We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Troy Maddox. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Troy below.
Troy, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you’ve thought about whether to sign with an agent or manager?
I signed a Publishing/Admin Deal with a top Music Supervisor for Television/Film, and one who has been coined by Complex as one of the top 25 A&R’s in Hip-Hop history, the Legendary, Paul Stewart! Paul and I met through the ClubHouse app during the pandemic. We took our conversation off of the app and he granted me an opportunity to play him some music and he vibe’d with it heavy! We started to build and I was soon offered a Publishing Deal. Now, I’m striving and am making a name for myself, getting my music placed on Television/Film as well as building a resume to be able to work with a lot of the artists we love and have listened to for years!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started out in New Jersey in 2010. Even though, looking back, I’ve had a close relationship with music all my life. The earliest music I remember hearing was Michael Jackson when I was 4 years old. From there, my love for music continued to grow! My wife would say that I should do something with music because I can sing. I used an app on my phone at the time called U-Loops. Than I grew out of that and talked to my wife about investing in an actual program so I can produce music for real, so I bought Pro Tools. I continued to practice making beats. My wife continued to encourage me to keep going, which continued to build my confidence.
I eventually purchased Maschine. This program had all the sounds that I needed at the time to enhance my sound as a Producer. We eventually moved to ATL in 2016 and I basically had to start over and create a name for myself, which I’m still working on.
My wife & I also created an event at The Battery, located at the Braves Stadium called ‘Vault Vibes’, hosted at Waterloo Sunset Records. We would get artists all over Georgia to perform live at the record store every Friday to either promote their Singles, EP’s or Albums. Vault Vibes is a page out of the ‘Tiny Desk’ playbook. However, what makes Vault Vibes unique is that the performances are at a record store, which is PRICELESS! Vault Vibes has drawn large crowds as well! While hosting Vault Vibes, we would network with a lot of upcoming artists, managers, and music exec’s. At this time, Vault Vibes is on a small break due to Waterloo Sunset Records seeking another location for their store to expand their market and consumer base. I am still awaiting the word for the new location. Once I find out, I’ll spread the word throughout ATL, and we’ll get the vibes going again!
Hit me up on IG at @iammaddsoul My page has THE VIBES! It will give you some insight on my sound!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The lesson that I had to unlearn is that not all upcoming artists want to grind to reach their goals, or reach a milestone. Some artist just want to be ‘discovered’ and don’t really want to put in the work CONTINUOUSLY even when they cannot see the harvest.
The love for the craft MUST carry you through all of the disappointments and moments of ‘nothing happening’. It starts with love and than the belief in yourself to reach milestones. Speaking things into existence is a MAJOR KEY!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of creating as a Producer is to make a crazy beat, and then link with a gifted artist to execute over it, making for a perfect match to creating a dope song!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @iammaddsoul
Image Credits
*WINNER – 2022 Uruvatti International Film Festival, (Best Music for Short Film, ‘A Deadly Conversation’). *3 Short Films Scored – Genre: (Thriller) *18 Television placements in 2022.