Instrumental Intel - Ep 88 Consistency as the Key to Creativity with Bo DidLee (1-3-26)

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Achickwitbeatz presents ⁠the Instrumental Intel podcast⁠, bringing you information instrumental to your artistic career including music industry news & tips, insights & interviews, and beats for your inspiration. Listen on Saturdays at 7 pm EST on ⁠⁠⁠Grander Radio⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Achickwitbeatz.com⁠⁠⁠.
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Instrumental Intel Podcast

Achickwitbeatz brings you information instrumental to your artistic career including music industry news, insights, interviews, and beats for your inspiration. Listen on Saturdays at 7 pm ET on ⁠⁠⁠Grander Radio,⁠⁠⁠ Achickwitbeatz.com⁠⁠⁠, and your favorite podcast platform.

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Transcript Generated by Riverside

00:02

Hey, thank you so much for tuning in to Instrumental Intel. I am your host, music producer, Achickwitbeatz,  and I'm glad that you've joined me. Today's episode has instrumentals by me for your inspiration,  a little bit of music news,  and later I'll be joined by a special guest, Bo DidLee. We're gonna talk a little bit about consistency as the key to creativity  and so much more. So I'm excited to be bringing this episode to you.

00:26

And before I go ahead and drop that first beat, I gotta give a shout out to my home station, Grander Radio out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. And with that, let's go.

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10:04

Hey, this is music producer Achickwitbeatz, and you're listening to my podcast Instrumental Intel.

[BEAT BREAK]

12:43

Hey, I'm Achickwitbeatz, multi-genre music producer and strategist to indie artists and labels. Visit achickwitbeatz.com for resources for artists and instrumentals in various genres available for songs, vlogs, blogs, podcasts, themes, TV, film, commercials, and more. Once again, that's achickwitbeatz.com. That's A-C-H-I-C-K-W-I-T-B-E-A-T-Z.com.

13:12

Let's make something happen.

15:40

I am music producer Achickwitbeatz, and I'm back with the Music Biz Brief, and this week it really is brief.  Stories do tend to kind of slow down a little bit around this time but you should know this little tidbit is kind of to clear up some of the information that I've seen RIP MTV posts and all that floating around with some details that aren't quite clear so this is just to clarify that MTV has officially shut down many of its 24 hour music only channels as of December 31st,

16:09

including five in the UK, which were MTV Music, MTV 80s,  MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live, with similar closures in other markets like Australia,  France, Poland, and Brazil. So this decision follows cost-cutting by parent company Paramount Skydance after its recent merger.  MTV's flagship channels will continue operating,

16:34

but they're gonna be focusing on reality programming instead of music, which ends an era [for linear music television].  Alright, so the lesson that we can take away from this as independent artists is that no matter how big the platform is, things can shift, and you gotta have other ways to be able to reach your audience. Alright, and that's a wrap for the Music Biz Brief. Stick around, I'm gonna take a quick pause for the cause, and then I'll be back with my special guest, Bo DidLee, right after this.  Keep it locked!

17:35

[BEAT BREAK]

26:50

Hey, this is music producer Achickwitbeatz, and you're listening to my podcast Instrumental Intel.

[BEAT BREAK]

33:17

Hey, I'm Achickwitbeatz, multi-genre music producer and strategist to indie artists and labels. Visit achickwitbeatz.com for resources for artists and instrumentals in various genres available for songs, vlogs, blogs, podcasts, themes, TV, film, commercials, and more. Once again, that's achickwitbeatz.com. That's A-C-H-I-C-K-W-I-T-B-E-A-T-Z.com.

33:46

Let's make something happen.  Hey, thank you so much for tuning into Instrumental Intel. I'm your host music producer, Achickwitbeatz, and I am so glad to say that I have Bo DidLee in the virtual building with me today. And you know, for those who have been listening to the show, I have the pleasure of interviewing Brian Keith, and I'mma let him get into like the whole, you know, situation with that. But if you could just kind of give

34:13

the people a bit of an introduction as to who you are, how you got involved with music, and how you do what you do. All right, I'm Bo DidLee. I'm from Atlanta, Georgia. Brian Keith is my big brother.  So as far as with music, I've been around music pretty much ah most of my life. I have two other older brothers who does music too.

