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ATL Jacob is only 23 years old and already achieving what most producers and rappers wish they could in a lifetime. As a hip-hop fan, you probably recognize his standout tag, “ATL Jacob ATL Jacob!”, in front of an endless catalog of hit records, including Future’s “Wait For U,” Kodak Black’s “Super Gremlin,” Lil Baby’s “Right On,” Kanye West’s “PABLO,” NAV’s “Tussin,” and many more.

With over 30 plaques to his name, ATL Jacob recently celebrated a monumental accomplishment: taking home the trophy for BMI’s Top Producer Award alongside many greats, such as Kanye West and Charlie Handsome. 

But this is merely the beginning for ATL Jacob, who recently signed his artist deal with Republic Records. From producing for Future as a teenager in high school, even starting out at $10K a beat, to now fully being able to shine in the limelight as his own recording artist, ATL Jacob can hardly wait for what’s to come.

Sheen spoke with ATL Jacob to discuss how he learned to produce, signing his artist deal as a rapper, being honored as Top Producer at the BMI Awards, working with Young Thug, Future getting him a chain for his birthday, his love for cooking, and more!

How did you learn how to produce? You taught yourself?

Yeah, my sister had a laptop. So I took her laptop, started making beats on it. That was the beginning of it all. I didn’t use no Youtube, I just started going crazy.

Did you play sports or were you in the streets? Or was it all music your whole life?

Nah, it was mostly music. I was in the hood but when all my homies was out there going crazy, I was not doing that. I was in the house making the beats. By the time they done doing whatever they’re doing, they’ll come to my house and we’d be chillin’. Because we all were rapping.

A lot of producers be rapping now, is that still on the table for you? 

Yeah, I just did my artist deal with Republic. The story behind that: when they heard the music, it was over with. Once they heard the music that’s in my vault, because I always still was recording. Once they heard the music that was in there, they’re like “dang!” [laughs] Crazy.

Damn, so you about to go hard with that?

Yeah, that’s always been the end goal. I use producing as leverage. Plus learning how to produce? Learning how to be a real producer, not just making beats — the songs I’ma drop, everybody gon’ see I’m on a whole other level. It made my songs so much better.

You were recently honored as one of the Top Producers at the BMI Awards, how was that

It was cool just to be honored. YC got Producer of the Year, shout out to him. When he first signed with Moneybagg, that was a crazy story. Shout out YC, they’re kind of the same award for me. Just to be acknowledged, man that shit’s a blessing. Hard work pays off.

Was that something you always wanted?

I always set goals for everything I do. I always had a goal of being #1 producer in the world, I already accomplished that. Now, it’s time to go to my next, next goals. I don’t say those goals as I do them – I’ll say what they were after I do them.

Is a Grammy on the way?

Yeah, that too. 

Who’s voice is your producer tag? 

That’s Young Scooter.

Do you have multiple tags? I interviewed Supah Mario, he said he had 12 tags.

Yeah, I got 4. 2 tags from Future, the Scooter tag, and I got the original ATL Jacob tag. It’s a girl who used to be one of my neighbors.

Working with Future so much, how do you guys stay constantly evolving and switching up the sound? 

You just never stop. Even him, speakers. I like to make music all day. It doesn’t stop. Even if you’re at the top, why stop? Why celebrate? It ain’t time to celebrate yet.

What’s your perfect studio environment?

I just need food and a nap in the chair. 10, 20 minute nap in the chair, I’m coolin’. And some food, we gon’ keep it going. I ain’t tired until the artist is tired.

What kind of food you need? 

Nothing crazy, some wings. I’ll probably eat full meals at night though. I’ll eat oxtails or something, depending on where I’m at.

Do you smoke or drink?

No, I don’t smoke or drink. I just like to be myself. I ain’t no bandwagon. I ain’t the type to go do what everybody wants to do. You can’t peer pressure me into nothing. Even growing up, I was never peer pressured into doing it. Anything I want to do, I did. Smoking and drinking wasn’t my thing, I didn’t like it.

Because the artists you’re around be doing all types of shit.

[laughs] Yeah, everybody got their comfort zone. My comfort zone, I just be myself. I just like to create.

You were around Taylor Swift with Future at age 18. You ever fan out on anyone?

Nah, I haven’t. Because in Atlanta, we got a little culture thing. We don’t care who’s famous, we famous too. [laughs] It’s a thing. You can see Drake out here, they’ll be like “okay that’s Drake.” They ain’t gon’ be trippin. Not saying that they belittle him, it’s just they’re regular people.

There has to be someone you grew up listening to, and you met like “damn, I really fuck with you.”

I grew up listening to Future. I’ve been listening to him since I was 11. Young Thug too, I’ve been listening to Young Thug since 6th grade. I was about 12 or 13 years old. I’ve been listening to Gucci Mane since I was 9, 10 years old. You know, Waka was the first one to tell me “bro, you can rap.” He told me that – I was in high school at the time. I grew up listening to him.

You know, I didn’t grow up on old school music. I was in 5th grade, I knew all the words, lyrics to Gucci Mane “My Kitchen.” That’s what I grew up listening to. What do people listen to? LL Cool J and N.W.A. I grew up on Gucci, Jeezy. I grew up on Young Thug. The old Young Thug though, the “Who’s On Top” Young Thug. That’s Atlanta stuff.

You had a conversation with him at all?

Since he’s been in jail? I haven’t. Free YSL, that’s the gang. That’s the family too.

How did “Sup Mate” happen?

What’s crazy, we were in London. It was me, DY, Southside, Tre Pounds, Future. It was just us out there at first, we were cooking up everyday. Young Thug and Gunna flew out there for a couple days. Me and DY made the beat. I’m in the studio, but I’m running around London. We made the beat, him and Future did it the same night.

Thug came to the studio with Gunna, but out in London. “Sup Mate?” Because we were in London, they were making a song about the environment we’re in out there. Because the girls and everybody said “hello mate.” You would think that’s some Australian stuff, but that’s how they talk in London too.

Talk about your drip, you got some chains on.

Right now, I don’t got on nothing too crazy. I just put on a black tee. I was making beats. I was in here shirtless, I just threw on a black tee real quick. This chain says FBG, Future gave this to me for my birthday.

What was your reaction?

Shit, I ain’t never asked him for a chain so it was like damn! That’s hard. My company’s named Wicked Money Family, so I’ma get him one for his birthday.

Why’d you name your label Wicked Money Family?

Everybody on my label, they got cases that they beat. Then we all get money. Wicked Money, we ain’t no mafia. We’re family-oriented. We have family, we ain’t supposed to break.

When you’re not cooking up or doing music, what does ATL Jacob like to do?

I like to cook food. I like to cook a lot, and I like to bowl.

What do you like to cook?

I like to cook everything. I made some ribs the other day. Salmon, crabs. I cook cook though. I think every producer cooks, they got to. It’s just a thing. Every producer I know cooks, even Southside cooks. We just regular people. They can’t cook better than me honestly, but everybody cooks forreal.

You ever thought about putting some cooking content on your page?

I put up one video. [laughs] Somebody said “we know that’s a HelloFresh box,” and I put the video down. HelloFresh is an app where if you want to cook, they send you the recipes and all the ingredients so you don’t gotta go to the store. 

You could have just deleted the comment!

[laughs] HelloFresh fire though. It’s still cooking because you’re still cutting up all these vegetables and shit.

You got anything you’re excited for?

Man, I’m excited for the world to have my music finally. It’s my time to go. Real soon, I got something special. Next year, I’m going hard. I’m going hard with my music, features and all that.