Superior Speaks on Producing for Stove God, Estee Nack, Vega7 The Ronin, and More
WORDS WITH WORD$ INTERVIEW #32
Yo, it’s the Pope, 1000WORD$. Welcome to WORDS WITH WORD$, where today I am joined by producer Superior.
Superior is known for never showing his face. Born in Germany to Spanish parents, he grew up listening to baladas and traditional Spanish music, which bears an influence on his sound. Recently, Superior finished work on “Sleep Is The Cousin,” his album with Vega7 The Ronin, which is releasing this month. In this exclusive interview, we talk about his beginnings in music-making as well as how he seeks out inspiration and collaborators.
He has worked with many of the amazing artists that have been featured on WORDS WITH WORD$. In 2019, he released a full tape with Eto (INTERVIEW #18) called “Long Story Short.” Next, Superior dropped “BALADAS,” a full length album with Estee Nack (INTERVIEW #9) in 2020. Last year, he put out “THE GOD THAT SAT BY THE STOVE,” featuring Stove God Cook$ (INTERVIEW #1).
THIS IS WORDS WITH WORD$.
1000WORD$: Yo, what's going on, man? It's 1000WORD$. I'm here with the legendary Superior, man. Superior, what's going on, man?
Superior: Yo, what's up? I came from vacation. I was in Ibiza.
1000WORD$: Where you was at?
Superior: Ibiza.
1000WORD$: Ibiza, wow. How was that?
Superior: Yeah, it was great. It was great. One week – I was one week there with the family and we came like half an hour ago. We came back, yeah.
1000WORD$: What you was doing in Ibiza?
Superior: Chilling. You know, the calm before the storm, you know? I will drop the "Sleep Is The Cousin" album with Vega7 The Ronin, so yeah. It's like the calm before the storm. This Friday, the first single. We will drop the first single this Friday, next Friday second single, and then the next Friday third single. Then Friday, fourth single, and then the album.
1000WORD$: Nice. Where are you originally from?
Superior: Yeah, I was born in Germany but my parents are from Spain. My dad and my mom are from Spain. Yeah, but I was born in Germany. But I got Spanish blood here, so Spanish mentality.
1000WORD$: How was the culture in your house? What were your parents listening to when you were growing up?
Superior: My dad he listened, you know, to every kind of music. But my mom, more Spanish, like the Spanish traditional music.
1000WORD$: Oh, okay, okay, nice. Like baladas and stuff like that, right?
Superior: Yeah, yeah. But not the "BALADAS" from me and Estee Nack.
1000WORD$: Hahaha, yeah, yeah. Shout out to you guys, word. Shout out to Nack. At what age did you discover that you could produce?
Superior: You know, I was starting point as a b-boy in Hip-Hop, and then I was as a graffiti writer, and then I was DJing. I rapped a little bit in German but then the last thing was producing, and I thought that this was the best element for me. Because my talent is more for production. I was an okay b-boy, I was an okay writer. Okay, my DJ skills – I was second place in Germany in a DJ competition. I was second place. I'm a good DJ too. I can cut a couple of things, you know, beat tracking, and scratching, and all this. But I think I'm even more better at making beats.
1000WORD$: Nice. So how was the graffiti scene out there?
Superior: The graffiti scene is big, but it's like – how do you say? You know, you don't see those those guys walking with a can. They only go making whole cars, train when it's night. It's by night, like a bat or like you know, like animals when they go outside when it's dark.
1000WORD$: Nocturnal animals, right? The nighttime animals, right?
Superior: Like the nighttime animals, yeah.
1000WORD$: What was the first record you ever purchased with your own money? What was the first record that was passed down to you, if you remember, like Hip-Hop?
Superior: I don't remember, man. I don't remember. You know, I had a friend, he's American, and his dad, he was a soldier here in Germany. And I would say I got in touch with Hip-Hop when I went to their home, you know, with the American people. And I was listening to music there because I didn't have money, and yeah.
1000WORD$: What was the first song that you remember that you was like, "Oh man, this is amazing?"
Superior: I don't remember, man. I don't remember. It was a long time ago.
1000WORD$: Okay. So now, for the people that are going to read this, let me know who are the people that you worked with?
Superior: That I've worked with? In the past?
1000WORD$: Yeah. In the past, future, present, people you work with.
Superior: Okay, yeah. You know, I started 2015 to drop my first producer album. And there was an MC, his name is Declaime The Poet, from LA from Stones Throw Records. He did an album with Madlib I think, six months ago. And then, by the way, it's only one track with a rapper. The other tracks, they were instrumental. So then I decided to make a full album with MCs. And then I made the album "The Journey" with 20 MCs. They were like Edo G.
1000WORD$: Oh, from Boston.
