Interview: Meet Producer Duo Bankroll Got It
Combining hard-hitting 808s and original, unique beats is not something every producer is capable of. Enter Bankroll Got It, a production duo composed of brothers Taylor Banks and Joel Banks — two heavy-hitters that have managed to make songs for some of the music industry’s biggest names. While their identities remain somewhat under-wraps, their sound is recognizable and uniquely defined by their unmistakable 808s and memorable producer tag, “Bankroll Got It.”
From working with the likes of artists such as Mulatto to DaBaby to Lil Baby to Polo G, Bankroll Got It are definitely on their way to making a name for themselves and have no intention of slowing down any time soon. In fact, they’re just getting started and revealed during a recent interview that they’ve been in the studio 24/7 and have been working with as many talented artists as possible.
“We’re really trying to build up our brand as one of the biggest producers in the industry,” Bankroll Got It said in a recent interview. “We want to be the next Mustard, Murda, Wheezy, etc.”
They’ve produced career-changing hits such as Mulatto’s “B-tch From Da Souf,” Lil Gotit and Lil Baby’s “Da Real Hoodbabies,” and Kalan.FrFr’s “Scorin,” just to name a few.
“These records are special to us because it’s dope to be involved in the record that helped blow up the artist. These records also helped us define and establish our sound as Bankroll Got It.”
So far this year the producers said that they’ve tapped in with Meg The Stallion, Coi Leray, Rae Sremmurd, Danileigh, Drakeo The Ruler, Duke Deuce, PPCocaine, and Lil Gnar, which audiences can hopefully be on the lookout for this year!
We caught up with Joel and Taylor to discuss their journey of how they got to where they are – from quitting their full-time jobs to how they’re building their legacy and working with some of the hottest artists in the game. Keep reading for more.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music?
Joel: My buddies in my freshman year of college convinced me to start making beats and I got addicted to it fast. We started our own production group, and signed an artist that we pushed for a few years. We went through a few management deals, but it ultimately came to an end. I quit music and focused on my 9-5 career for about a year and became pretty depressed. When me and Taylor’s youngest brother Matt started making beats, I got inspired again and thought maybe I can give it one more shot.
Taylor: Before I joined Bankroll, I would dabble making beats, but never took it too seriously. I started traveling with him to LA and ATL to help him network because I knew it would be hard to tap into an industry by himself with 0 contacts. I loved the 24/7 hustle that it took to make it and quickly realized I wanted to be a part Bankroll.
Has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound today? If so, how?
Our mom is very musical. She majored in Drama in college and was the lead in most of her college musicals. She plays piano and has a great voice. She’s the reason music comes more natural to us. She and our dad were always supportive of us learning music and had us playing piano by elementary school. By middle school we started figuring out how to make beats on ‘Mario Paint’ on Super Nintendo and by high school we had Fruity Loops, which was the early version of FL Studio.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
Ratchet beats – hard 808s, and unique sounds. Every beat we try to find sounds that no one has heard before.
What ultimately inspired you to dedicate yourself to a music career?
Joel: I always knew I was going to be a music producer, and I would do whatever it took. I was addicted to it, and worked 24/7 on beats even while working full time. I never gave up and after working 12 years on music, I finally got my first major label placement as Bankroll Got It.
Taylor: We stacked a few more placements and our sound started to gain traction with Mulatto “Bitch from Da Souf” and Lil Gotit “Da Real Hoodbabies”. A lot more opportunities started coming our way and we started to make a little bit of money. The problem was we had to pass on most of these opportunities because we were still balancing our full time jobs. I felt that if we waited any longer we could miss our wave, and I didn’t want to risk that. It took a few months for me to convince Joel to go for it, but soon after we signed on our manager Sean, we quit our jobs and moved down to LA to build our first studio.
What’s one reason you are passionate about music and what inspires you?
Music is so impactful and powerful and is such a big part of most people’s lives. Hearing a song you produce on the radio or in the club is such a crazy feeling. To watch people react and go crazy to a record and just be happy in that moment is special.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
To be honest, we are in the studio 24/7. We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
As we grew up, we would watch music videos all day on MTV Jams and BET and started to notice being a producer like Dre, The Neptunes, Scott Storch was a big thing. Growing up in the 90s in CA, Dr. Dre was our favorite and he is a big influence on our sound. He taught us the importance of hard hitting drums, simple melodies, and being a perfectionist with sound selection and mixes.
Check out their playlist on Spotify below that includes some of their most recent productions!
