It was the summer of 2008 and two of rap music’s elite–that is, two individuals from a genre of alpha male ethos– dropped a pair of bangers, which heard T.I. and Lil Wayne crooning rather than ripping rhymes, “Whatever You Like” and ”Lollipop,” respectively.  Since concocting the sound of said-quasi-romantic classics, producer Jim Jonsin’s production resume has begun to inflate rapidly, prolifically making dirty songs for girls and the boys that love them.

URB: How did you get into music production?
JIM JONSIN: I got into producing kind of through DJing. In the late eighties I would DJ at roller-skating rinks.  My parents also influenced me quite a bit. They were listening to a lot of rock music, stuff like Lynard Skynard. My influences really have a broad range but I’d say my music is really influenced by lots of rock music. If you listen, you’ll hear that my chord changes have a rock feel within them. I love everything.

URB: At one point in hip-hop, the producers were rather engimatic but lately, producers have gotten into the spotlight, does that excite you?
JONSIN: Yeah, it’s pretty cool as far as getting attention for the music, but as for being on TV or whatever, I’m just not into that, I’m a family guy. I have all the respect in the world for the dudes who like the spotlight, but that’s just isn’t really me. I suppose I appreciate those guys doing the hardwork while I sit at home [laughs].

URB: J Dilla was known for his drums, DJ Premier has a distinct way of chopping samples. Do you feel like you have a signature attribute that essentially makes a song a “Jim Jonsin” song?
JONSIN: I was just talking to Baby Bash, and he pointed out that lots of my stuff has what he calls “ear candy.” I think it can best be described as little clips of sound within the music that sound pleasant, like the sounds of sweet dreams, [laughs]. I think it comes out of the basslines and forms the ear candy within the little melodies. Really though, I’ve never locked onto one sound that I always want to use. I get restless when I use the same sounds and I just want to try something new every time I work on a song.

URB: What’s your creative process like?
JONSIN: As I grow as an artist, I’m really trying to write “songs” and not just dope-sounding instrumentals. I used to make music without any focus really but but now it’s really about constructing full-on songs, with emotions behind the instrumentation and everything. I’m using this technique with my group that I’m producing, they’re called Fanatik, from Atlanta.