Hypebeast is conducting a series of conversations with producers to learn more about the oftentimes overlooked musicians behind the mixers.
Devin Malik’s discography should have cemented him as a household name long before his debut album DEADSTOCK.
In fact, it was only about a year before the LP’s summer 2024 drop that Malik transitioned from solely producing to tapping into his on-the-mic talents. His first studio single “LINK DUCKER” hit streaming services in August of 2023, a witty two-and-a-half-minute cut that Malik says was one of the first 25 songs he had ever written.
Despite the name of his well-acclaimed first full-length studio effort, Malik’s beats are – and always have been – selling, with the 25-year-old racking up an A-list of Top Dawg Entertainment production credits. Malik got connected with the label by way of sending beats to Isaiah Rashad’s manager, Matt Miller, who then got Malik in the studio with a bunch of the label’s members, including Rashad, ScHoolboy Q, REASON and Ab-Soul.
“At first, it was kinda weird and awkward because I just kept showing up,” he laughs, “but eventually, my face was known.”
Unbeknownst to many, Malik was the man behind the melodies of some of the aforementioned rapper’s major cuts, including several placements on Rashad’s The House Is Burning, REASON’s New Beginnings, and, most recently, ScHoolboy Q’s BLUE LIPS.
Malik’s sonic star-power was sealed the day his first front-facing project was released when he revealed he was also officially signed to Top Dawg Entertainment as talent. A big move for the budding multifaceted musician – who already felt his career was complete after landing a co-sign from Kendrick Lamar earlier this year – the signing has Malik maintaining “his foot on the gas” and already curating his sophomore project.
When did you first start producing music?
I’ve been drawn to music since I was five. I was always dancing. My first attempt at actually making music was when I was around 10. I’d look up “beat machine” apps on the App Store and use beats from iTunes. When I turned 16, I started to actually take making music more seriously. That was when I started connecting with local SoundCloud artists and selling my beats to people in the community.
Who were some of the early artists you were tapping in with?
After I got my first major placement with D. Savage when I was in high school, I spent a lot of time working closely with Ken Carson. I went off to college soon after that, which was when I started sending my beats over to people at Top Dawg Entertainment, like Matt Miller, who was Isaiah Rashad’s manager at the time. It took a couple of years, but he eventually heard them and was like “These are tight.” Shortly after that, he got me into the studio with a brunch of the TDE guys. At first, it was kinda weird and awkward because I just kept showing up, but eventually, my face was known.
Do you have any favorite tracks from your early days?
I produced a lot of underground cult classics with Ken, but D. Savage’s “Ridin” and “No Smoke” are two of my favorites.
You also worked closely with Isaiah Rashad super early on. What was that like?
Working with Isaiah was just so easy. Every time we’d go into the studio and make beats, it was effortless. It was all a super simple process.
What about working with ScHoolboy Q?
He’s one of the best guys I’ve worked with. He’s the hardest-working person I’ve seen in this industry. He’s in the studio every day, no excuses. He taught me how to rap in a way, just because I spent so much time in the studio with him. I learned so much from him and picked up on so many skills as a rapper while I was still just producing.
When did you pivot from solely producing to rapping?
I didn’t start seriously rapping until 2023. “LINK DUCKER” was one of my first 25 songs ever.
“I’m never trying to conquer a track.”
How do your approaches to rapping and production compare?
They’re similar. I’m always trying to find my place on a track and figure out where I can contribute in a way that makes sense. I’m never trying to conquer a track or take over and do too much. When you’re producing, you have to just hone in on what the artist wants done. Now that I’m rapping, I definitely understand the artist’s side of things more, so when I’m producing, I make sure to just serve the artist’s needs as best as I can.
How did you nail down the sound for your debut album?
I was just hitting the studio every single day until I found the sound I wanted for my debut. I actually recorded a whole album before DEADSTOCK that I didn’t end up using because my laptop got stolen. I made a whole new album and that became DEADSTOCK. I think it turned out a lot better.
As a twenty-something rapper, does social media play into your artistry at all?
Not really. I think all things happen organically. In the 2010s, that era of rappers, everything was so organic. I feel like everyone is trying to go fake viral
What makes a good beat?
There has to be enough space on a beat. Minimal, but unique.
What was it like getting Kendrick Lamar’s cosign?
Before anything else, I’m a fan of his. So from a fan perspective, to get that cosign meant so much to me from a musical genius like him. It put a stamp on everything I was doing and definitely put another battery in my back.
What does being signed to TDE mean for you?
I have to keep my foot on the gas. I’m honestly already working on my second album, and music aside, I’m just trying to make sense of everything.
