Heartbeats: Sleep Deez on Blurring the Lines in Music, Finding Success and Inspiration in Lockdown, and Shaking Up the Industry

We’re kicking off Heartbeats, our new music section, with an interview of Sleep Deez, Grammy nominated producer for BTS, Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna and Usher, to name a few. The multi-platinum hit maker shared his thoughts on his career and the music business – and his advice for aspiring artists from marginalised backgrounds. This interview was recorded on 13th August 2021. When we started what turned out to be an hour and a half long conversation, Sleep Deez, whose real name is Deryk Mitchell, explains he is, in fact, very much awake: “My grandma started calling me Sleepy when I was a kid and it became a family nickname, cause I have sleepy eyes –  everybody thinks I’m sleepy all the time, but I’m not.” Author: Jennifer Hakim Category: ARTS Listen to the full story, or read it online - also available in Easy Read. For more Arts-related stories, head to https://www.thespillmag.com/arts