If you're still not familiar with Valee, the Chicago rapper's new EP GOOD Job, You Found Me is a perfect introduction. The six-track project features three unreleased songs and three of his most popular hits, bringing his effortless charisma and meticulous rapping ability to the forefront. The EP is Valee's first release since signing to G.O.O.D. Music in February and, during a recent visit to The FADER office in New York, he explained how Kanye West fulfilled his role as executive producer on the project.
"He listened to each track quite a few times," Valee said. "We were wondering if he was going to change stuff around or not but I guess I did a good enough job picking the producers. We sent him something that was missing a cowbell or something like that and he wanted to add that in. Some of the songs were out and, while we thought they sounded crispy and clear, he had his people go over it and have everything sounding A1. Now, we can play it in Benz and BMW speakers and nothing's poppin'."
After speaking on the phone with Kanye months ago, the two met for the first time recently at a "creative center" in L.A. that had "a shitload of books." Valee said Kanye offered him some advice, but being around him was a lesson in and of itself.
"He told me to be open, go for it, whatever you wanna do just do it. No such thing as fear or nothing," Valee said. "Being around that energy got me pulled away from being so shy and reserved. When you see somebody like that that makes such a big impact in music, when you finally be around their energy, it's for real. What you see in some interviews and stuff is the real deal. 'We're not gonna be pushed around' type shit."
Thumbnail image: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images and Red Bull Sound Select.
