When you think of Brantley Gilbert, gangsta rap is probably not something that comes to mind, but he reveals that in a way, gangsta rap played a role in his latest album, Fire & Brimstone. One of the producers Brantley worked with was Mike Elizondo, whose resume includes people like Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, but originally he was a protégé of rap mogul, Dr. Dre, and he worked with people like 50 Cent, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and N.W.A.. According to Brantley, “We recorded four songs with Mike Elizondo in L.A.. “Hazeville” was one of those songs. It kinda had a hip hop feel, so, I mean, we just kind of went for it.”
To help create the vibe of the song, Brantley says, “We went to what used to be Death Row Studios (owned by Suge Knight and Dr. Dre) where (late rapper) Tupac (Shakur) did all his stuff. And Tupac’s vocal booth was still there, so, the song I did with Willie Nelson (Hazeville), I cut that vocal in Tupac’s vocal booth. which was pretty neat.”
Brantley’s latest single, “Fire’t Up,” is also the name of his current tour, which he’ll be crisscrossing the country with through early May.
Brantley Gilbert – Tupac’s vocal booth :21
“We recorded four songs with Mike Elizondo in L.A.. “Hazeville” was one of those songs. It kinda had a hip hop feel, so, I mean, we just kind of went for it. We went to what used to be Death Row Studios where Tupac did all his stuff. And Tupac’s vocal booth was still there, so, the song I did with Willie Nelson, I cut that vocal in Tupac’s vocal booth. which was pretty neat.”