Superior: Yeah. Blu, REKS, Edo G, Termanology, Lil Fame from MLP, a female MC, her name is Lyric Jones, from LA. Yeah, 20 MCs. There were 20 MCs. And that was the first album and it really quickly sold out. And then I decided, "Okay, I think that's my lane," to make productions with MCs and just make instrumentals. And then after that I met Verbal Kent, he's from Ugly Heroes, you know, with Apollo Brown and his group. And I made an album. The name of the album is "Half My Life." This is my album with Verbal Kent. And you know, I will say, my beats were like a classic boom-bap producer. But after that I met Eto, and then when I started to make these grimy and cinematic beats.
1000WORD$: Where did you meet Eto?
Superior: In SoundCloud. All the artists they uploaded their music. And yeah, that wasn't the very first one, it was Myspace, but I was not in Myspace as an artist. I was just there. I remember it was Myspace for a time, but for the artists, yeah, we'll say the first software to upload music, that was Soundcloud.
1000WORD$: Was that the same way you met Estee Nack?
Superior: No, Estee Nack was different. His crewmate, Codenine, he did a record with Below System Records. And my album "The Journey" it was through Bella System Records, they're from Netherland. And Codenine, yeah, he released something through Below System and, you know, I make all my research and I know the Tragic Allies and all these crews. And then I talked to the owner from Below System Records, like "Codenine, he made this record. But his crewmate, Estee Nack, I want to work with him. Can you please check the number, you know, or ask Codenine for the number?" And then yeah, he asked Codenine and then he gave him the number, the email. And then I talked to him in Spanish, you know? He speaks good Spanish and we talked on the phone and then we made "BALADAS."
1000WORD$: A classic.
Superior: Yeah, that was the story with Estee Nack. I will say it's one of my top albums.
1000WORD$: One of your critically acclaimed albums, yeah. It's a great album, bro.
Superior: Yeah, but I also like "Long Story Short" with Eto.
1000WORD$: Bro, those two excellent MCs, man.
Superior: Yeah, yeah, yeah, but you know, I'm going forward, you know… And then yeah, I hear an album from Cook$. His name back then was still Aaron Cook$, you know? And he was about to finish "Reasonable Drought" with [Roc Marciano]. And I wrote him and I showed him my beats. And then yeah, we decided to make a project together. We made this two song project "THE GOD THAT SAT BY THE STOVE." And yeah, that was the next project, you know, after “BALADAS."
1000WORD$: I love those two songs. Those two Stove songs are so fire, man. That's dope. Have you ever come to the States?
Superior: Yeah, I've been to the states, but in California. I have to go to New York.
1000WORD$: Yeah, you got to. You gotta come to Massachusetts too, man.
Superior: Yeah, are you in Massachusetts?
1000WORD$: I'm in the Bronx, but I've been down in Massachusetts for like three years, man. Massachusetts is beautiful. I got a concert with Estee Nack and Stove God September 2nd, in the Bronx.
Superior: When? Now, or next September?
1000WORD$: This coming September. It's called The Cookout 2.
Superior: Good to know.
1000WORD$: Yeah, it's gonna be in New York. So fast forward, where would you go to shop for records? Do you go record hunting to produce?
Superior: Yeah, yeah. I'm always digging, when I go to big cities and we got another shop here. Yeah, I'm always digging, always digging.
1000WORD$: So being all the way out in Germany and Spain. Do you still use SoundCloud as like a mechanism to stay tapped in to the culture?
Superior: Nah. I will say, maybe six months ago is the last time when I was on SoundCloud. Because I don't need SoundCloud anymore, you know, to show my beats. The people they reach me or I reach them out. I don't need SoundCloud anymore.
1000WORD$: I know. I mean SoundCloud as far as like listening to new artists, finding out about new artists, you know?
Superior: No, I know, I listen to all the stuff, to all the releases. You know, like Vega7, he released something through [Copenhagen Crates] and I was listening to his album, and I decided to reach out to him and to ask him if he wants to work with me because it was so fire. I said "Hey, this MC is so crazy I have to work with them." So most of the, you know, even the unknown artists, the artists that just began [their] career, they also drop vinyl. I will say, everybody drops their music so you don't have to go to SoundCloud and all that because they're dropping stuff.
1000WORD$: What was your first Hip-Hop concert you went to growing up? Did you go to any rap shows or concerts?
Superior: Yeah. But the thing is, you know, I live in a small city and when I was younger we don't have this possibility to go to big cities. I will say, when I started my producer career and I went to Berlin often, and I went to Hamburg, visiting everywhere, everything really got started, you know?
1000WORD$: Who are some of your favorite producers? What are your influences?
