theBeatbreaker Talks New Album, Touring with Lecrae, & Music Ministries

Producer Nate “theBeatbreaker” Robinson is gearing up to release his second project Heard Not Seen II and he spoke to Rapzilla about his creative process, ministry work, and touring with Lecrae.

Heard Not Seen II debuts July 29 and features raps from Lecrae, Derek Minor, Dre Murray, Sho Baraka, and more.

While his first record had great names on it, he’s looking to go the extra mile with this release.

“It is different, but a continuation of the same thought,” Robinson said. “The difference is some of the sonic approaches.”

Heard Not Seen was a culmination of several years worth of music. This new project contains songs created in the last year or so.


“It’s the way I am now,” said the producer.

TheBeatbreaker said there is no method to his beat madness. He likes to create from an open place without any limitations.

“There are times when I think about tempos or what color I want to give the music based on artists I’m trying to get,” he revealed. “I know the sweet spot of certain artists and will create around that.”

He continued, “Once I get to the place, that’s the moment that I think, what is the track making me feel like. Normally I’ll name it based on the emotional feeling I get in that moment, and then as I get more into the process of creating the track, I conceptualize what I think this song should be about based on the emotional feeling I’m getting. Then I’ll send whatever artist I’m working with a loose idea of what I think conceptually. From there we build it together.”

The producer said he won’t work with just anybody, and is looking for artists that have something to say in their music.

TheBeatbreaker showcased his first single by releasing “theBottom” featuring Lecrae and Derek Minor.

Picking “theBottom” as the first single was not just about the two big Christian hip-hop names attached to it. For him, it was a way to give listeners something that would draw them in.

“The type of music that I make is a little different than the circle I associate with. I need to always try to bridge the gap. Let me present something first that I think everyone can digest,” he explained. I thought that song was perfect.”

The vision theBeatbreaker hears in his music may soon leave the confines of your headphones and speakers. The producer is in the process of bringing this record to the stage.

“Live performance is in the works. It’s going to happen,” he shared. “That is a tangible thing. To see that stuff performed gives you a whole different appreciation of what’s recorded. I’m working on a way to make it sustainable that I could do it more frequently.”

Aside from assembling all the emcees to make a live performance happen, theBeatbreaker has a day job as Nate Robinson – Lecrae’s touring drummer.

It’s always a burden for him to try and create time to do both, but it’s a challenge he enjoys.

“It’s a weird balance to try and achieve. I have to practice and stay on top of my craft, and that takes time outside of the stage. I have to get that in,” said Robinson. “Production is the same way. I went through probably 50 ideas, and out of those 50, 10 got chosen and those went through five or six changes. I just try to pick at both of them every day.”

He jumps behind the drum kit when not on the road to stay sharp and two hours before show time he makes sure to warm up.

As far as production, he employs a series of laptops and portables to create and work out production ideas on the road.

“I work on planes, busses, airports, and green rooms,” he said. “I’m ultimately trying to get that 10,000 hours there too.”

TheBeatbreaker loves production and drumming equally. However, for him, drumming pays the bills. Aside from that essential, it also gives him the opportunity to be around a true Christian music professional in Lecrae.

He attributes a lot of his growth to watching and building with the emcee. “He’s grown a ton, and there’s a whole group of people behind that.”

“They are really smart, really efficient, and it’s impossible to not learn from them.”

Touring with Lecrae has also taught him about evangelism. “I learned how to be effective in ministry and do what God called me to do. I understand that ministry comes in a lot of different ways. Watching how Lecrae does a lot of things definitely, inspires me to do more and use what God gave me and be effective in ministry.”

One such way that theBeatbreaker uses his platform for God, is through music programs.

Music Life Studio is a place where kids can go to get vocal and instrument lessons. He incorporates fellow musicians to be teachers in order help kids who can’t afford them.

His other organization is Get A Music Life! which he has a “burning desire” for.

“Get a Music Life! stems from my background. I grew up in the hood and I was privileged because I had two parents at home and whenIi needed things a lot more of it could be provided for me. A lot of my friends couldn’t take private lessons or afford them,” he said. “The organization keeps those kids in mind and gets funds to help kids go to band trips and music competitions. I want to fill those gaps for people.”

TheBeatbreaker’s heart is locked in on music, community, and making a difference. Hear his new project tomorrow and check out some additional information here.

Pre-order Heard Not Seen 2 on iTunes and get “theBottom” single instantly.

Justin Sarachik
Justin Sarachik
Justin is the Editor-in-Chief of Rapzilla.com. He has been a journalist for over a decade and has written or edited for Relevant, Christian Post, BREATHEcast, CCM, Broken Records Magazine, & more. He's written over 10,000 articles, done over 1,000 interviews, and is in post-production for documentaries on Danny "D-Boy" Rodriguez & Mario "Machete" Perez. He's the project manager of the upcoming video game Run the Court and of the media brand Crimefaces. Justin likes to work with indie artists to develop their brands & marketing strategies. Catch him interviewing artists on Survival of the Artist Podcast & creating videos on his social media channels.
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