Music producer Whymen Boyd, known professionally as Whymen Grindin, was born in San Francisco and raised in the Bay Area community of Union City. He began his musical career in Atlanta while attending Morehouse College. After creating and producing demos for several artists in Atlanta, he got the call to meet with Jermaine Dupri, which placed him in a position to record, engineer and produce several gold and platinum projects under his mentor, Phil Tan.
After 10 years in the music business as a producer, his new venture in event promotion began. That involved booking major talent in all facets of entertainment and giving performing artists opportunities by hosting open mic nights in Atlanta. One such event included one of the longest-running weekly open mic nights at the world-famous Magic City strip club. This vaunted stage helped establish and discover music artists like Future, Migos, and 2 Chainz by providing a certified platform to perform live.
Now in 2021, Boyd is back to his first love: producing his own music projects.
What led you to music?
My best friend, Roberto, who was killed in a drug deal gone bad. He used to always tell me that I should pursue making beats… making music. So after his tragic death, I decided it was time to go hard or go home.
What or who is your inspiration?
Quincy Jones is a big inspiration to me. … Mostly I like his ability to bring different voices and sounds together to create one perfect harmony.
Which other artists inspire you with their music?
Dr. Dre, Kanye West and Metro Boomin are my favorite creators [who] inspire me.
Why do you consider lifelong learning important?
I consider lifelong learning very important because, in this fast-paced world, things are always changing and evolving. So, if you’re not learning something new, you will get left behind in this new age of fast information.
What role does technology play in your day-to-day life? How do you utilize it?
Technology plays a huge role. As a producer, you constantly need to upgrade your equipment. Sound and sound quality [are two] of your most important weapons you must have.
What is next for you?
What’s next for me is my compilation album Top Floor Playlist. featuring some of my friends in the music business — Lil Scrappy, Gunplay, Coca Vango, Skooly Natasha Mosely and more — all tracks produced by me.
