Our Producer of the Week is 22-year-old producer Marlon Harris, who is more commonly known as Rva.Marlon. Marlon is from Chesterfield, VA and as his name suggests, he is constantly working with other creatives in the Richmond area. When he isn't making beats, he's jamming out on the drums with covers and live performances. Rva.Marlon has only been producing for a year, but his passion and love for music is clear as day! So how did a drummer turn into a newfound producer?
Vy: How did you get into producing?
Rva.Marlon: I've been producing for a little over a year now. The first beat I made was actually in Texas with my friend Rva.Genesis. That beat ended up being the Text This beat. It was my very first beat and my very first placement.
Vy: How does your prior knowledge of music help you as a producer?
Rva.Marlon: Most people know me for playing the drums. I've played drums for many artists around the Richmond area. Some groups I've been playing drums for are The Black Awakening Choir, CAS, Tune GG, Hazelgrove, and VCU Peppas to name a few. Playing drums helped me with producing as well, just by learning which patterns work with certain things. Oftentimes, I'll be working on a beat and I'll stop and get on the drums to see if the groove feels good or not.
Vy: What inspires you when making beats?
Rva.Marlon: What inspires me to produce is just putting together cool and different sounds that people don’t usually make work. I like many different genres of music such as Gospel, Metal, Trap, Dubstep, Future Bass, etc. I love it all, and I want to make beats that most people aren’t making.
Vy: Briefly describe your sound.
Rva.Marlon: My sound is a mix of different genres in one. It's hard to put it into words, but I find my sound to be unique to me and my influences. I want people to know that I'm the one who made the beat when they’re listening to the song.
Vy: What is your work process like?
Rva.Marlon: My work process just depends on where I am. I like to do a lot of my work at my studio/rehearsal space. I have all of my equipment there, so it makes everything so much easier. If I want to record drums then I can do that. If I want to record some guitars and bass, I can do that. Maybe even a choir. There are loads of possibilities, but I often find myself just opening Ableton and creating, even if it's just an idea.
"Save it and move on to the next." -Rva.Marlon
Vy: Who are your dream artists to produce for?
Rva.Marlon: My dream artists would be Travis Scott, Baby Keem, I See Stars, Louis Cole, and Animals As Leaders to name a few. If I had to pick only one, it would have to be Travis Scott.
Vy: What is one fun fact about you?
Rva.Marlon: My grandfather was the pastor of my church, Living Faith Christian Fellowship COGIC, and when I was three years old he decided to put me up on the drums during service because he saw me continuing to go up there to play. From then on I've been playing the drums. I'm 22 going on 23, so I've been playing for 19-20 years now.
Vy: Lastly, are there any new projects coming up for you?
Rva.Marlon: Yes, I don't want to drop the release date yet, but I can tell you this much. My new project is a rap/metal/edm project. It's the music that I grew up on and loved. These are still my influences to this day, so I wanted to convey all of those things in one. I produced all of the 14 tracks. I also engineered, mixed, and mastered the project. It's just something to get people raging again!
I was so excited for Marlon to be featured in this segment because I've actually been trying to get him on here for months now! Marlon is constantly working with artists in the RVA area, so it will be interesting to see what his personal upcoming project has to offer! Be sure to check out Rva.Marlon and stay tuned for our next Producer of the Week!
FOLLOW Rva.Marlon ON INSTAGRAM!
CHECK OUT Marlon's DRUM COVERS!
Check out our services: themsqshop.com/bookmsq
Submit your music to: theMSQshop@gmail.com
Written by Vy Truong, @avocavy on IG