Scott Storch created his first beat at the age of 13. It marked his initial step towards becoming a successful, Grammy-nominated producer. His career-making break came when he was recruited to play keys with the Roots. That experience both clarified and sharpened his focus and he realized that the recording side of music appealed to him more than the touring side. So he maximized his studio time and went on to produce with Dr. Dre on “Still D.R.E.” from the multi-platinum album 2001. Ultimately this led to work with artists including Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake and Post Malone.
Music attracts different people for a range of reasons. For Storch, the draw has always been melodies. “That’s what I love to work on in the studio or when I’m doing collaborations,” he explains. “That’s also what I think people recognize most when it comes to my work.”
It’s relatively common among producers and engineers to rely upon an innate sense of when a song, beat, or melody is on target. But of course that’s never a guarantee of success. Few things ever are. “After doing this for so long, I just have an ear for it,” Storch asserts. “My intuition still comes into play when I’m working with others, but in those cases it also depends on the artist and the label.”
Storch faced a number of personal challenges earlier in his career. They were serious enough that he was compelled to step away from production temporarily. When he was ready to return, he found that it was harder than he’d expected. “Once I was in a great place mentally and was ready to get back into music, things had changed so much,” he recollects of that difficult time. “I had to learn all the fresh sounds and sonics and met with a lot of new, young talented artists."
“What helped the most was getting Steve Lobel, my new manager,” the producer continues. “He put in a lot of time not only with me, but with major players in the industry. We fought every battle together and he made those connections to get me back into the rooms with young, relevant artists like Trippie Redd, Russ and Post Malone.”
As an established producer, Storch is ideally positioned to offer guidance to behind-the-glass newcomers. “Upcoming producers now have social media, which can either shoot artists to fame or bury them in the crowd,” he observes. “My best advice is to stay true to yourself. Stick to what you believe and create your own unique sound.”
Driven by his ethic as much as his passion, Storch remains prolific. Significant time and effort were devoted to the creation of the KRK Scott Storch CLASSIC 8ss monitor alongside Gibson. He’s also in the early stages of a film about his life. New music continues to be at his forefront, which includes collaboration with his son Jaden. Much of his work now is completed at his home studio, which he’s spent years refining. However, he remains open to producing in other spaces, particularly with artists who are interested in exploring different environments.
