NEW YORK – It’s been almost ten years since Mike Will Made-It released his last solo album. The acclaimed hip-hop producer has spent this time gaining new insights, expanding his business ventures, and painstakingly rebuilding his music collection after his hard drives were stolen.
“Life is full of highs, lows, challenges, and turbulence during any journey,” expressed the 36-year-old Grammy-winning producer. “I had the opportunity to reflect deeply, observe the music industry’s landscape, learn a lot, and put everything into perspective.”
Known for producing Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” and co-producing Beyoncé’s “Formation,” he has channeled his newfound wisdom into “R3SET,” a star-studded album boasting 15 tracks, set to release this Friday.
Following his 2017 album, “Ransom 2,” this latest project showcases talents like rap icon J. Cole and YoungBoy Never Broke Again, one of the scene’s most prominent street rappers. It also features collaborations with industry veterans such as 2 Chainz, Ludacris, T.I., and CeeLo Green alongside emerging artists like Monaleo and Teezo Touchdown.
Even during his unintended break from solo work, Mike Will remained active in the music scene. He produced the 2018 “Creed II” soundtrack, collaborated on projects with Yo Gotti and Trouble, and co-produced three tracks on Miley Cyrus’s “Endless Summer Vacation” album, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2023. Additionally, he established an expansive 80,000-square-foot creative event space in Atlanta, featuring a cutting-edge studio.
“If I have a proven recipe and I know it requires time in the Crock-Pot, I just have to endure comments like, ‘Man, it’s taking too long,’” he explained. “But I’m confident that once you experience it, it’ll leave a lasting impact… I employed the same patience and precision with this album.”
The man who joined a rapping Miley Cyrus with Juicy J and Wiz Khalifa on “23” spoke with The Associated Press about the “Flowers” singer, unanswered phone calls and trap beats created with AI. This interviewed has been edited for brevity and clarity.
AP: What kinds of ups and downs did you face that led to your solo album hiatus?
MIKE WILL MADE-IT: I lost my hard drives, that was a big one. I fulfilled my label deal. … And then took a step away. I ain’t know I was gonna take this long.
That’s the thing about this industry, too: it’s like, when you’re hot, everybody’s in your face, they’re your ‘bro,’ they’re rocking with you. And then, if you’re not on them charts or you’re not hot, the conversation’s just a little different. You’re not able to reach the same folks at the same time. That kind of gets discouraging.
AP: Were you surprised you couldn’t reach artists you worked with before?
MIKE WILL MADE-IT: It’s surprising, but that’s when you’re not looking at it like business … This corporation is just doing what they have to do to build and expand. Just because me as a corporation is dormant right now … it might not make sense for this corporation to (collaborate).
AP: How did you decide to pair Atlanta legends with rising artists on ‘R3SET?
MIKE WILL MADE IT: I gotta represent for the town, for this sound that I grew up on … I filled that position way back in ‘07, ’08. So now, 2026, like no matter how big the (expletive) gets, every project that I ever went into, from Rihanna to Beyoncé to Miley to Jay-Z to Kendrick, I’m always thinking about that sound.
Even with Miley, I grew up on MTV AM, like crossover records, pop records … doing that record (“23”) with Miley was like a perfect bridge to that. … At that time, we were trying to create a new genre called trap pop … we still were thinking to keep that DNA in there.
AP: Did you talk with Miley about appearing on this album?
MIKE WILL MADE-IT: I think I got three songs on her last album. … Me and Miley got a boatload of records. So, it’s like this specific record, I didn’t really call anybody and say, ‘Yo, I need you for this album.’ I literally just been working.
AP: You’ve mentioned AI is being used to create trap beats. Can AI recreate your sounds?
MIKE WILL MADE-IT: I’m one-of-one … I don’t think they ever said AI knows how to do magic. You feel me? They can’t do God’s work.
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Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.
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