34:40

And as far as me getting into it as my, I can't say professionally, but to the point where I'm making music of my own, I probably started around about 2015, seriously dropping songs on iTunes and stuff like that. Before then, I was in the studios with some of my homeboys and friends and stuff. Like I said, I've always been around the music, but as far as me taking it serious, it probably around about 2015 and stuff.

35:08

Okay. Who were some of your early influences? I know you mentioned your brothers were into it aside from family. I up listening to lot of Memphis music. So 8-Ball, MJG, Project Pat, Three 6 Mafia. And then of course, like my Atlanta people, T.I., 2 Chainz, and you know, the rappers like that and stuff like that. Of course, Pac

35:36

and Biggie, but as far as my influence, they're probably more Memphis rappers and stuff. Okay. Yeah. My brother actually put me on to them. He moved to Memphis when we were really young. And so yeah, anytime I go visit, he always like put me up on the latest stuff. There's just a certain sound there that's unique. Like you're not going to find it everywhere else. Yeah, I feel you on that. So now let's talk about uh the musical family.

36:05

aspect of it. So what was that like kind of coming up watching your older brothers do that? to be honest, brother, Cool B, I guess growing up with my brothers, I mean, to me, they were just my brothers. It wasn't even no, I never really looked at them as rappers or any of that because I just grew up with them playing basketball, watching them play basketball and stuff. It wasn't until my well, Cool B is the oldest one that started with the music. And of course, I mean, we would listen to it.

36:35

And I was, but I was young when I was watching him do these things, but it wasn't until I got in ninth grade and like, and I was in school and some of my homeboys like, hey, Gangsta Blac is your brother? Cause I had posts that actually came to my house and I had all these posters of Gangsta Blac in my room. And they was like, how you know him? was like, that's my stepbrother. So they were like, man, that's your family? I'm like, yeah. They was like, man, he, he with Three Six Mafia and stuff like that. I'm like,

37:02

“Okay, yeah, but to me it's just Gangsta Blac,” you know, so it wasn't until then when I'm like, dang, this man is, you know, known here with my friends that I didn't even know, you know, I just know him as my brother. So, you know, it really wasn't no, you know, I looked up to them, but it was, know, when you're close to somebody that doesn't appeal to you like that. So, but growing up with them, you know, it kind of introduced me to the hustle of the music and knowing the work it takes to

37:32

So, you know, get your music out there and stuff. So, okay. Well, that's an important thing to learn. So it's good to have exposure, you know, to that kind of early before you get into it. What would you say has been one of the biggest lessons you've learned since you started doing it for yourself? Consistency. You know, you got to stay consistent.

37:56

And because even right now, even with this podcast, it's not that I look, I didn't look for this, but I continue to keep making music and, know, so stay,  stay doing your craft. If it's something that you love to do, it may not happen overnight. May not, you know, you never know when an opportunity will come.  And along with life, you're going to have life and things and stuff like that. So you go through situations, but continue to keep, keep, keep being consistent, put your music out.

38:23

putting your name out, you know, and just keep doing you, you know,  consistency, that's the main thing I will say, I've learned. Yeah, you know, that's an important thing to stress. I can't remember who actually said the quote, but you know, lot of, most of the time, the overnight successes actually took a long time because of all the stuff that we didn't see behind the scenes. Oh so yeah, like you do come across a lot of people get frustrated.

