HHNM: Definitely. So you now have your own Production company ‘My Own Planet’. What are your plans with it?
Mr. Porter: Yes. I started it with my partner, Amar Toma. We’ve been friends since a long time and we were always talking about working together. When I first got into the industry, he had just started a cellphone company, it was like a little hole in a wall store. Amazingly, a year later, the dude was a millionaire. And I was doing really well in my business. We just remained friends but we were always trying to figure out how to work together. It just turned out that we decided to do the company about a year ago.
We’ve signed some pretty good acts and we’re just developing them right now. Things should be coming out soon. I always try to sign people who are self-motivated and who can self-promote. I want people to be better than myself when it comes to that.
HHNM: I see. So are you gonna sign both producers and artists or is it strictly a production company?
Mr. Porter: We have signed 2 producers right now. I have one guy from Baltimore, his name is Jay O. I feel like this kid is always working. It’s just matter of time, we’re now starting to push his music. You’ll definitely see placements from him this year. He’s already in the process of producing and writing music for some good artists. Then we have this kid named Young Roc from Detroit. I see a lot of myself in him. It’s that growing period for him where he’s learning.
And the artist we have is, I don’t know if you’re familiar with the battle scene but I signed Marvwon. He’s been pretty successful on the battle scene as far as fight club and smack and all those things. And I signed Keely. She’s a singer, plays guitar, plays piano. She has the most unique voice I’ve ever heard. And then I have Meech from Baltimore also. It’s crazy that I deal with certain kinda music that’s different from my own. This kid reminds me of really heavy pop influences. It’s almost like Flo Rida but with punchlines. He’s got a mixtape that just came out called ‘Hurry Up & Wait’. The kid is hilarious. He’s got great ideas.
HHNM: Now that you’re a solo artist, will you still continue to produce for other artists? Who are some of the artists that you have recently worked with?
Mr. Porter: Yeah, I am actually producing for people right now. I’m working on songs for Ludacris. Meeting Kendrick at Coachella was great. I’m definitely about to work something for him. So I will continue to produce for other artists as well. I think it helps me keep my pen sharp with ideas.
HHNM: I was just looking at your production discography. It’s really impressive but I don’t think many people talk about it as often as they should. Do you ever feel you’re underrated?
Mr. Porter: Yeah! (Laughs) But it’s good for me because I’m always hungry. You know we all want recognition but I think I have the recognition I deserve. What I get from it is: helping people. If a person tells me I made a song that they just love and still play it years later, what they don’t know most of the times is that I made that music years ago. So I feel like I’m ahead of myself anyway. Like I can make music one day and sell it to a person years later. That’s a gift that I do have. But I’m cool with what I have. I’m cool with being able to go to the movies by myself and certain things like that. And still make the money I make doing it. I love the fact that I can do what I love as a job but I do feel a lil underrated. I’m great at what I do. When I leave this earth, I’m probably going to be worth more than while I’m on the earth but you know what, I’ll be ahead of my time so I’m cool with that. What I came from? I think I’m a success story.
If I compare myself to Timbaland or Dr. Dre, I could feel I’m doing nothing with my life but I don’t envy people. Like Dre is my inspiration and my homie. That dude taught me so much. Who wouldn’t want that kinda life? If he saw me walking down the street, he’ll be like “yo what up, where you going?” It’s a million people out there he wouldn’t do that to. So that’s an accomplishment for me. So it just depends on how you weigh your success. Some people just want the glamour and glitz but then when you can’t have a relationship and you can’t have a family of your own, what’s the point. Some people think it’s all fun and games but it’s a lot of work. There are a lot of sacrifices that come with it. It’s hard. But I think people are gonna take notice of me a lot more this year.
I think me being quiet is pretty much over for me. I think my music is going to speak or itself. I’m a lot more hungry now. It’s fun again. It wasn’t fun for a couple of years, you know. But now I feel like it’s fun again. I’m in trouble cause I’ma bust people’s a*s, I ain’t gonna lie (laughs). I’m now out to make singles again and make people dance.
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