AOK
Albert Carter Mayden III a.k.a. AOK, a native of the South Side of Chicago, embraced his calling for music in 1985 when he received his very first instrument the French horn. He continued to play the French horn until his freshman year of high school. It was at this point, that AOK became very intrigued with the radio and broadcast/media aspects of the entertainment industry. He had excelled within theses two newfound interests so rapidly that by his junior year there was no more classes left for him to take, so in his leisure time he submerged himself in everything from filmography, videography, editing, and he later started doing his high school morning announcements. In the summer of “95” AOK and hip-hop became one. Like so many others who were initially inspired by Slick Rick and KRS-One, he began as just another aspiring rapper with a boundless passion for hip-hop, albeit a rapper with a Midas touch when it came to production. AOK eventually joined a rap group called Apocalypse, it consisted of nine members, and AOK was one of three that were producing for the group.
In the fall of 1995 he started school at Columbia College majoring in sound engineering, which would later transcended into music business management. By 1997 he had obtained an internship position with a local production company, Foxes and Hounds studios, as a producer/engineer After paying dues for several years and the completion of his undergrad studies, AOK opened his first music production house in which he called “The Cave”. One year later he expand his production venture by opening up his second production house “Last Dragon Entertainment”, which he named after the 1985 cult-classic The Last Dragon.
Subsequently, the moral of the movie would hit close to home for AOK, because he had begun to realize that he too embodied the inner strength to achieve anything, as did the main antagonist in the movie, Bruce Leroy.
To date, Last Dragon Entertainment has paved the way for AOK to provide opportunities to local talents in numerous ways, such as talent showcase; professional photo shoots and in person visits to major label in New York City. In addition to working with the local artists, AOK broadened his name when he signed a contract in 2005 for a production deal with Nike’s own Brand Jordan, to be the sole music/sound producer for all online shoe campaigns. As a result of AOK’s initial success, Brand Jordan has yet again extend his contract as the person behind the sound of the brand.
AOK has provided his music to a plethora of labels, some of which include Def Jam, Shady Records, Wu Music Group, Interscope and EA Sports. He recently landed an endorsement deal with Open Labs and IK Multimedia, and is in the process of building a network of producers to expand the AOK brand to various markets.
No stranger to the digital market AOK is the Chicago Brand Rep. for Istandardproducers.com a member of Pmpworldwide.com and Broadjam.com. You can find his instrumental project Jumpan Music on iTunes and Rasphody, his mixtape Oil for the Hood Vol. 1 which showcases B.B.K. can be found on his website Lastdragonent.com, click on the AOK Link. He recently wrapped up his artist’s solo projects that are slated to drop later this year. Recently AOK signed two new digital distribution deals with ThumbPlay.com and RemixGalaxy.com to top off 2009.
Artist Q&A:
1.) How did you first hear about Open Labs?
I Met Victor Wong and Ed Rhone in 2007 at the One Stop Shop in Arizona, I was curious to what the machine was they were lugging around and so I was Introduced to the Meko..
2.) What Production Station do you have?
I own a Miko and a Neko Timberland edition…
3.) How has the gear changed your method of work?
The gear enhanced my ability to get an idea out, on the fly, with as few steps as possible.
4.) What is your production station's primary function, live or studio?
Primarily it is used in the studio...
5.) What is your favorite software on the board?
Proteus is my favorite.
6.) How do you use it?
I use the Proteus as a Drum machine and a Sampler…
7.) Which kind of equipment have you owned in the past and how do they compare to your Open Labs equipment?
I own all types of production software and hardware, and I say that the Neko and Meko have integrated into my studio well.
8.) Has the gear changed the way you write songs?
Yes having it makes my workflow more efficient.
9.) How different is the composition process compared to the standard computer or laptop system?
It saves me time having all my creation tools in one place. I’ve become addicted to how fast I can compose on the machine. It has spoiled me as a producer…
10.) Do you think the quality of your production now would be possible with another keyboard?
Yes, I believe a producers sound is native to the individual so it might take longer with other gear but I definitely could not go on without my Meko & Neko
11.) Have you had any experience with our Tech Support and how does it rate with you?
I give tech support a 10+ They have handled all of my issues 100% with no b.s. involved
12.) What is next for you and your Production Station?
I am working on a new album using my gear and its coming out marvelous! People are Raving on how organic my production is and its blowing me away. Check out my work www.aokchicago.com or www.pmpworldwide.com/aok I guess I’ve found my production sweet-spot!!!!! Thanks Open Labs!!!!!!
Equipment used:
Purchased Timbaland MiKo & NeKo Edition
Artist Link:
http://www.pmpworldwide.com/aok