DX: You've done several beats for Wayne: "3 Peat," "Kush," "Prostitute," etc. What would you say is your favorite one?
Maestro: I'm attached to all of them because each one represents a milestone in my career, but "3 Peat" would have to be my favorite. The track is mature and really represents what I do best. Its super musical with sprinklings of classical elements, smart sound choice, a moving melody, and it bangs tremendously! The song as a whole is crazy and really hypes you up for the rest of the album. Did you know Pat Riley trademarked the term 'three peat' for the '89 championship? The Lakers didn't get the ring that year, but Weezy definitely got that shit on his third time around!

DX: I read about this other joint you did for Curren$y, where Wayne plays guitar on the song?
Maestro: That song is called "Staring at the World" and features Wayne singing on the hook and playing the guitar on the outro. It was supposed to be the first single off [Curren$y’s album] Music to Fly To, but nothing in this business is guaranteed. The song is dope, I'm sure it'll turn up sooner or later.

DX: You also co-produced a lot of songs on David Banner’s last album, Certified. Being such a producer yourself, what is it like to co-produce with another beatmaker? Do you bump heads a lot?
Maestro: Yes, I did a lot of work on David Banner's [click to read] album and I learned a lot in the process. Working with another producer can be a great creative approach when each person comes to the table with a different set of skills. I was working as more of a keyboardist and musical assistant for DB at the time. I have no problem acknowledging that I was playing a supporting role on the David Banner show. It wasn't my time to shine yet. But please believe that when he recorded to "Westside," which I produced solely by myself, I went in! It was my time to shine, we went into that session as equals and we both had our respective jobs to do. By the next session, however, I was back to playing my position. [Laughs] Banner runs his company the way most producers should, and I recognized that my employment with his company didn't have bumping heads in the job description. I was there to perform a service and get paid [quite well] to do it.

DX: What other producers do you look up to?
Maestro: I look up to a lot of the veterans in the game like Battlecat, [Dr.] Dre, Puff, [DJ] Quik, and Premo, but I learned from a young age that when you look up for a long time you get cramps in your neck. [Laughs] I like to look forward, so I've come to really respect the producers who are just a few steps (and a few hit records) ahead of me. Guys like B Cox, Polow [Da Don], Don Vito, Shondrae, Needlz [click to read]. Those are all guys who have been putting in work but only rose to the top of their game in recent years. I can still catch those guys and run through the doors that they open. Why try to pattern myself after Dr. Dre or Puff? There will never be another 'Pac, B.I.G. or Snoop, I won’t ever be in the new N.W.A., and I don't plan to dance in anybody's video. [Laughs] I'm following a blueprint that I've seen build successful careers right before my eyes!

DX: What else are you working on?
Maestro: I'm working on a little bit of everything. I always stay in the lab with Franchize Boyz [click to read], I'm doing some work on a Clipse Re-Up Gang [click to read] album, and I'm getting some tracks together to get in with Gorilla Zoe [click to read]. Besides that, I send tracks to anyone that will listen to them. I'm hopeful that the Ice Cube [click to read] single will lead to a fruitful relationship with Cube's film endeavors, so I'm just keeping myself open to whatever comes my way.

DX: What was it like to landing the Cube joint?
Maestro: Producing a single for Cube was a huge accomplishment for me. Getting the opportunity to work with a legend who effortlessly remains current was really dope. Three fourths of the artists releasing material today will never have the impact on the genre that Cube has had.

DX: On your blog, you have producer kits and sample packs for sale. What all is in those, and why you have them up?
Maestro: The kits I sell on my site are just a public service from your friendly neighborhood Maestro. [Laughs] Actually, I put those up there to help new producers advance at their craft and also as a way of expanding the way that people appreciate my music and my brand. A person who hears "Prostitute" may like it, but will eventually casually dismiss what he heard. A person who purchased the construction kit for the song is going to appreciate it more because he knows exactly what went into its production. Furthermore, he's also going to keep checking for Maestro's beats because he has the exact sounds and feels like he's part of the movement. I did it with the philosophy that every dude I've ever met with a pair of Jordan's on was a real Jordan fan.

DX: Isn't that giving the competition too much ammo?
Maestro: [Laughs] Maybe so, but I've never seen a dude who saved his allowance and rushed to buy Jordans on a Saturday, walk up to MJ and dunk in his face!