WTF Happened? The Making of “Timing is Everything”

“Respect got me to Edo, Edo got me to Preem, Preem linked me with 9th, 9th brought me team! Now I’m AMPED up…parole same time they locked the champ up, catching packs in Tampa, even my dame’s in handcuffs! Cause we Bonnie n Clyde-in, tsunami colliding, alliance with killers, donate the bodies to science…”.

King Magnetic - “Timing is Everything” (Verse 1)

The opening lines of the 1st song on the album help explain how it came to be. Magnetic met Edo G in 2008, they did some shows together and a couple of tracks which led to them touring together in 2011. In 2013 Mag asked Edo to link him with DJ Premier for production on his solo debut. Preemo gave him the contact and they hit the studio in August 2013. During the session, 9th Wonder and Rapsody stopped through D&D to shoot a scene for the “Kingship” video. Mag asked Preemo to introduce him to 9th. They spoke briefly and exchanged numbers to record in the fall.

After an initial October meeting to get some beats from 9th, Mag met Khrysis and AMP, who also are part of the Soul Counsil, and he began working with them on the project. This led to Khrysis mixing and engineering the bulk of the album, as well as, 9th giving the nod for Magnetic to record the whole album at Bright Lady Studios. Rapsody was frequently at these sessions which led to her appearing on “Kidnapped” produced by 9th Wonder. Jadakiss was also brought into the fold via 9th for “Numbers” after 9th sent Magnetic’s verse to the D Block veteran.

Already working the underground circuit for a few years prior to preparing an album, Magnetic had already personally knew some established emcees and producers. He previously worked with Steele from Smif N Wessun which fuelled the remake of “Let’s Git It On” from the 1995 debut of the Brooklyn duo exactly 20 years later. Mag enlisted GQ Nothin’ Pretty and Reef the Lost Cauze to trade bars similar to the original format of the song. Marco Polo produced “Who You” for “EAG 3″ so a phone call turned into the beat for “Our War” in August 2014. Mag met Big Shug in 2009 at a Raekwon show via Edo G. After sending Shug a demo of “UGLY”, he quickly came back with the hook you hear on the album. In 2012, while on tour with Cappadonna, Mag met Sid Wilson (Slipknot). In 2014 while wrapping up the album, Mag reached out to Sid for some scratches on the title track. Magnetic’s tour DJ - DJ Express goes back and forth with Sid on “Timing Is Everything” and does all the scratches on 9th Wonder produced “Believe”.

European producers:
DJ Low Cut “This Is For My PPL”
Viktor Ax “Tuff Guy” and “This Is Me”
Diamond Legit “UGLY”
Astronote “Monster’s Attack”
All four contributed to songs on the “EAG” series and were immediately contacted to submit beats for “TIE”. Their production blended well with their legendary counterparts involved in the album and they all shine in crunch time.

Haze Attacks has been producing for Mag since 2008 and delivered “Jux” and the single “Wanna Be Loved”. Teddy Roxpin, a New England area producer, had done work for the unreleased “King and the Cauze” album in 2009. He provided the backdrops for “Rap Sh*t” and the bonus “Elbow Room”. Dyllemma, a NYC based DJ/Producer steals the show with some simple, yet well placed chops on “Up and Down”. Mag’s 1st solo song as a professional, “I Don’t Know You” was produced by Edgewise in 2007 and ends the bonus section of the album.

After finishing the songs, Mag and longtime friend/producer, Aey One sat down and adjusted the order of the album and added humorous skits to tie it all together. DJ Premier and Scott Stallone delivered a few last minute mixes and Peter Humphreys mastered the entire project in May 2015.