How has the mixing process changed for you with each project? Before that, he would just be recording in his house and stuff. I think that was like his first professional studio session ever.

Shit off The Come Up though because it was back then. I’m trying to remember which records it was. Rooney brought him through and he played some records. It shut down, but it was a bunch of producers there and businessmen.

Here, Mez speaks on a wide range of topics, including his initial meeting with Cole and how the rapper wanted to sound like Kanye West at first, the dynamic range of 2014 Forest Hills Drive, the possibility of it becoming a double album, and where he sees Cole’s sound going next.Ī friend of mine and business partner at the time, this kid named Mike Rooney, actually brought him to the studio we worked out of in Manhattan named Romeo. It’s really a flawless listen that captures a feel of a sonic movie. Mez got a lot of props from Cole’s fans because of his mixing style on 2014 Forest Hills Drive, where you can notice the tweaks and adjustments only his ear can catch. The 31-year-old Manhattan native has been in Cole’s corner since The Come Up, perfecting the quality of each project throughout their nearly 10-year friendship. Cole made this album extremely personal, with key collaborators who were able to elevate his sound, namely mixing engineer Juro “Mez” Davis. You could list accolades and applaud marketing strategies of Cole and his team, but none of it matters if the product isn’t good. 2014 Forest Hills Drive sold exceptionally well in the first week (353,000 copies) and eventually went platinum this past November. Remember, he announced it in mid-November-without any singles or snippets-and accompanied the short rollout with a personal listening at his home address in Fayetteville, N.C., for selected fans. 7 when Cole emailed a few followers with a download link, which was another display of the direct-to-fan model.Īll of this was reminiscent of a year ago when 2014 Forest Hills Drive was getting ready to drop on Dec. He delivered with the label’s first compilation album, Revenge of the Dreamers II, debuting two new signees and more music from Cole, Bas, Cozz, and Omen. Some fans were lucky enough to speak with Cole, who promised that something special was coming the week of the one-year anniversary of his platinum-selling 2014 Forest Hills Drive.Ĭole rarely lets his fans down. Just a few hours before midnight, Cole, his manager, Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad, and label mates tweeted a number (1-888-88-DREAM that read as 2014 Forest Hills Drive on your iPhone) for their followers to call. Cole’s Dreamville label took fan appreciation to a whole new level.

Forest hills drive street sign