At only 6 ½ years of producing tracks Memphis native Hot Rod, also known as Rodney Tate, is definitely a producer on the rise. “I was introduced to music at a young age. My father and uncles sing, and my father is apart of a band to this day and I was always in the studio, and at the shows. Everyone always ask “Can you sing like your father?” and I never really picked up the singing gene. Until my freshman year of high school I was introduced to a beat program called Fruity Loops, which I’m still using. To make a long story short I figured since I couldn’t sing I could do music, cuz I always had beats in my head. It wasn’t easy starting off, but with time I grew better and it led me to this point.” So where did he get his nickname from? “Well I’ve been calles Hot Rod since about 6th grade just because my name was Rodney, and I was quite the ladies man,lol, but it went from Hot Rod to Hot Rod on the Tracks.”
One word to describe his tracks would be “unique”. So what makes his tracks so unique? “The simple face that I’m the one making them and no one will match my sound. I’m in my own lane and make good quality music.” Another interest of his is art, he has been drawing all of his life, and would have went to school for it but chose a different route. So now he just draws on occasions.
If you’ve heard Drumplay, Meet Da Plug, and That’s How I Be off of Yo Gotti’s new album “Cocaine Muzik 2”, then you’ve heard just some of the tracks produced by Hot Rod. “To be honest I wasn’t expecting to even do those tracks for CM2. I randomly gave Yo Gotti a beat cd I had been working on while in Memphis at the studio, and a few days later he hit me up with the songs and said they were going on CM2. I was a lil shocked and surprised at the same time ya know.” So what else has put Hot Rod on the rise? “I really don’t have too much of a track record but I started out with several underground acts and the ones who sort of gave my career a push were da volunteers, 8 Ball & MJG’s group. I produced several songs for them and landed two of my first beats on Memphis radio, and even acquired my first affiliate mixtape, and recently I’ve been working with DJ007,2Deep,Skewby,P.A.T, Nif Monroe, Payne the Lethal Son, and a few others.'
When it’s all said and done his inspirations are his family for keeping him in line, the loves of his life Jamaica and his daughter Jamaya.They keep him on his toes, because he wants to take this music thing to a whole another level and really change not only his life but theirs too. Some people he would like to work with in the future? “I’m really looking forward to working with any and everybody who has a name in this industry.I wanna do it all. I’ve been quite anxious to go to Nashville with some country beats and work with Garth Brooks or somebody lol.
Advice to upcoming producers….”to be extremely confident, patient, and stay humble, and always be prepared and most important don’t sell yourself short.” What's up and coming for Hot Rod on the Track?I have several projects I’m working on really, all of Yo Gotti’s albums and mixtapes, All Star, the whole I&E family. Several street mixtapes, other artists singles, my own company mixtape, just the whole nine. I have so much I’m working on it’s hard to keep up but wherever you hear the “HOT ROD ON THE TRACK” that’s me!”
“I’m just gone say it’s way to many people to name but I will say this, shout out to everybody in my corner and all my peeps I do this with. It’s my time and I ain’t lettin’ up. Hot Rod on the Track signin off….WELCOME TO THE TRACKHOUSE!”
