Eric Dan

Eric Dan is the man behind ID Labs, a Pittsburgh recording studio that oversaw the development of superstars Wiz Khalifa, and Mac Miller. Eric dove head-first into music at a young age, trying his hand at various instruments and stage performances, while running multiple jobs as he slowly built his own recording studio. He began specializing in hip-hop, and when a young Wiz Khalifa walked in the door of his studio, he saw the opportunity for a partnership. That relationship propelled his career to several gold and platinum hits, and ID labs to being the premiere recording studio in Pittsburg. He joins us today on the The Big Break to talk about how it all happened. Eric’s Instagram Eric’s Twitter ID Labs Show Notes 1:50How did you know you wanted to make music for a living? 3:16Growing up and early music influences 5:05Early producing and getting into Hip-Hop 7:40Starting to make beats and getting connected to the local music scene 8:20Getting a taste for live performances and the stage 9:08“Strict Flow” and the difficulties of making music in Pittsburgh 9:53The birth of the basement studio 12:45Working in music full-time, and creating ID Labs 17:22The value of working with what you have, and setting achievable goals 19:53One day, Wiz walks in the door 22:10The decision to collaborate and develop together 27:15Diving in with Wiz 29:34“I wanted it to be more of a musical relationship” 32:34Unstoppable persistence and determination 33:52The business of making music vs. the business of making money 37:15The first release featuring Wiz Khalifa 39:20Signing with Warner Brothers 41:25Meeting Will Dzombak 43:10“Deal or No Deal” and being an Independent Artist 44:20Atlantic Records, Stargate, and how Rolling Papers came to existence 47:50The strength of Eric and Wiz’s relationship 50:10What have you learned from working with Wiz? 52:28How did everything change after Rolling Papers came out? 53:45Meeting Big Jerm 56:43Meeting Mac Miller 59:57Are there any of those musical moments with Mac that stand out in your mind? 62:50Finding inspiration in old records Tal Wilkenfeld 65:00With Wiz and Mac, was it ever difficult to balance between the two? 66:09If you could go back in time 20 years, what would you tell your younger self? 70:30What other advice would you give someone trying to make money doing what they love? 74:57What’s the most common non-musical advice you give to producers? 77:48Three big takeaways from Eric For more information More episodes Know Your Worth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.