Lex Luger
Tell us about yourself and how you got into music? My name is Lexus Lewis and I’m a music producer better known as Lex Luger, the originator of the sound known as “trap music.” As a child, I grew up in the church and attended every Sunday with my Grandma. My Grandma played the piano and at age two or three I would just sit with her and watch her play. I began singing solos in the church around age five and spent a great deal of time riding with my father listening to artists like Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Rakim, Bobby Brown and KRS-One. My father was the first to introduce me to the concept of “sampling” a song. He would play thirty seconds of a song, cut it off then play the old 70’s version explaining how the artist chopped up the record adding a drum beat and making a completely new song. By the time I was 13, I had bought my first drum set from a Mom & Pop neighborhood pawnshop and I loved playing. I played that drum set so much & I was so bad at all times of the day and night that my parents bought drum pads to give their ears a rest. And that’s how I ultimately taught myself to play drums. I began playing in church and started to learn about basic music composition, BPM and creatively synchronizing rhythms. After I learned those basics, I started borrowing the mixer from the church, my Grandpa gave me his turntables and I started to mix instrumental versions of music with the acapella versions. This led to me wanting to create my own beats for the Acapella versions of songs and I bought a music generator 1 for my PlayStation. I used PC Software like Cool Edit Pro, Acid Pro, Cake Walk and Cubase. When I was 16 my closest and longtime friend Derrick introduced me to his brother Darius aka UrBoiBlack, who hooked me up with FL studio and it just clicked! That was it and the rest is history. I spent all my time in my room chopping MP3 samples, making beats. At that time I was heavily influenced musically by The Heatmaker, Lil Jon & Shawty Redd. How did you start using FL Studio & what does it mean to your productions? I love FL Studio. The software gives me the freedom to step outside of one element while trying the next and I’m in control of MY sound. FL Studio sound is pure awesomeness. I have an insane work ethic, kind of like the energizer bunny. There were times, when I was like 17, when I made a beat in 15 minutes. Now that I’m older, I take more time with my productions. I was recently in the studio in Atlanta with A-track and Josh from Flosstrodamus and we worked on one beat for 3 days straight.
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Tell us about your production environment & toys? I travel a lot so I’m in & out of a variety of different studios. I love experiencing different cities and cultures. I’ll get inspired by studios in Paris and how they’re using FL Studio to make “trap beats” too. I haven’t really changed the type of equipment I use. I’ve experimented with everything from The Maschine, MPC 2000 and the Renaissance. I routinely talk to music industry legends like DJ Toomp and get his take on the Neko Keyboard, which I bought from him! If it’s good enough for DJ Toomp I’m getting it too. DJ Toomp loaded the Neko with FL Studio but for me there’s nothing like sitting in front of my laptop on a plane making potentially the next Kanye West single. I eventually sold that Neko to an up & coming producer, Young Chop, who I also put onto FL Studio. We’re part of a whole new generation. A generation of computer kids, the voice of the next young hot producers and our success was made possible by FL Studio. FL Studio has been a part of my journey to countless #1 records, 3 BET Awards, 2 BMI Awards, features in dozens of magazines. FL Studio has been my pen to my paper and I’ve been able to tell my story and my vision through my work with FL Studio. Do you have any links you would like to share? Getsmokedout.com – My website splice.com/sounds/splice/lex-luger-drumkit – Go get my OFFICIAL LexLuger DRUMKIT iTunes/Lex Luger Experience: The Tour, Vol. 1 – My first instrumental album is on iTunes right now. iTunes/EP1 Low Pros – A-Trak and I have an album with features from Travis Scott, Que, ASAP Ferg, Young Thug, PeeWee Longway and more! We have a group called Low Pros the album. plus Current work all on iTunes: A.S.A.P Ferg – Let it bang Wiz Khalifa ft. Travis Scott – Bake Sale Juicy J ft. Travis Scott -No English Kanye West – Champions Socials… Lex Luger.
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