LilJuMadeDaBeat
{{short description|American record producer and songwriter (born 1992)}}
{{Infobox person
|name = LilJuMadeDaBeat
|birth_name = Julian Martrel Mason
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1992|3|17}}
|birth_place = DeSoto, Texas, United States
|alma mater = University of Houston
| module = {{Infobox musical artist |embed=yes
|origin = Houston, Texas, United States
|genre = {{hlist|Hip hop|pop}}
|label = 1501 Certified
|occupation = {{Hlist | Producer | songwriter }}
|background = person
}}
}}
Julian Martrel Mason (born March 17, 1992), better known under the pseudonym LilJuMadeDaBeat, is an American record producer and songwriter, most known for his work with 2 Chainz, Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion. Mason has co-written and/or produced hits "Big Ole Freak", "Cash Shit", "Captain Hook", "Body", "Megan's Piano", and "Thot Shit" among others.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/how-julian-liljumadedabeat-mason-became-a-go-to-producer-for-megan-thee-stallion-and-beyonce-14637404|title=Dallas Producer LilJuMadeDaBeat Is the Beatmaker Behind Your Favorite Songs|first=Alex|last=Gonzalez|website=Dallas Observer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230814211021/https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/how-julian-liljumadedabeat-mason-became-a-go-to-producer-for-megan-thee-stallion-and-beyonce-14637404 |archive-date=2023-08-14 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/A-Conversation-with-Megan-Thee-Stallion-Producer-LilJuMadeDaBeat|title=The Beat Goes On: A Conversation with Megan Thee Stallion Producer LilJuMadeDaBeat|date=April 13, 2021|website=BMI.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230814211358/https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/A-Conversation-with-Megan-Thee-Stallion-Producer-LilJuMadeDaBeat |archive-date=2023-08-14 }}
Early life
Born in DeSoto, a smaller suburb of Dallas, Mason's love of music can be traced back to exposure to his parents' record collection. A friend introduced him to a demo version of music production software FL Studio in grade ten, and he began creating productions. {{Cite web|url=https://respect-mag.com/2019/06/respect-interview-meet-liljumadedabeat-the-producer-behind-megan-thee-stallions-big-ole-freak/|title=RESPECT. Interview: Meet Liljumadedabeat, the Producer Behind Megan Thee Stallion's "Big Ole Freak"|first=Tracy|last=Mitchell|date=June 15, 2019|access-date=July 26, 2023|archive-date=July 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726172541/https://respect-mag.com/2019/06/respect-interview-meet-liljumadedabeat-the-producer-behind-megan-thee-stallions-big-ole-freak/|url-status=live}} He subsequently joined his DeSoto High School band as a percussionist, graduating in the top 10 percent of his class, and attended University of Houston for a period after being accepted into their architecture program. {{Cite web|url=https://www.wfaa.com/article/entertainment/meet-the-desoto-native-who-produces-megan-thee-stallion-songs/287-382e21d2-3543-45cf-b174-71d42cd2cfad|title='And if the beat live...': Meet the DeSoto native who produced your favorite Megan Thee Stallion songs|date=June 8, 2022|website=wfaa.com|access-date=July 26, 2023|archive-date=July 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726172540/https://www.wfaa.com/article/entertainment/meet-the-desoto-native-who-produces-megan-thee-stallion-songs/287-382e21d2-3543-45cf-b174-71d42cd2cfad|url-status=live}}
Career
=2013–2016: Music industry beginnings and Gucci Mane =
In 2013, three years after graduating high school, and encountering some academic trouble in college, Mason dropped out and remained in Houston. Wanting to realize his dream of making music instead of architecture, Mason's past experimentation with FL Studio was met with success, as Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane utilized one of his productions to create "With My Pistol", later placed on his 2013 mixtape World War 3, Vol. 3: Gas. Discussions began for Gucci Mane to sign Mason as a producer to his label, but legal trouble for the rapper ended these discussions, and Mason continued to work behind the scenes as a freelance music producer for another five years.
