01 Dec DJ Paul’s “Mafia Radio”: Mario Judah Talks Finding His Unique Style & Meshing Rock With Hip-Hop

Atlanta, by way of Michigan, rapper, singer, and producer, 21-year-old, Mario Judah, proved on this week’s episode of HNHH & DJ Paul’s Mafia Radio that he is a jack of all trades. The self-taught producer revealed that up until the very end of 2019, he hadn’t even considered being an artist himself. Instead, he planned on honing in on his beat-making skills and continuing to work with up-and-coming artists. His objective, however, quickly changed when he realized how difficult it was to find an artist to match his work ethic, and ultimately turned his operation into a one-man show — becoming the producer and the artist himself.

If you’ve ever had the privilege of listening to one of Judah’s tracks, like “Die Very Rough” (below), then you’re probably already aware of how truly unique his sound is. For someone to zero in on unmarked musical territory at just 21-years old definitely takes a certain amount of creativity and talent — the fact that Judah been doing it all on his own is even more impressive.

The artist revealed that he started making beats when he was a teenager, and always planned on being more of a behind-the-scenes operative, rather than a front-and-center artist. “I was just making beats, trying to work with artists and everything like that,” he said. “I got tired of working with artists who wasn’t serious. I was trying to work with n*ggas, and n*ggas wasn’t putting in no real work.”

Subsequently, Judah had a change in heart — instead of making beats for other artists, he began making beats for himself, unsure of his natural abilities. “I didn’t even know I could sing,” he admitted. When asked about his influences, Judah explained that rock music is his go-to genre, naming Breaking Benjamin, Five Finger Death Punch, and Pantera as a few of his inspirations. “I really love rock music,” he noted.

“Man, it ain’t ever been meshed before,” he claims of rock and hip hop. “I wanna mesh it. I wanna put ’em together.” Do you agree with that statement? 

Check out the full interview above.