Noah '40' Shebib Opens Up About Creating Drake's 'Underwater Sound'
As Drake gears up to drop Views From the 6 next month, the Toronto MC’s longtime producer Noah “40” Shebib is spilling some of their production secrets.
During an in-depth talk about his musical process with Native Instruments, 40 opened up about why he and Drizzy created their atmospheric “underwater sound.”
“It was just me and Drake wanting to do something different, and to make a sound that we felt like was unique,” 40 explains. “It really resonated with people. That’s also the co-production of Drake on that level, because he is a producer, by any means. He’s also responsible for that simplicity. He’s also responsible for a lot of the sound that I’m heralded as creating, but we created it together.”
40 went on to explain that their sound, with its ambient, moody, and muted tones, was created through experimentation with sampling procedures that others often avoid.
Last month, the beatsmith also discussed the duo’s sounds on Views From the 6, which has been crafted between, and inspired by, Los Angeles and Toronto.
“It’s just the balance of finding that space to make such a project that’s based around our city and then also we coming out here to the West Coast to escape some of that harsh winter and find a good creative space,” 40 said. “It has to be a balance of both of those locations though, for what it’s supposed to be.”
Watch the producer’s Native Instruments interview below.