38:51

when things don't jump the way that they want it to like immediately. Yeah. But you're right. Like with that consistency, you know, it gives a start to make room for you and all that good stuff. And along the way, I mean, you know, saying you take a life and like with my music, I mean, my music is life. I don't have a set type of music I do. So do I say be consistent? So you're going through something, man, you know, you

39:18

start writing in that element or you know just be you know use your craft with to get through whatever you need to get through so you know and that's kind of pretty much how I started into it with  uh actually really going into the music part I always wrote and did stuff not like a journal but just would write rhymes and stuff like that but it wasn't until I kind of went through a  situation in my family that I just the only way I knew to cope was to get in the studio

39:47

And that was for the first time. it was like, but when I went in that studio then I didn't have, I guess I didn't know my style. And I think because I listened to a lot of Memphis rappers, I was in there rapping like Yogaddy or something, you know, and it was like, I'm listening to it like, man, that ain't sound like him, but it's not my, it's not my cadence, my delivery. But once I went into writing and just expressing myself that way, it just took off. just couldn't stop writing.

40:16

couldn't stop making music. So that was the moment for you like, okay, now this is real. Yeah, man, I just, I had so many note paths. was just writing and writing and writing and then just hitting the studio. But then it got to the point where I was like, man, I can't keep going to these studios. That's why I just ended up getting my own. But even I didn't even know how to use the equipment, but I did have a homeboy named PT, Tony. showed me, you know, the basics. Then of course, YouTube showed me the rest.

40:46

After that I just went into making the mute rapping and then I started producing. after that, so. Okay. Yeah. So I like that you mentioned, you you have a homeboy that knew what was up and then you also had YouTube. There are so many people that kind of take for granted how much information is actually out there. There's no excuse now, like I said. Seriously.

41:16

Yeah. And I mean, you know, especially anybody in the DIY space, that's kind of,  you know, always puzzled me. It's like, OK, if you're doing this yourself, why wouldn't you want to like, try to figure it out and touch? But then, you know, I know everybody's got different learning styles, but  I really appreciate the fact that you said that, like, it's out there. If you want to know, that's all you got to do is like, go find it. It's there.  Everything. I mean, of course, you know, you can look at it.

41:44

and listen to what somebody's telling you, but you still got to practice, you know?  And that be the thing, some people you try and it's kind of hard, but like I say, you ain't got to put their music out yet or anything. You just work on that craft. But once again, that's that consistency, you know, you just keep working at it. Right. So, okay, this is kind of an unfair question.  between, you know, writing, like making the music and actually producing, you have a favorite that you kind of gravitate towards.

42:13

I like the producing part. I would like to be behind the scene. I mean, even if it was the write,  the rapping part, it's fun. I mean, if I get on stage, I turn into a different person. But I prefer not to be the person on the scene. But it also got to the point where, you know, I had to kind of put my face out there with the music and maybe eventually I will be able to be behind the scenes and, you know, and.

42:41

just take care of my business like that. But yeah, I prefer the producing part. Yeah, that's the best part of my opinion. Yeah, the only reason why I had ever started performing was just to let people know that I was producing. And then like once people started saying, OK, well, I want more of this. And I was like, yeah, OK, that's cool. But yeah, no, I prefer behind the scenes. And plus, you know, with the production aspect, not only

43:09

can you use it for yourself, but you actually have the opportunity to inspire other people to write to it. And to me, like that's even better. You know, something in your brain that you created can make somebody want to write to it. Like that's just, I don't know. That's just one of those, those feelings. So yeah, I was like, I know it's kind of an unfair question cause you know, the other side of it's fun too, but yeah. So I mean, I've had fun. had fun when I like, so I think like the first show that I actually

43:39

perform well. You know, it was an open mic. It went okay, but I think maybe like the second or third one, had like a cash prize. And man, I shoot, we ended up the cash prize, but it was like,  I really don't like doing this, but like I said, once I get with my homeboy and my friends and stuff like that, like I said, it just turns into, like I said, the lights turn on and I turn into a different person, you know, so. Yeah.

