Producer Spotlight: Herc Cut the Lights
Akin to the mythical and legendary Greek God Hercules, Johannesburg-based producer and namesake Herc Cut the Lights is a hero in his own right. Where the Greek God Hercules tackled beasts, Herc Cut the Lights tackles beats –similarly making his way into a hallowed hall of musical acclaim.
Born Isaiah Nkhalo Zuza in Johannesburg, South Africa; 23-year-old producer, composer, and DJ Herc Cut the Lights has made a prominent and sonic mark on the local music scene. Although an “artist at heart” and having “always been passionate about producing”, the prolific producer only began downloading and making beats during his Matric year. Surrounded by peers who were rapping, Herc catalyzed his appreciation and began his journey into the production world by downloading and making beats to support those rapping around him. Through researching online and engaging with sound engineers, Herc Cut the Lights has established himself as a fully committed, full time, and fully self-taught master of production, having gone from making beats for his “homies that were rapping”, to prominent local artists such as Blxckie, Priddy Ugly, Filah Lah Lah, Madumane (DJ Maphorisa) and many more.
Acknowledging and believing in “everything happen[ing] at a specific time”, Herc’s progression as an artist individually as well as with those around him is most apparent in his work. Herc’s particular and timed noticeable progression in terms of production became most apparent during Blxckie’s album drop B4Now in May of this year, which saw Herc’s production credits on two of the top singles. Paying particular homage to the professional and personal relationship Herc has with prolific rising star Blxckie, Herc emphasises how “very natural” their mutual work is born.
“The day we met we made a song…we’re always chilling and it comes up, we work.”
Herc’s work with Blxckie on the album and on separate singles has been able to entrench the extent of his range in terms of production. Stripes, the second released single of the album, sees Herc Cut the Lights navigating a trap/hip-hop production. The catchy single features an array of short sound clips and samples; the “zip”s, “bing”s and whirrs transforming an 808 prominent trap beat into somewhat of a technological pop – a futuristic peep into what can possibly be expected in the progression of the hip-hop genre.
Herc’s work with established South African soul rapper Priddy Ugly is another prominent point in his career, according to the growing producer. Priddy Ugly’s SOIL, a sophomore album released in July of this year, sees Herc Cut the Lights on production credits for 4 out of the 10 tracks on the project. Herc’s produced track Dead Jungle shows a different side to Herc’s range of production skill. Contrasted to the more trap and 808-heavy beats featured on B4Now, here we experience Herc Cut the Lights in a more soulful and jazzy hip-hop production space. Making use of atonic and repetitive piano chords with a full compliment of hi-hats and a driving kick and snare; the percussive domination of the track aptly flatters the assertive and soulful rapping by Priddy Ugly and later Blxckie and H-D. Again, Herc is able to appropriately make use of sound clips and bites, using samples of frequency to bring in and muffle the quality sound - entrenching the full soulful impact of the track.
When prompted about what sets him apart in the local production field, Herc Cut the Lights notes that he is “not following what everyone else is doing. I’m being myself the whole time. It’s about trusting myself”. Herc also points out his range as an producer, evident in his contrasting work with Blxckie and Priddy Ugly, the rising producer has released tracks of hip-hop to RnB to Amapiano…”they know me for the 808s but [his range] is nothing like what you would think.”
Looking forward Herc hopes to see himself travelling with his music and having the opportunity to collaborate with artists outside of South Africa. Furthermore, Herc hopes to take this collaborative nature and expand it into a manufactured production team; “not a record label, I want a production team.” Currently in the process of a mass collaborative and self produced series called “Fresh Beatz”, Herc Cut the Lights continues to challenge himself and the artists around him into an ever-growing and evolving artistic space - a space we are beginning to see him take over.
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