The first thing you see when you walk into Sonny Digital's four story house in Atlanta a ratty red couch that looks decidedly out of place in the new digs. He calls the piece legendary, and judging by some legendary stains, you can see why. "Don't sit on that," he says. I laugh, but he repeats, "Do not sit on that."Born Sonny Uwaezuoke to a Nigerian dad and a mom from Michigan, Sonny Digital produced "Racks" way back in 2011 and has been on a hit-making tear ever since with songs like iLOVEMAKONNEN and Drake's "Tuesday" and 2 Chainz and Kanye West's "Birthday Song." For much of that run, he was living in a notorious spot on 516 North Avenue called 516 Studios, which served as a revolving door for a litany of collaborators in Atlanta. On any given day, you could find Cam Kirk shooting a music video, Metro Boomin' working on beats, or rappers like Que and the Migos laying down a verse or just laying down on the aforementioned couch of lore.
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That era came to an end one night when a guest shot through the floorboards and into the apartment downstairs. Sonny, or his landlord, decided it was time for him to leave, which is how he wound up here. Sonny took us upstairs to a balcony with views of the Atlanta skyline, his German Shepard trailing closely behind. "You heard of ESA?" Sonny asked. "I signed my dog to be my Emotional Support Animal. Kinda like a prescription, though, you know what I'm saying? They're kinda like a drug, so you could take him anywhere." That morning, he'd just gotten back from DJing in DC, and not long before, he'd been in China. "Atlanta influenced the whole world," he told me, "[In China], they see what's going on."The house tour ended back downstairs in his home studio, where he talked about working with some of Atlanta's biggest artists like 21 Savage and Future, as well as his ongoing reinvention from A-list producer to his new image as a rapper and jack-of-all-trades.Noisey: Metro was telling me that you were the person that introduced him to 21 Savage. How did that happen?
Sonny Digital: The first time I ever met 21, I was with Que, and we was at this store called Threads. And I think he had just got shot. The way I worked, though, it's like, it had to come through the right connection and he had a beat produced by DJ Plug, which is my bro. So that's what made him kinda stick in my head. Then like we had just bumped into each other the second time at the convention center, and it was like God just kept on making us just really bump into each other like on some, y'all need to really just fuck with each other. How I got cool with him was through Key. Key is my homie from way back in the day. Key is damn near like an underground king in Atlanta. Since Key was already my homie, I was like, okay, it's 21. Like he was really into the streets and shit, though, you know what I'm saying? And he really like pressed me about doing music and shit, though. And I'm like, shit, I was already on some shit, I just like building up artists, and… me and him had started working on the Free Guwop mixtape.
Sonny Digital: The first time I ever met 21, I was with Que, and we was at this store called Threads. And I think he had just got shot. The way I worked, though, it's like, it had to come through the right connection and he had a beat produced by DJ Plug, which is my bro. So that's what made him kinda stick in my head. Then like we had just bumped into each other the second time at the convention center, and it was like God just kept on making us just really bump into each other like on some, y'all need to really just fuck with each other. How I got cool with him was through Key. Key is my homie from way back in the day. Key is damn near like an underground king in Atlanta. Since Key was already my homie, I was like, okay, it's 21. Like he was really into the streets and shit, though, you know what I'm saying? And he really like pressed me about doing music and shit, though. And I'm like, shit, I was already on some shit, I just like building up artists, and… me and him had started working on the Free Guwop mixtape.
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Right. Tell me about that mixtape.
So it's like, the only thing that was kinda like keeping me afloat was like the Future stuff, but I still wanted to get my own way, as far as like some stuff going on. So I was like, man, let's do this. We had did the Free Guwop tape in like a damn near like a week, bro. I did all the beats, and then he recorded. He recorded himself, too, just like this. On this computer, as a matter of fact.At the time you said you were staying afloat with the Future stuff. What Future stuff were you working on?
We was doing DS2, me and Metro on the South Side. It wasn't that I was just staying afloat; I was just fulfilling my job as a producer. Me, South Side, and Metro, we all went down to my house, we cooked up about like ten beats, and then Metro went to the studio with Future. They gave the beats to him and that was on the DS2 stuff.That album was just, I mean, it was this crossover success. It was so huge.
It was. It was like the crossover point for everybody. That kinda like solidified everybody. That's why I'm so happy I was a part of that album. It's almost like a little legacy.
