The fact that anyone can now make music on a computer in their bedroom means that kids can become accomplished producers before they’ve even finished school, but even in this context, the achievements of 16-year-old Arham Paul (AKA AP Melodies) are remarkable.
That’s because Paul has two credits on new songs by Drake. The Canadian hip-hop superstar released a trilogy of albums earlier this month, and both Classic (from Habibti) and Q&A (from Maid of Honour) were made with Paul’s input.
“I don't think there's any other 16-year-old producer for Drake right now,” Paul told CityNews. “So it’s an odd experience, but it's crazy.”
Paul was drawn into Drake’s orbit last summer. Miami-based producer Sebas Lopez, who works with Drake and had heard AP Melodies’ output online, got in touch because he needed an ‘80s-style intro for a song, which ended up being Classic.
“I was shocked because I didn’t expect him to call me to work on a Drake track,” Paul told CTV News.
“But when Drake asked for the ’80s intro, [Lopez] called me because he knew I was on that sort of vibe.”
Paul says that Q&A, the other track he’s credited on, was an attempt to fuse the sounds of R&B and Brazilian music.
“I really loved how I managed to mix two genres together, but still point it towards Drake's direction,” he told CityNews.
As seems to be the way of these things, Paul only found out that some of his contributions were being included on the albums a couple of weeks before they were released.
“I thought it had a lower chance of being on the album because it's been made for so long,” he says of his first track. “But once I found out I had that song, like a week before, I mean, that was just crazy, ‘cos then I found out I had two songs on the album.”
Paul says that he started producing when he stumbled across GarageBand on his sister’s producer when he was just eight years old.
“I just randomly opened it and started messing around with it and it just, like, clicked,” he tells CTV News.
As he honed his skills, his beats began to gain traction online, but his achievements have still shocked his friends and teachers at school.
“Everyone’s all like, ‘How did you do this?’ The whole school is just hyped,” he says.
“My principal even asked me, ‘Are you on the Drake album?’ It was just crazy. All the teachers were talking about it.”
Paul says that he now hopes to collaborate with more big-name artists, and has some simple advice for any kid who wants to follow in his production footsteps.
Speaking to CityNews, he said: “I would tell people to stay creative, be original and just get yourself out there.”