Superior: Yeah, I told this to [Sam Buck] too. My biggest inspiration was RZA, from Wu Tang, because he got a very, very good ear to pick the sample. And I like how he chopped the samples and how he worked with the samples. And yeah, I liked this style, his style. He was maybe not the first, but one of the first with the drumless beats. Yeah, he was ahead of the time. And many people they didn't understand this art, you know, they hear this art and some people say "oh, what is this?" When he dropped "Bobby Digital in Stereo," you know? And he was the first one with the "dudududu."
1000WORD$: Yeah, the "dudududu."
Superior: Yeah, that wasn't Westside Gunn. RZA, he did that 25 years before, you know? So yeah, he was ahead of the time with the adlibs, with the drumless beats, and how to chop the samples. He was very, very different compared to the others.
1000WORD$: Facts. What are your top five favorite beats of all time?
Superior: Hm. I will say, some of the beats that I really, really like - you know, it's a difference between instrumental beats and beats with raps. Instrumental beats, I would say J Dilla. He was one of the greatest at instrumental beats, you know, so you can pick some of his of his beats when we talk about instrumental beats. But if we talk about rap beats, I will say one of the best beats is for sure "Shook Ones, Pt. II" from Mobb Deep. The "Shadowboxin'" beat from GZA and Method Man.
1000WORD$: "Liquid Swords," right?
Superior: Yeah, "Liquid Swords." I love this beat, so crazy. "The Blast," from Talib Kweli and Hi Tek.
1000WORD$: Oh, I love that beat, bro.
Superior: It's crazy.
1000WORD$: That beat is amazing, man. "Kweli!"
Superior: Yeah, "Kweli!" Ah, this beat is so incredible. And "Get Dis Money" from Slum Village. Incredible beat. The beat with a soul sample, also a Mobb Deep track, "Still Shinin'."
1000WORD$: Yo, what do you got coming up next?
Superior: Yeah, like I said, the next one -
1000WORD$: Vega7 The Ronin, right?
Superior: Yeah, Vega7 The Ronin "Sleep Is The Cousin" album, July 7th. And after that I will drop and album with Jae Skeese from Drumwork.
1000WORD$: That’s gonna be fire, man. That's going to be legendary. Everything you do is legendary thus far. What are you looking for when you want to work with a new artist or an upcoming artist?
Superior: That it fits perfectly, you know? There are legendary MCs that want to work with me but even if they are still legendary, and I will not mention the names, but it doesn't fit so good. It's not a perfect match. The fit, it has to fit perfect. Because my beats, you know, I have the grimy, cinematic beats, they need a perfect MC for those beats. Because not every MC fits on every beat.
1000WORD$: Yeah, cause it's a difference between just getting on a song and rapping and then there's another way of creating like a real masterpiece, you know what I mean?
Superior: Yes, yes, yes. I will say, you know, one good example is Stove God Cook$. He made his "Reasonable Drought" and the beats from Roc Marci and the raps from Stove God Cook$, it fits 100%. And it's really hard to top this one. I'm curious if he will top this "Reasonable Drought" album because the Roc Marci beats and his raps fit like 100%. It's perfect. So if Stove God makes an album with another producer, maybe it don't fit so good, you don't know what I mean? Not every MC fits to every beat.
1000WORD$: Facts, that's very true. Well, any special shout outs to anybody? You wanna shout your babies out, anybody in your family?
Superior: Yeah, shout out to my family. And yeah, people should watch out for the next project. And like I said, the next one is with Vega7 The Ronin, and then I will come with Jae Skeese, and after that I will drop an album with Cambatta. Those are my next three projects
1000WORD$: With who?
Superior: Cambatta, one of the best lyricists in the world.
1000WORD$: Aight, I'mma definitely check them out. Cambatta, where he from?
Superior: He's from New York. I met him few weeks ago for the first time because Vega7 brought him on the album, "Sleep Is The Cousin." And he made a verse, 34 bars, and it's an incredible performance. You have to listen to this verse on "Sleep Is The Cousin"
1000WORD$: Alright, I'mma send you some music so you can listen to some artists that I've been listening to.
Superior: Send it, send it, send it.
1000WORD$: Yeah, I will. I definitely will. I'll send you the link so you can listen to some music and let me know what you think.
Superior: Okay, 100%. So what link is this?
1000WORD$: It's a rapper out of Boston that I want you to listen to, private SoundCloud link.
Superior: Ah, okay. Send it to me and I will let you know my opinion.
1000WORD$: No problem. But thank you, man. I appreciate this conversation, man. Thank you so much, my brother. Anytime you got something new coming out we can always tap in and do one of these, bro.
Superior: Yeah, 100%. Hey, how can I get your polaroid picture, man? I want to be on one of your legendary polaroid pictures.
1000WORD$: Try to make it to The Cookout. I got an alternative to tell you, we can talk. Yo, thank you Superior for this conversation and when you guys read this, hope you enjoy.