It was a part two, first of all, though, you know what I'm saying? Part two always like kinda like strike people out the blue. And then, it dropped out the blue, too. It was like, everybody was fiending for new music. Like you know, everybody done polished up and became greats at what they do. Like if you keep on working and keep on practicing, all you gonna do is keep on getting better, and better, and better, and better. That's all that's gonna happen, though. You know what I'm saying? And ain't nobody ever give up. Even when shit got cold, they just kept on going.
So it's like, the only thing that was kinda like keeping me afloat was like the Future stuff, but I still wanted to get my own way, as far as like some stuff going on. So I was like, man, let's do this. We had did the Free Guwop tape in like a damn near like a week, bro. I did all the beats, and then he recorded. He recorded himself, too, just like this. On this computer, as a matter of fact.At the time you said you were staying afloat with the Future stuff. What Future stuff were you working on?
We was doing DS2, me and Metro on the South Side. It wasn't that I was just staying afloat; I was just fulfilling my job as a producer. Me, South Side, and Metro, we all went down to my house, we cooked up about like ten beats, and then Metro went to the studio with Future. They gave the beats to him and that was on the DS2 stuff.That album was just, I mean, it was this crossover success. It was so huge.
It was. It was like the crossover point for everybody. That kinda like solidified everybody. That's why I'm so happy I was a part of that album. It's almost like a little legacy.
Why do you think Dirty Sprite 2 struck people so much?
It was a part two, first of all, though, you know what I'm saying? Part two always like kinda like strike people out the blue. And then, it dropped out the blue, too. It was like, everybody was fiending for new music. Like you know, everybody done polished up and became greats at what they do. Like if you keep on working and keep on practicing, all you gonna do is keep on getting better, and better, and better, and better. That's all that's gonna happen, though. You know what I'm saying? And ain't nobody ever give up. Even when shit got cold, they just kept on going.
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What do you mean, when shit got cold? When did that happen?
Not got cold, but like, you remember when he was putting out the records like that was real, real, real big? Like, let's say the one with Miley Cyrus and Mr Hudson, and stuff. Like it did—it did what it was supposed to do, though, but it didn't connect, though, like how DS2 connected.So since then, have you been transitioning more into rapping?
Kinda sorta. So a lot of people don't know that I actually started producing because I was rapping first. Like I didn't have enough beats to rap on, so I started rapping on my own shit, though.Just to have your own ownership over everything?
No, not that early on, I wasn't thinking that. I was just thinking about having my own beats, just like having my own beats to rap on, though.More convenience, then?
It was more convenient. Then it was like a group thing. Then like we used to get beats offline and shit, too. And then like inside the early Fruity Loops, too. I'm pretty sure the new Fruity Loops, they still come with like beats and everything, though. But everybody would just use all the same…Just stock beats.
Yeah, everybody use all the same shit. Then my cousin had came down, and I seen him doing the shit. I was like, "I could do this shit." But throughout my whole career, people who know me always know I always done rapped, though. Like I done songs and verses all over the place. But it's not like they became big, though. I didn't really even want them to be that big, because I didn't have like everything all together. As far as an artist, I was still like finding myself. But I had the idea, though.
Not got cold, but like, you remember when he was putting out the records like that was real, real, real big? Like, let's say the one with Miley Cyrus and Mr Hudson, and stuff. Like it did—it did what it was supposed to do, though, but it didn't connect, though, like how DS2 connected.So since then, have you been transitioning more into rapping?
Kinda sorta. So a lot of people don't know that I actually started producing because I was rapping first. Like I didn't have enough beats to rap on, so I started rapping on my own shit, though.Just to have your own ownership over everything?
No, not that early on, I wasn't thinking that. I was just thinking about having my own beats, just like having my own beats to rap on, though.More convenience, then?
It was more convenient. Then it was like a group thing. Then like we used to get beats offline and shit, too. And then like inside the early Fruity Loops, too. I'm pretty sure the new Fruity Loops, they still come with like beats and everything, though. But everybody would just use all the same…Just stock beats.
Yeah, everybody use all the same shit. Then my cousin had came down, and I seen him doing the shit. I was like, "I could do this shit." But throughout my whole career, people who know me always know I always done rapped, though. Like I done songs and verses all over the place. But it's not like they became big, though. I didn't really even want them to be that big, because I didn't have like everything all together. As far as an artist, I was still like finding myself. But I had the idea, though.
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But you recently had your biggest hit as a rapper. How did that happen?