=2017–2024: Megan Thee Stallion, 1501 Entertainment, and ''Renaissance'' =
In 2017, Mason was contracted by label 1501 Entertainment to become their in-house producer, working with potential signee Megan Pete, then an up-and-coming rapper from Houston. The first song they created together was “Tina Montana", which would become the first track made for her breakout 2018 EP Tina Snow. {{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/news/megan-thee-stallion-2021-grammys|title=The Rise And Rise Of Megan Thee Stallion: Juicy J, Scott Storch, LilJuMadeDaBeat & More On The Houston Rapper's Emergence|website=www.grammy.com|access-date=2023-07-26|archive-date=2023-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726172539/https://www.grammy.com/news/megan-thee-stallion-2021-grammys|url-status=live}} Coupled with breakout single "Big Ole Freak", her career began to take off, and Mason was signed to a publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing. Mason has since written and produced on top-10 Megan Thee Stallion projects Fever (2019) Suga (2020), Good News (2020), Something for Thee Hotties (2021), Traumazine (2022), and Megan (2024), recently reaching number one on the Billboard Rap Producers chart. {{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/lil-ju-no-1-rap-rb-hip-hop-producers-charts-megan-thee-stallion/|title=Lil Ju Hits No. 1 on Rap & R&B/Hip-Hop Producers Charts, Thanks to Megan Thee Stallion Hits|first=Xander|last=Zellner|magazine=Billboard|date=December 3, 2020|access-date=July 26, 2023|archive-date=July 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726172540/https://www.billboard.com/pro/lil-ju-no-1-rap-rb-hip-hop-producers-charts-megan-thee-stallion/|url-status=live}} Mason next worked with fellow Houstonian Beyoncé, who would use one of his production loops to complete the first 36 seconds of "Thique", a record from her 2022 album Renaissance that was initially created almost a decade earlier from a skeleton produced by rapper-producer Hit-Boy. {{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/hit-boy-says-beyonces-thique-was-originally-made-in-2014-3292288|title=Hit-Boy says Beyoncé's 'Thique' was originally made in 2014|first=Damian|last=Jones|website=NME|date=August 17, 2022|access-date=July 26, 2023|archive-date=July 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726172539/https://www.nme.com/news/music/hit-boy-says-beyonces-thique-was-originally-made-in-2014-3292288|url-status=live}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/beyonce-making-of-renaissance-who-produced-hit-boy-discography-1396456/|title=Exclusive: Hit-Boy Produced Beyoncé's New Song 'Thique'… Eight Years Ago|first=Brian|last=Hiatt|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=August 12, 2022|access-date=July 26, 2023|archive-date=August 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812224610/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/beyonce-making-of-renaissance-who-produced-hit-boy-discography-1396456/|url-status=live}} In 2024, Mason co-composed and co-produced "Hiss" from Megan Thee Stallion's self-titled third studio album, later debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Global 200 charts, and top five on various international charts.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2249195/megan-thee-stallion-hiss/music/|title=Megan Thee Stallion Shares New Single "Hiss": Listen|date=January 26, 2024}}
Production and songwriting credits
Credits are courtesy of Discogs, Tidal, Apple Music, Genius, and AllMusic.
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col" style="width:24.5em;"| Title ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Artist ! scope="col"| Album |
| scope="row"| "With My Pistol"
|2013 |World War 3, Vol. 3: Gas |
|---|
| scope="row"| "OK Bitch"
| rowspan="7"|2018 |
| scope="row"| "Walking Ticket"
|Glockoma |
| scope="row"| "Freak Nasty"
| rowspan="11"|Megan Thee Stallion | rowspan="5"|Tina Snow |
| scope="row"| "Neva" |
| scope="row"| "Big Ole Freak" |
| scope="row"| "Tina Montana" |
| scope="row"| "Make a Bag" (featuring Moneybagg Yo) |
| scope="row"| "Realer"
| rowspan="7"|2019 | rowspan="6"|Fever |
| scope="row"| "Cash Shit" (featuring DaBaby) |
| scope="row"| "Shake That" |
| scope="row"| "Ratchet" |
| scope="row"| "Big Drank" |
| scope="row"| "Running Up Freestyle" |
| scope="row"| "Stank Walk"
|Fight Night |
| scope="row"| "Captain Hook"
| rowspan="4"|2020 | rowspan="3"|Megan Thee Stallion |
| scope="row"| "Do It on the Tip" (featuring City Girls)
| rowspan="2"|Good News |
| scope="row"| "Body" |
| scope="row"| "Lambo Wrist" |
| scope="row"| "Megan Monday Freestyle"
| rowspan="6"|2021 | rowspan="8"|Megan Thee Stallion | rowspan="6"|Something for Thee Hotties |
| scope="row"| "Southside Forever Freestyle" |
| scope="row"| "Outta Town Freestyle" |
| scope="row"| "Megan's Piano" |
| scope="row"| "Tina Snow Interlude" |
| scope="row"| "Thot Shit" |
| scope="row"| "Flip Flop"
| rowspan="7"|2022 |
| scope="row"| "Get It on the Floor" (featuring J. Alphonse Nicholson)
|P-Valley: Season 2 (Music From the Original TV Series) |
| scope="row"| "Thique" |
| scope="row"| "Million Dollars Worth of Game" (featuring 42 Dugg) |
| scope="row"| "Shiest Talk" (featuring Pooh Shiesty) |
| scope="row"| "Pop That Trunk"
|Stoner's Night |
| scope="row"| "The Recipe" |
| scope="row"| "Same Side" (featuring Rob49)
| rowspan="2"|2023 |
| scope="row"| "You" (featuring Bryson Tiller)
|Dennis Daughter |
| scope="row"| "Hiss"
| rowspan="10"|2024 | rowspan="10"|Megan Thee Stallion | rowspan="7"|Megan |
| scope="row"| "Boa" |
| scope="row"| "Rattle" |
| scope="row"| "Figueroa" |
| scope="row"| "Where Them Girls At" |
| scope="row"| "B.A.S" |
| scope="row"| "It's Prime Day (Amazon Music)" |
| scope="row"| "Neva Play" (featuring RM)
| rowspan="3"|Megan: Act II |
| scope="row"| "Number One Rule" |
| scope="row"| "Roc Steady" (featuring Flo Milli) |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Work ! scope="col"| Award ! scope="col"| Result !Ref |
| 2019
| "Big Ole Freak" | BET Hip-Hop Award for Single of the Year | {{Nominated}} |
| rowspan="2"| 2023
| rowspan="2"| Renaissance |Grammy Award for Album of the Year | {{Nominated}} |
| Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album {{ref|Best Dance/Electronic Album|A}}
| {{Won}} | |
=Notes=
:A. {{ref|Best Dance/Electronic Album|A}} Winning producers in this category with less than a 50% album contribution are awarded with a Winner's Certificate.