was kind of difficult.
Do you feel like right now is a good moment in West coast music?.
Oh, for sure. It’s underrated right now. We don’t have enough clout across the country. But, what’s really going on is some good sh**. We got some good music being made. Not a lot, but there’s a couple people making good music and that’s all it takes.
How has your music evolved or changed over that time?
I always made different kinds of beats. Musically, I guess, I always try to learn new shit. I learned a new trick in Fruity Loops, that sh** blew my mind. I’m not even telling anybody about it. You can find it on YouTube, and it’s not even that crazy of a trick, but it’s the kind of sh**, that can make a melody go insane.
You went to Chico State. You majored in economics? Is that right?
I did, yes. That’s crazy.
Did you moving there play any type of role in your involvement in music?
Absolutely. Chico really made me, like, who I am today. If it weren’t for that, I might have had a regular life.
Anything that you learned about yourself in your time there at Chico?
I was telling them about one time on shrooms, I realized like I had an epiphany. I realized like I’m not a follower, I’m a leader. Like all these kids I was with were kinda like, they didn’t have any direction. So at that moment, I was 18, it just struck me that I’m actually the leader of the homies right now. So I gotta lead them in the right direction.
I want to bring in a quote that you’ve posted on Instagram and I think this is one of those things that was very pivotal for you, and I do want to ask you about this specific moment.
“I failed every music class I ever took, I even failed the same class twice. My professor laughed at me when I asked if we learned anything about fruity loops. My guitar teacher in high school said it was impossible to make it, and the industry was rigged, I broke my guitar over some kid’s head and never went back to that class.”
100 percent true.
So there’s this motive that you said you want to prove them wrong?
A little bit, yeah. So my friends in high school were like, man you always want to do everything, why don’t you just do one. And I’m like, man, I don’t know. But my homie, rest in peace, he died. He really made me keep going. He told me, bro you can’t give up on this sh**. I made one beat in front of me. He’s like, you can do this. I guess that’s another reason, I keep going for him and just to prove everybody wrong.
Ryan James. Rest in peace Ryan James. He died from a heroin overdose. It was a year after high school.
Did that affect the way that you look at life?
To be honest, yeah. I don’t know how to explain it. I lost a lot of homies at this point now. Life is a little bit different. I’m older. At the time, I kind of didn’t see it coming though. I guess I felt a little bit guilty. I felt guilty leaving my friends in high school because, like I said, I was the leader of these homies too before I left. I knew that my friends would kind of be on a bad path. I felt kind of responsible or some sh** for not making sure that they’re good or something, you know?
Is there some intention with your music that you try to lead people into a better path?
I just try to be positive, you feel me? Being positive is always the best outcome. I make music to motivate people, that’s the main thing. Like I said, Lil Boosie’s my favorite rapper and listening to his music when I was younger made me feel better knowing that I could relate to other people. This made me feel normal. Like it just made me feel good. That’s why I make this type of music. You feel me? So yeah, it’s the best stuff. It makes you feel good.
What keeps you coming back to music?
I guess there’s no other option at this point. I’m already full in. I got my degree, I could’ve done something else. But it’s a little too late for that, I already chose this life.
What are your goals in your music career?
I think long term I just want to put LA back where we were when I was a kid. I want us to be number one. So I do this for the city. I do this for Southern California, California in general, the West Coast, the whole West Coast.
Shorter term goals?
We got the tape coming with the homies right here. Top Rank Gang. I got more sh** coming with Big Sad. More sh** coming with 1takejay, 1takequan, White John, Baby Stone Gorillas, Frosty.
New artists I’m working with as well.
Follow 420 Tiesto and his journey in pushing West Coast music to the forefront.