Perhaps he is known more for his close working relationship with Cape Town premier MC YoungstaCPT, but Shaney Jay aka ‘The Plug’ is a talented producer in his own right. Hailing from the mother city Cape Town, he produced the entirety of YoungstaCPT’s 2021 album Dreams Don’t Pay Bills and his 2023 album Suffer For Beauty.
Over the years, Shaney has slowly built a reputation for himself as a highly sought after producer, with his efforts finally being recognised when he was named as part of the 2022 SAHHA Producer of The Year nominees. He also received two nominations at the 2023 SA Music Awards and even though he hasn’t won either of the two mentioned awards, it’s within reason to believe that it’s only a matter of time.
Boasting an impressive resume that includes production for artists such as YoungstaCPT, Shane Eagle, M1llionz, Emtee, Dee Koala, Chad Da Don, Blaklez, PDot O, Bravo Le Roux, RAF DON, Chad Saaiman, Jimmy Nevis and a few more others, Shaney is on his way to becoming a household name. His collaborations extend beyond the hip hop realm, as they include partnerships with international smash hit Netflix TV series Blood & Water as well as XXL Magazine and national streetwear brand Redbat.
In an effort to stamp his name in the game, while also being a torchbearer for the city he comes from, Shaney Jay is on the verge of releasing a producer-helmed posse cut with a number of A-list rappers from his ends, which is guaranteed to solidify his brand as one of the foremost hip hop producers in South African hip hop.
We caught up with the producer for a conversation about his career so far and where his ambitions lie.
How did you get your start as a producer? (What inspired you? When did you start? etc.)
I actually started out rapping back when I was in High School but I was always rapping over instrumentals when I really just wanted to rap on my own beats. That’s when I first got FL Studio and started making beats. I ended up loving the beat making process more than rapping and that was when I decided to just stick to producing.
Who are some of your favourite producers? (Local and abroad)
Locally my favourite producers have always been Ganja Beatz. They definitely shaped the sound of SA Hip Hop and produced so many hits that’ll always be important to the culture. Internationally my favourite producers are definitely Pharell Williams and Metro Boomin.
What would you say is your approach to producing?
I usually don’t have an approach when I’m producing, I like to start a session with a clear mind and just let the creativity take over. Some sessions I might start off with a melody and some sessions I might start off with a drum pattern so it can go either way.
In your opinion, what is the difference between beat-making and producing? Are you both of these or are you more one than the other? If so, which one?
Beat making is just cooking up the beat and sending it through to the artist and letting the artist handle the rest. Producing on the other hand is making the beat to record the artist, giving the artist ideas on where to take the track and just making sure the overall track is sounding proper. I would definitely say I’m more of a producer now than I was before because at first I was just making beats and sending them out but now I’m doing everything from the recording process up until the final stage of the track.
How has it been for you as a producer based in the Western Cape? Do you feel like not being in Gauteng limits you a little bit or you feel like you’ll do fine regardless of where you are based?
At first I thought it couldn’t be possible to do this being from Cape Town but I can say that the music industry has really been growing this side and also seeing others do it like YoungstaCPT and Ameen Harron who showed everyone that its possible to make a name for yourself being from Cape Town made me look at it and say that this is possible even though I’m from Cape Town. All you need is to be in the right spaces and keep networking.
What are your musical ambitions in the grand scheme of things? What would you like to see yourself achieve as a producer?
I’ve been nominated for both a SAHHA & SAMA but I definitely still want to win both of those as well as producing a Gold or Platinum record and definitely getting a Grammy one day.
Are there some bucket list artists or acts you would like to work with in the future?
Locally I definitely still want to lock in with Nasty C, Blxckie and A Reece for sure and internationally I feel like that list can go on for days.
Since you have predominantly produced for artists in the music industry, and recently broke through into television scoring, are there other industries you hope to branch out into?
I think tapping into the gaming industry is definitely another industry I’m looking at branching out into.