44:04

Okay, yeah, definitely fill you with that. So like, even when it comes down to writing, I know that you said that, you  know, sometimes it's just a way to cope with things, but is there anything that you do to try to get, uh I guess, inspired to either be able to write? Actually, you know what, same question for production as well. So whichever one comes to mind first, but when you decide like, okay, today I'm going to spend some time in the studio, like how do you kind of get yourself in that headspace? oh

44:33

Sometimes I ask, if I listen to... Well, I have kids, so sometimes if I'm around with my oldest son, if I'm listening to the stuff that he's listening to, then I try to get into that zone of the type of music he's listening to and stuff. But, you know, that's fun, but my... I guess I think what...

44:55

Really, when it comes to the producing, sometimes I just go around, I play around with the keyboards and then I'm like, okay, this is the direction I want to go. I've had some friends say, okay, make me this type of beat. I can do that too, because like I said, when it comes to piano, I pretty much self-taught myself. I play trumpet in bands, so I do no notes and stuff.

45:22

But like I said, I think when it comes to the producing part, I just sit down or if I was listening to something that was kind of inspiring me to go in that direction, but majority of the time I sit down, play something and then I just go that way. Okay. Whichever way it's taking me. So the vibes that you catch this guy. Gotcha. Alright. So you mentioned that you become a different person where you perform. Would you say that?

45:50

Maybe you had one particular experience that kind of stood out for you out of all the others that like, when you think about performing, decide like, okay, well, yeah, even though this isn't my preference, this particular show, man, we rocked it so hard. Like this one was it for me. I think that's like, that will not go out anytime though. I'm with my friends, you know, I'm not gonna say I turned to a different person, but I let loose and that most of the time I'm out.

46:20

I just have fun with it, you know? I mean, it's fun. And if the music ain't fun for you, then you're not gonna enjoy it. So it does become fun, you out there. And then of course, when you got people vibing with you and stuff like that. But like I said, the first show, I was nervous. But like I said, once that microphone, you play my song. And like I said, I've been playing the song with my people so long that they tell me that this is it, this is it.

46:48

Yeah, my first song that I really put out that just took off, and I can't say took off like it's just like that, but the one that was like, this the one you need to go with. We was New Year's Eve and  man, we was in my basement and we just played something. Next thing you know, I said one couple words and it just went with the beat. Next thing you know,

47:12

I mean, I had a homeboy that didn't, he don't do music, no producing, no nothing. He didn't hear bobbing his head and, hey, I press a space bar so you can record that, you know. So to this day, he think he part of the, of the engineering of that song, because he pressed the space bar for me to record. You know what? I think he get a little credit for that. Yeah, he might get a little bit, yeah. Two points, yeah.

47:35

But yeah, that was it, man. But that song was just made straight from it. We were just in there just messing around and it just, it is a, that song called used to, um, it's reaching my partner, Marietta Buck and stuff. But, but yeah, that that was a fun one. So I think it's just about me and having fun with it and not just go with the flow. So basically just whenever you perform, not necessarily where you're at performing. Yeah, no, it just, I perform, yeah, I can.

48:05

I, yeah, I mean, because I've done some stuff where I went to, of course, I'm from Atlanta, so we had, I used to go tailgate all the time. And some of the tailgate parties and there'd be a microphone right there shooting, hey man, you'll play my song and shoot, we turn up on that. It ain't even no show like that. But so I say, you just give me the microphone and the vibe is right, you know, so I'll turn something up.

48:34

Okay. Yeah. So you had mentioned uh some of the other, I guess, the artists that you had listened to before that were kind of part of your inspiration, but like present day, are there any artists and doesn't necessarily have to be, you know, mainstream famous, but any artists that you haven't collaborated with that you'd like to, they're on your list. Oh collaborating with, man, should any of the ones that I mentioned, I would love to collaborate with, but uh

49:03

As far as new artists, the newer, younger generation, it would probably be like a J. Cole. I would love to do music with him.  I like his music. Kendrick Lamar. Oh but as far as the younger crowd, uh I'm still stuck on my older rap legends. Yeah, I'm the same way. I  only recently got out of the 90s in my car. m

49:31

But that's still like, because those artists put out newer albums this year. So like I'll pause it 90 stuff for them. Like, yeah. Yeah. I'm of that age to where my music tastes are kind of solidified. I'm open to stuff. But you know, like I'm a gravitate towards what I know. And like I I listen to, you know, some of the new artists, but you know, as far as like you said, I gravitate to where I'm a gravitate to. Yeah.

