Corey L. Evans is a legendary multi-platinum award-winning American record producer from Miami, Florida. Evans is most famous for employing high energy Pop & Hip-Hop productions to major artist vocals, creating generational anthems that have topped the Billboard charts on numerous occasions. Corey is famous for working with major A-list artists such as Saweetie, Trick Daddy, Petey Pablo, Big Boi, CeeLo Green, Twista, Becky G, Melii, Smino, Lil John, French Montana, Mystikal, Jermaine Dupri, Jhené Aiko, City Girls, Trina, and Snoop Dogg to mention just a few. Evans is considered by many as one of the founding fathers of Pop inspired Hip- Hop production, producing several generational records such as “Let’s Go” by Trick Daddy & “Freek-A-Leek” by Petey Pablo, which was later sampled into Saweetie’s, “My Type”.

Do you have any memories growing up that led you to work in music? Had you always known youwanted to pursue music?

Yes, my mother grew up playing the piano in churches across the south. She played with several well-known gospel groups and singers. Aretha Franklin was the one that I remember the most because my mom was closest to her, she would praise her, and I grew an admiration for her overtime which turned into her being one of my biggest idols. Watching and listening to her sing was a big influence on my desire to pursue music. I also had a few aunts who were amazing musicians & singers. I loved hearing them sing and play instruments.

Who are some players in the industry that have inspired you over the years?

I grew up listening to LL Cool J, he was the first artist who sparked my interest in hip hop which influenced me to want to write and perform. The desire to be a writer grew as I became intrigued with more artists such as Big Daddy Kane, Uncle Luke, Bobby Brown, and Ice Cube. Also, Russell Simmons and the Def Jam movement made me want to be a part of a team/record label which was the reason I signed to Slip n Slide records. SNS was a local record label/team that became like my second family. Once I was rolling into my music career, I started paying more attention to Jay Z. I think he’s one of the greatest. Overall, I tend to pull something from several artists & songs for inspiration.

You’ve made a lot of music with Trick Daddy, including the hit record “Let’s Go”. What was your experience like working together?

Trick and I started our music careers around the same time. He used to send me the music he wrote while in prison and when he was released, we immediately jumped into writing and recording his first album. I helped with many of the ideas, and I sang on most of the hooks because we couldn’t afford to pay for features from other artists. After the first album, I continued to tour with him & I worked on all his other projects. Many songs I didn’t get credit for, but it was done out of love and support. We are still friends and currently, I am the Executive Producer of his podcast cooking show called “Bitch I Got My Pots”. I consider this opportunity to be what many would call “full circle”.

Speaking of hits, how were you involved with the creative process of “Freek-A-Leek” by Petey Pablo?

The record amassed over 90M streams on Spotify and was later sampled into Saweetie’s “My Type” which amassed another 265M streams on Spotify.

Did you know it was going to be as big as it was?

I was in the studio coming up with ideas for Lil Jon when I created “Freek-A-Leek”. Lil John had added over 400 beats on my iPod and one of the beats was used for this song. I originally created it with Mystical in mind, but he didn’t like it. At the beginning of the song that’s me saying “Yeah Lil Jon ugh ...Daddy like it from the front”, I was trying to imitate Mystical on the demo. After he turned it down, Petey Pablo stepped in and made it a classic. At the time of creating the song, I didn’t think it would become a big hit so to see it come back decades later & even bigger is amazing. I consider it all a part of God’s Plan.

Who has been your favorite artist to work with and why? Who have you not worked with that you would still love to?

My favorite artist I’ve had the pleasure of working with is Missy Elliott. We’ve been working & performing together for over 20 years and even to this day, I’m still amazed by her talents. She is the Prince of my generation. Honestly, I would love to work with any artist that is as passionate about music as I am, and I never count anyone out. I love winning and my dream is to make one of the biggest and best songs ever.

How important is analog to your workflow?

I really can’t tell the difference between digital and analog at this point. Most of the sounds used to create beats are analog drums/synths, so it’s not that important to me.

Which DAW do you prefer and why?

Believe it or not, I do damage on GarageBand on my iPad. Once I have my creation, I send it to my partner/producer Ej “Tha Otherz” Jenkins and he dresses it up on Ableton. Then he bounces it back to me and I record it on Pro Tools.

From your perspective, what should up-and-coming producers be doing to harness success in the industry?

I notice that successful producers and songwriters each have their own identities. When we created music 20 years ago, we didn’t have YouTube or the internet as a blueprint to make music. We pulled our inspiration from the soul. But in current times, most producers just recycle beats they hear online and then label themselves a “producer”. They should actually be called “Reproducers”.

What are you currently working on? Anything you can tell us about?

I go to the studio 5 days a week for about 25-30 hours total, I write songs daily so it’s nothing specific I’m working on in regards to writing and producing music. I just stay ready for when someone needs a song. 

I have quite a bit on my computer, and I have an LP I want to release sooner than later. On the film side of things, I am currently producing Trick Daddy’s podcast cooking show and many of the beats we use for the background were created with my partner/producer Ej “Tha Otherz” Jenkins.

Where do you see yourself in another ten years? What is next for the great Corey Evans?

I see myself producing blockbuster movies and having all my songs synced in them. I also see myself having at least 5 top 10 billboard records & winning a Grammy. That has been my goal for a long time, and I plan on achieving it.

We are honored to have had this amazing conversation with Corey Evans. Click here for Spotify and here for Tidal, to listen to the playlist curated of songs highlighting Corey Evans best works and biggest inspirations.