Mike WiLL Made-It

Like so many Atlanta super-producers, Mike WiLL Made-It got his start thanks to a chance encounter with Gucci Mane. Born Michael Len Williams II in 1989, he ran into Gucci in 2011 at Patchwerk Recording Studios and offered a CD-R full of beats to the rapper, who purchased one for $1,000. The two collaborated together on several singles including 2007’s "East Atlanta 6" and Mike WiLL eventually parlayed that cosign into a production credit on Meek Mill’s 2011 hit “Tupac Back.” With its stabbing synths and heavy drums, it was the perfect track to announce the groundbreaking young producer to a nationwide audience. No matter what beat Mike WiLL tackles, though, he’s always looking to innovate. It’s why he’s remained on top of hip-hop production, whether working for others or steering the ship on his 2017 LP, Ransom 2. He’s famously produced the beat for Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles,” which, coincidentally, features Gucci Mane. On the track, Mike WiLL adds a bouncy piano line that complements the singsong style of Sremmurd’s Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee. Though he’s most often associated with the sound of contemporary Atlanta rap, Mike WiLL Made-It remains a go-to producer because of his ability to integrate his deep musical knowledge into any particular subgenre of hip-hop. “I’m trying to do something different,” he tells Apple Music. “I started off in my basement, making beats for Gucci. [But] I’m always learning. May the best student win.”