We were lucky to catch up with Justin Ranes recently and have shared our conversation below.

Justin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

In late 2021, as the Covid Vaccine Mandate was being enforced on US citizens, I was told by my employer (NFL Network) to get the Covid vaccine or be fired. At the time I did not trust the vaccine and was not about to let the government force me to put something in my body that is untested. So, under my doctors care I was told not to get the vaccine and with my doctors note in hand the NFL forced me to go on medical leave without pay. Sidenote: I had just bought a house and have a wife and two kids.

A friend of mine, Albert Daniels, who was a songwriter for Ye (Kanye West) had just got home from Atlanta after working on Ye’s Donda album. He and I worked on a few songs together and began sending songs to Ye. Ye heard our record “God Put Me There” and invited us to his factory in Los Angeles. A month or two later Ye heard another song we did called “Cloth”; Ye loved the record so much that he invited me to downtown LA to begin working on Donda 2.

We worked around the clock on the project and eventually flew to Miami, FL to finish the project.

This story is so important and impactful to me because through it all I had faith in God that He would see me through. There were times during this project I had no money and everything I worked for on the line. But God saw me to through. And in the end it was one of the greatest times in my life.

Justin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Justin Ranes. Some people know me as Juss or ShockeyDKC from A Merican Girlfriend (AMG). My story starts with me in my mothers womb during the time she was recording her demo at A&M in Hollywood, CA. Throughout my life I have been a studio rat and I believe it is this that was the beginning.

Throughout my younger years I played drums in multiple punk bands. At 18 I bought my first drum machine (AKAI MPC 2000). I began producing in 1999. Around 2000 my artist and best friend Premonition and I released our first project – Premonition “Previous Warning”. We sold our album hand to hand and was also sold at Ron Herman in Beverly Hills.

In 2002, I went to recording school in North Hollywood, CA where I met my mentor “Pint” (cousin of Smokey from the R&B group “Playa”). Pint introduced me to many different production techniques and began to bring me around major artists. Through Pint I met Genesis and Kush, who would later become my production team known as Lab Ratz. We worked with many known artists but mostly Busta Rhymes.

As Lab Ratz, we had minor success and eventually broke up in 2010 when I was offered a deal, from Niam McNaire at Warner Brothers, for my solo band called A Merican Girlfriend (AMG)

Due to bad management the deal was never signed. I left my manager and Lab Ratz and moved to Portland, OR in the summer of 2010.

2011 I returned back to California to rebuild and start my label Muscle Beach Music. Since then we have released over 20 projects under A Merican Girlfriend and Muscle Beach Music.

I am currently working on 10 music projects. My mission is to put out music that connects to people and lifts them up and teach them that God is here and He loves you and to keep going.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I honestly am happy with how my life has gone. Ups and downs, all have worked for the glory of God and have inspired my works.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding thing about being an artist is not only finding musical tones and frequencies that resonate with people but that resonate with myself. When you find a tone in a sound and then add lyrics that connect to your own spirit is an exciting thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://musclebeachmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americangirlfriend/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americangirlfriend/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MuscleBeachTV
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/muscle-beach-music