Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bobby California. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Bobby thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I am self taught. I could have put in more time and effort, I could have pushed harder instead of waiting for someone else to make things happen for me, but I feel like i am where I need to be. The most essential skills as a producer is trusting your ear and the process. Stay true to yourself and create to create. Not to sound like what’s hot or your favorite producer. It’s okay to draw influences but when you really give in to finding your sound, it makes it that much more special when a song has success. Time and money are always obstacles. It takes both to really pursue your goals.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Hello, I am Bobby California. I am originally from the East Bay, Concord, California. Rap/Hip Hop is a huge part of the culture in the Bay, so I had a few friends trying to get into the rap scene. I was nice with the pen but didn’t like how I sounded and just didn’t want to be a rapper. I did love the creative energy and the part of being part of something, and I always enjoyed the creative process. I can’t remember who, but one of my friends reminded me that since I played the saxophone back in elementary, I could make the instrumentals. It was not a smooth transition, haha, but I put a lot of hours into it and after a year or so I was making tracks decent enough for my friends to use.
I think what sets me apart is that I started getting production jobs in LA through a good friend in the entertainment field and was going out there to work a lot. I fell in love with the music, the energy, and a special studio called the Hennessy Lounge, which became my second home once I finally made the move to Los Angeles. The owner Kiki and the legendary Mix Master Tony G. took me in and taught me valuable lessons and gave me unlimited support to truly grow as a producer. Without their knowledge and support, I probably wouldn’t be producing.
I am most proud of my longevity, i may not be a household name, but I have been doing what I love for 20 years. I have worked with Legends in the game from Chino XL, Kid Frost, Ras Kass, The Mexakinz, and Crooked I just to name a few.
I think the thing that i want people to know about me is that I do this because I love it. I make what i want to make, not trying to sound like the next hot producer or following trends. Sure, you may hear influences of my favorite producers, but that is me paying homage to the reason why I do this. I make music for myself with the hopes that you can enjoy it with me. If it was about money, I would have quit years ago haha.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of creating for me is no matter how my day is going, what problems I have. I always have an outlet, a happy place. I get lost in creating. I can lose a whole day if there is a project I’m excited about or if I’m creating something that just feels good.
and I have to add that I have an amazing, loving, supportive wife. I would not be doing this still if she didn’t believe in me 1000%
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I guess the thing that made me keep going is that I moved away from everything I loved to come to LA and pursue this goal. I have put too much time, and energy into this to ever walk away, and if I did walk away today I would have left everything I love for nothing.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @eye5productions
- Facebook: @eye5productions
- Twitter: @bobbycalifornia
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwHq8DtaKUKY8bmcPZxs3Pw
- Other: You can find me on all streaming services – Bobby California
Image Credits
Manuel Nava – @beardncam, Jerald Rivera – @cvrrent