Producer Of The Week: Black Milk

Curtis Cross, better known as Black Milk, is a hip hop producer and MC from Detroit, Michigan.

He began his music career producing beats for his mother. In 2004, he formed B.R. Gunna, with Young RJ, and Fat Ray, and together they released Dirty District: Vol. 2, a follow up to a compilation released in 2001 by Slum Village in which he contributed production to also. Black Milk then released a solo album, called Sound of the City, Vol. 1, the following year and in 2006 he signed a record contract with Fat Beats Records. In the fall of 2006, he released an EP, entitled Broken Wax. 2007 saw the release of his second album, Popular Demand, on March 13, 2007.

In addition to Slum Village, Black Milk has worked with the likes of J Dilla, Elzhi, Phat Kat, Frank-N-Dank, Lloyd Banks, Canibus, and Pharoahe Monch, and handled almost all the production on T3's Olio mixtape of 2006.

In the Winter of 2007 Black Milk paired with Aftermath recording artist Bishop Lamont to release a mixtape entitled Caltroit, which was nominated for Best Hip Hop Mixtape at Justo's Mixtape Awards, putting him against the likes of Lil Wayne, Styles P, Big Mike, and DJ Khaled.

Black Milk will release a new album with Fat Ray entitled "The Set Up" on March 4, 2008. and looks to have his next official release "Tronic Summer" released in Summer 2008.

Personally, I have been following this dudes work for a minute. He is probably one of my favorite producers out now and I actually borrow a lot from him production style wise. Black milk has a sound very similar to the late Jay Dee (J Dilla). He is armed with heavy basslines, Dark snares, and very infectious kick and bass drums. He uses a style of sampling that is very different from many producers, chopping samples and arranging them in ways unthought of.

Production:

DJ KO ft. Skyzoo, Emilio Rojas, & Median - Start It All Over
Lloyd Banks - Death Wish (D-Block Diss)
Torae - Switch
Black Milk ft. Slum Village & Baatin - Action
Guilty Simpson - The Real Me
Pharoahe Monch ft. Mela Machinko - Let's Go
Black Milk - So Gone
Guilty Simpson ft. Black Milk & Sean Price - Run
Elzhi ft. Royce 5'9" - Motown 25
Pharoahe Monch ft. Mela Machinko - Bar Trap
Kidz In The Hall ft. Fooch - Middle Of The Map pt. 1
Black Milk - U's A Freak Bitch (Instrumental)
Three-1-Zero - Corie Blount (over U's A Freak Bitch Instrumental) [BrandNewBoombox Exclusive]
Black Milk - Silly Loops (Instrumental) [BrandNewBoombox Exclusive]