From "2 Cups Stuffed" to "Wyclef Jean," Supah Mario is best known for his dynamic instrumentals on Young Thug songs. He has been making music all of his life, but it wasn't until recently that he started producing for names like 2 Chainz, Young Thug, Big K.R.I.T., and Drake and this became his full time job. The Columbia, South Carolina producer has gone from working as a janitor to making music with some of the hip hop's biggest names, and recently produced a song on arguably one of the biggest albums of the year: Drake's More Life.
In an interview with EARMILK, Supah Mario talked about his late start in the game and success with Young Thug roughly three years ago. "I've been making music all my life but actually calling myself a producer I think has only been the case for about 7-10 years. I'm 28 so I came in the game late to be honest" he said.
At the age of 25 Supah Mario got his start producing with Young Thug, but in years prior he was a janitor as he worked to feed his daughter. He would work on producing music at night, hoping to break into the industry. He looks back fondly on his days as a janitor, but knew he was destined for something different.
When I was a janitor it was some of the most peaceful humbling moments of my life which shaped how I am today. I gathered so much wisdom from those experiences. I'd always hoped that I would be able to move on from it but to be honest I kind of always KNEW eventually I would. I was unfamiliar with Young Thug at the time and any placement was good enough for me. Just to be able to have a song on the radio or to hear my tag at the beginning of something big was great for me. It just so happened that Thug was gaining a buzz to one of my beats.
It's easy to credit Supah Mario's work ethic and dedication as reasons for his success, but his talent began within his family. As far as influences go, he mentions only one person. "My dad is one of the biggest (influences). He is awesome. He plays the bass and we've been playing together for most of my life since I'm a drummer and musician first" said Supah Mario.
Some of his talents were handed down from his father, but he didn't mention his adaptability as something his father gave to him. Flexibility must exist when working with acts as popular as Young Thug, and when asked about what he is like in the studio he solidified this belief.
A studio session with Supah Mario is lots of positive vibes, lots of happy thoughts and creative ideas, a little bit of organization and a whole lot of "just let it flow". I'm pretty easy to work with and I am very understanding of everyone's creative process and I try to provide a platform where the creators feel comfortable to open up and be themselves in order to get the best music done. It's all about the energy and vibe.
Although he admitted he doesn't know Young Thug or Drake personally, he said that when the Drake placement came about it "wasn't really a shock to anyone." His family and friends were supportive, but his production on "Ice Melts" from Drake's More Life didn't exactly come about on purpose.
The beat was intended for Young Thug to make some sort of "Wyclef Jean Part II," but Drake happened to be in the studio when the beat was sent to Thug.
When I made Ice "Melts" with S1 I was in Atlanta at the time. I'd been there for a week working on different stuff. My homie Runes was in town and he and I met up to work on some stuff. He ended up taking off to the movies for a while and I stayed behind to finish working on some of the production. S1, who also co produced "Wyclef Jean" for Young Thug with me texted me saying he had made a loop similar to what I made in "Wyclef." He sent it to me and I knew exactly where this was going. I figured "Wyclef Jean Part 2" and fashioned the beat in it's likeness in order to give Young Thug a follow up for "Wyclef" since the song was doing so well. I finished the beat and called s1 to let him know I was about to submit it. We got a call back the same night from a rep of Young Thug saying he wanted to pay us right away. We were both kind of shocked by that. We negotiated the situation for the song in such a quick time that it was a little weird for us. We're use to waiting months to get paid and see paper work let alone to know if the song is actually going to be used. They waisted no time so I had this weird feeling that it was either a single or, because of the fact that Drake and Thug were on tour together, that Drake was involved. Turns out I was right because that same night I saw a video and heard Drake in the background rapping to the beat! A few days later I get a call from OVO reps telling me they need stems for the song and the rest is history.
With a Drake track under his belt, there is no telling what is in store for the rest of Supah Mario's career. This could be the beginning of the story about the next Metro Boomin or Zaytoven. He is currently working on tracks with Lil Uzi Vert, Famous Dex, and Post Malone, to name a few. Supah Mario's drive, talent, and connections should continue to propel his career forward as he prepares to release what he calls "a lot of collaborations."
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