Trey Holiday sat down with the enigmatic Mr. Phat, the producer behind the iconic “Cupid Shuffle” and a long-time collaborator with Cupid. The conversation delved into Mr. Phat’s journey in music, his creative process, and his unwavering commitment to authenticity.
Mr. Phat shared that his connection with Cupid dates back to their middle school days in Lafayette, Louisiana. They crossed paths frequently through after-school activities in their shared neighborhood. Their professional collaboration began when Mr. Phat became an intern at a local record label in Lafayette, where Cupid was signed. He recalled, “I was the kid getting off the bus after school and going sit underneath the engineer and learning about the ins and outs of recording and mixing, mastering.” When Cupid embarked on his solo career, he naturally tapped into their existing connection, and the rest, as Mr. Phat put it, “has been history.”
One of the highlights of the interview was Mr. Phat’s discussion of producing “Cupid Shuffle,” a track that instantly gets everyone on the dance floor. He explained that the song was their way of spotlighting the unique culture of their area, specifically drawing from the popular local genre called Zydeco music. Mr. Phat described it as their “spin on a Zydeco record,” a younger version of the sound they grew up with. He emphasized their shared vision to represent their generation by infusing their own creativity into existing cultural elements…