49:58

Yeah, it took me a while to acknowledge that, just accept it. Like, yeah, you're one of those old heads that they talk about. And they mention him, but like, yeah, that's me. But, you know, hey, I'm actually comfortable with it. I like what I like. But yeah, I feel like when it comes to music, your fans, they grow with you. So you don't have to. I mean, of course, you want your music to maybe kind of, you know, adapt a little bit, but you don't have to.

50:26

You don't have to not be yourself when you're doing your music because you're a fan base is going to grow with you and evolve with you. And if they don't evolve with you, then, you I mean, they, you know, they're not your real fans anyway, but you know, you don't have to worry about changing yourself where you're not going to be comfortable. Yeah. Yeah. And I feel like this year has actually been a really good, well, 2025 has been a really good example of that just because I mean,

50:55

You know, the trends were going one way, but then more and more people were like, you know what, I'm gonna just keep doing what I'm doing. And then more and more fans started appreciating it, especially with what Mass Appeal has been doing. Yeah. Yeah. It's just, yeah. Like, I don't know, I'm happy to see that one, this ageism thing in hip hop is finally kind of getting shoved to the side. And two, people can make the music that they want to make and be confident in it, you know, regardless of how some of the stuff was received.

51:23

If they put the project out and they happy with it, then that's what counts.  There are people out there that really appreciate it.  Yeah, I'm a firm believer in if you make the music that you want to make,  it's in your heart to make it for a reason because somebody else out there needs to receive it. Yeah.  yeah. Man, music is a thing because like I said, it can get people through some situations.

51:52

And as I mean, that's one of my songs is called Spread Your Wings. I did that song with my niece and that's a cool B's daughter.  Her name is Money. And that song, I was going through a depressive stage of my life. But instead of me making this sad music, I locked myself in my studio. I said, man, I got to come up with something that's like.

52:19

happy, you know, like I need something to get me out of this situation that I'm in. And when I tell you this song was one of the most different songs, it's basically a pop song, like fist pump and pop, you know, but my niece's voice, like I said, heard, like I said, when you produce something, you kind of hear something, you're like, okay, I think she'll sound good on it. And when I say she killed the song.

52:45

Of course I rapped on it but the beat was totally different. wasn't a trap beat, wasn't a hip-hop beat. It was just something that I said, let me put some... And then rest of the stuff went. But it was like, everybody that I know, they tell me this song is the one that's probably going to get you because it's a worldwide song. You can listen to it anywhere. There's no cuss words on it and it's just a positive song.

53:14

Okay, yeah, that's what's up. And that's another thing too. I think a lot of times when people say  something is pop, it's not necessarily a bad thing. Pop music is popular for reason because a lot of people like it.  think, yeah, the term has been co-opted to something else. But yeah, no, I think that that's excellent. Especially if it's out of your normal realm and the fact that you could automatically hear like, okay, this is gonna sound like this. oh

53:44

You know, that's the sign of a true producer. I think that's excellent. So, okay. I understand that you had something that you working on recently that dropped with Brian Keith. You want to tell us a little bit about that?  Oh yeah. This song is called Walk to You. It's featuring Tonie Hames, myself, Brian Keith, Cool B. So this is actually the first time that I've done a song with both my brothers. I've done...

54:14

song with each of them on different tracks but all of us collaborating on one this is the first time. This song was first introduced by my friend Tonie Hames. sent it to me after my father passed away, November 10th, 2024 and my friends both his parents had passed away so he said he had heard he just wanted to do some music with me because he probably he knew how I was feeling so he sent me

54:43

the beat with his hook. And I was like, bet I got you. I think I was at work or something. I just, on the way to work, yeah, I just put it on repeat. By time I got to work, from me riding to get to work, I already had pretty much my first, because I mean, it really, my first wasn't anything but what I went through, the whole, because my dad was in the hospital for whole week. But I already knew the, you know, I knew what was going to happen. So it just kind of.