"I'm The Man," the original one was mine, and I had that on my Soundcloud for like almost two years. And so my manager told me one day, 50 Cent like liked the song. I was like, "What's up?!" Then he came down to Atlanta, and he said that he wanted to get on a song. But then when we did that, though, he actually kept me on the hook of the song, though, too. That was like a slam dunk. So that kinda catapulted me into like the artist world all the way.How is the transition publicly moving back into the world of rapping?
All right, so publicly moving back into that world, I'm strategically doing it. "I'm The Man" kinda forced me into doing it, because the song was already going. So, man, it's a lot to it, bro. Like after that song came out, I was on the road, DJing. I didn't like the space in between the crowd and all that stuff, though. How I do my shows, I do a lot of the songs that I produce, that I know that they know, then I'll probably throw on some of the new shit, some of my new songs that's with me rapping in them, then I'll top it off with probably the "I'm the Man" song. And so then you like me as an artist, you know what I'm saying? Subconsciously. It makes sense for producers to hop on everything, hop on they own beats and stuff, you know what I'm saying? Because it's more money to them.Yeah, there's so much access to everything, everyone should be able to make their own beats as well as rap over them.
It makes sense, but I mean, you know, it's kinda scary, though. It's kinda like now, it's like you monopolizing the game, you know what I'm saying? So I can drop a Sonny Digital beat, I already know you're gonna like half of this shit, so I'm halfway there. I could make the beat so amazing to where I don't gotta say nothing because that's what we doing damn near for all the other artists. So it's like I could do it for myself because I really understand the formula, and I seen it go down like plenty of times, though.The producers are responsible for a lot of this movement in Atlanta.
Exactly. When you put yourself just only in a producer box, you ain't really able to move around. You're just able to kinda like just stay in the studio. That's why I learned how to DJ, so I can start getting on the road. And when I start getting on the road, learning how to DJ, I learned how to talk in the microphone. When I talk on the microphone, I learn how to perform on the microphone. Learn how to move with the crowd. Like I'm still an active producer, though. So hey, if you don't like my track rapping, well, hey, go listen to the other person's track over there that I produced for. Still over there, still there.Can't escape Sonny Digital, as much as you could try.
You can't get away from me, bro. I'm everywhere.Zach Goldbaum is the host of NOISEY on VICELAND. Follow him on Twitter.
"I'm The Man," the original one was mine, and I had that on my Soundcloud for like almost two years. And so my manager told me one day, 50 Cent like liked the song. I was like, "What's up?!" Then he came down to Atlanta, and he said that he wanted to get on a song. But then when we did that, though, he actually kept me on the hook of the song, though, too. That was like a slam dunk. So that kinda catapulted me into like the artist world all the way.How is the transition publicly moving back into the world of rapping?
All right, so publicly moving back into that world, I'm strategically doing it. "I'm The Man" kinda forced me into doing it, because the song was already going. So, man, it's a lot to it, bro. Like after that song came out, I was on the road, DJing. I didn't like the space in between the crowd and all that stuff, though. How I do my shows, I do a lot of the songs that I produce, that I know that they know, then I'll probably throw on some of the new shit, some of my new songs that's with me rapping in them, then I'll top it off with probably the "I'm the Man" song. And so then you like me as an artist, you know what I'm saying? Subconsciously. It makes sense for producers to hop on everything, hop on they own beats and stuff, you know what I'm saying? Because it's more money to them.Yeah, there's so much access to everything, everyone should be able to make their own beats as well as rap over them.
It makes sense, but I mean, you know, it's kinda scary, though. It's kinda like now, it's like you monopolizing the game, you know what I'm saying? So I can drop a Sonny Digital beat, I already know you're gonna like half of this shit, so I'm halfway there. I could make the beat so amazing to where I don't gotta say nothing because that's what we doing damn near for all the other artists. So it's like I could do it for myself because I really understand the formula, and I seen it go down like plenty of times, though.The producers are responsible for a lot of this movement in Atlanta.
Exactly. When you put yourself just only in a producer box, you ain't really able to move around. You're just able to kinda like just stay in the studio. That's why I learned how to DJ, so I can start getting on the road. And when I start getting on the road, learning how to DJ, I learned how to talk in the microphone. When I talk on the microphone, I learn how to perform on the microphone. Learn how to move with the crowd. Like I'm still an active producer, though. So hey, if you don't like my track rapping, well, hey, go listen to the other person's track over there that I produced for. Still over there, still there.Can't escape Sonny Digital, as much as you could try.
You can't get away from me, bro. I'm everywhere.Zach Goldbaum is the host of NOISEY on VICELAND. Follow him on Twitter.