As a music producer and CEO of Youngville Agency, Drake Tigges has helped countless aspiring new music artists establish themselves in a notoriously difficult industry to break into. He is renowned for giving new artists the freedom and space to express themselves and believes that an artist’s autonomy and complete control of their career are integral to their well-being. Yet as well as spearheading a flourishing community of diverse artists from all walks of life, and helping them kickstart their careers, Drake Tigges is busy blazing a trail of his own. His latest hit single “Juice” has generated a lot of interest and people everywhere are asking where Drake Tigges gets his influence from?
“Life and pretty much everything in it is my influence,” explained Drake Tigges, who added, “But if you’re talking musical influences, well my tastes are a broad church. My sound is primarily hip-hop and R&B but I listen to everything from rock, pop, and jazz to the blues and classical music. My attitude is if it’s got a rhythm, a melody, and a backbeat then it’s capable of being something great. And that to me is what music is all about, reaching for something infinite that touches a chord and resonates in us all. As musicians and artists we all approach self-expression by different means, through different genres, and through various forms of expression and platforms but the ambition is the same – to create something that will stand the test of time and mean something to each subsequent generation. Also, I want my music to put a smile on people’s faces, get their hearts beating, their blood pumping, and their hips shaking. There is more than enough doom and gloom in this world and with “Juice” I wanted to specifically bring the party and bring it big!”
With shades of Kanye West, Jay Z, and just a hint of Dr. Dre, “Juice” has that indelible feel-good factor of an instant classic. Yet Drake Tigges insists that obtaining that elusive sound is not contrived, but comes naturally through a sense of joy and relaxation with the music. He explained, “You cannot afford to overthink music, you’ve got to feel it. At heart, music is a very primal thing and our response to it is equally as primal. My attitude with “Juice” is the same as I adopt for all my songs, if it feels good to me, then chances are, it’ll feel good to others.”