55:12

everything was just already in my head with how it was going to flow. But yeah, this song right here was, you know, dedicated for me, it was dedicated to my father. I'm pretty sure for everybody was dedicated for their parents and stuff like that. But it's a song that you don't have to be your parent. It's, it's a song that if you miss somebody,  you wish you could talk to them one more time. It's a song that's very motivational, inspiring on that type of aspect and stuff.

55:40

Yeah, this one here, it was fun to create the song with my brothers. I hate that we had to create this song like this, it has brought us closer and my family when they listen to it and even as I'm thinking about it now about to, you know, make me kind of shed a couple of tears because uh just the fact that how positive my father was for me. My dad was a good man and not a perfect man, but a

56:10

But a great man and taught me so many things and not just me but all of us and the fact that we sit here and continue to live out our dreams and do the things that we love to do.  But yeah, I we all miss my pops. Plus around this time of holidays. Yeah, so we released the song, the remix.  I originally did the song with my friend Tonie Hames, it just us and

56:37

Another guy that he was doing the background vocals, he goes by the name of “Him”. When we released the remix, we dropped it on my father's birthday, which was December 15th. Just to, you know, I thought that will be a good day to release the song and stuff. um Excellent tribute. All right. So we get that people know that check that out on the social, like all the platforms everywhere streaming. Yeah.

57:05

It's on every platform. I mean, I would love if anybody wanted, you, you when you do an Instagram story or TikTok and use the song, it's Walk To You by Bo DidLee featuring Brian Keith, Cool B, and Tonie Hames and stuff. So just trying to this song out as much as we can. Absolutely. You know, I can't believe how quickly this time went by, but I just want to make sure that everybody knows where they can find you, your music and any... uh

57:34

Anything else that you might want to tease that you’ve got upcoming? Okay. Well, you can follow me on IG and it's a Bo DidLee is B O underscore D I D L E E 100. Uh, you can find me on TikTok and that's abstract music is a A A B S T R A C T music. You can follow me on Facebook, Bo DidLee on Facebook.

58:01

You can also type in www.BoDidLee.com It is seen to all my social sites and you can find my singles you'll find Walk to You, Spread Your Wings and pretty much all my music and that's www.bodidlee.com um As far as uh music right now Of course, I want you to go check out that walk to you. I have a couple tapes out there now called D.R.U.G.S., and that is

58:30

D-R-U-G-S, and that stands for Dreams, Reality, Understanding, Growth, and Salvation. Um I got a song on there with Brian Keith called My All, and I got my personal favorite on that album, which is called Song Cry. But you can find all my music on iTunes, Google Play, anywhere where you shop for your music. And like I said, go to www.bodidlee.com and that'll get you to all the links that I mentioned before. Excellent. Okay,

58:59

encouraging everyone to do just that. And I'm hoping that this is just the first of a series of interviews and maybe I can actually get you and Brian Keith on together one in the future. Yeah, that'll be fun.  Alright. Cool. Well, yeah. Thank you for taking time out to speak with me and the listeners and share your story and congratulations on all your accomplishments and looking forward to what 2026 is going to bring.  Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

59:29

Alright, that's a wrap for this episode of instrumental intel. I've been your host music producer Achickwitbeatz, and once again, I want to thank you for listening. I want to thank my special guest, Bo DidLee for coming through and sharing his experience and wisdom, and also shout out to his brother Brian Keith for the connection, and of course, I gotta shout out my home station Grander Radio out of Grand Rapids, Michigan

59:51

Make sure you come back next week. I got more goodness lined up for you. So till next time, you know where to find me. Tune in, tell a friend, and I'll see you then. Peace.