Mike Dean celebrates one his boldest production choices as he reflects on working with The Throne’s hit single.
While Kanye West and Jay-Z’s creative partnership has taken a few hitches following the release 2011’s classic Watch The Throne, one thing has endured — the music they made during their brief but spectacular reign. And while both rappers obviously contributed to the album’s success, the work the producers should not go uncelebrated. As Mike Dean was involved in the creation several key Watch The Throne tracks, including the Hit-Boy produced “N***as In Paris,” he recently opened up about some his favorite moments behind-the-scenes.
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Speaking on Beats 1, Dean cited his work on the smash hit to be the “boldest” production work his career. “The “Paris” record from Watch The Throne, we were pushing boundaries, making samples out Jay-Z and chopping them up,” he recalls. “That was one my first dope-ass endings. I went in the studio one day, had a hangover, and I kind felt like how that ending sounds.”
To think, it wouldn’t have been possible were it not for Plain Pat, who introduced Dean and Kanye to begin with. He reveals that the pair originally connected after they both produced on Scarface‘s The Fix abum, with Kanye having laced the iconic “Guess Who’s Back.” From there, Mike and Kanye developed an appreciation for one another, and a longstanding creative relationship was forged as a result. Check out the full interview below.