Club 520 Podcast Episode Summary

Episode: Murda Beatz on working with Drake & Migos, “Butterfly Effect” w/ Travis Scott
Date: January 10, 2026
Host: DJ Wells (with Jeff Teague, Bishop B Henn, Young Nacho)
Guest: Murda Beatz (Music Producer/DJ)

Episode Overview

This episode of Club 520 features world-renowned Canadian music producer Murda Beatz, best known for his work with Drake, Migos, and Travis Scott. The crew dives into Murda’s come-up story, major collaborations, and the ins-and-outs of songwriting, sampling, and DJing. Through lighthearted banter, Murda recounts tales from his early days hustling beats online, the making of iconic tracks like “Butterfly Effect,” and navigating the culture shock of breaking into hip hop as a young white producer from small-town Canada.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Murda Beatz’s Early Story & Recognition

• Breaking Into Hip Hop:
  • Murda talks about being “a white kid from Canada” and having to prove himself in Atlanta studios.
    • “They couldn’t even believe...this white kid from Canada was like, making the beats.” (Murda, 04:44)
• Musical Upbringing:
  • Inspired by a musical household; father played guitar, Murda played drums as a kid.
  • Started producing on FL Studio in high school.
• First Big Placement:
  • Major recognition came with “Pipe it Up” for Migos (2015).
    • “When I first made like, my first 20k off music, I was like, holy—before that it was Western Union, PayPal, selling beats.” (Murda, 06:33)
• Networking:
  • Early on, reached out to people around Migos on Twitter, offering beats for free in exchange for a connection.

2. Working with Migos, Drake, & The Creation of “Butterfly Effect”

• How He Connected with Migos:
  • Sent beats to people in their circle, including their engineer, to get his tracks heard.
  • Recalls being contacted as “the white boy” via Migos’ page.
• Producer’s Tag Origin:
  • Tag was voiced by Baka, Drake’s friend, after Murda noticed all producers using drops.
    • “We were working on music and he ended up saying [‘Murda on the Beat’] on one of the songs...every time you send me a beat just put this tag on it.” (Murda, 08:48–09:16)
• Making “Butterfly Effect” with Travis Scott:
  • Produced in his mom’s basement with a friend, sent the beat to Travis Scott and witnessed the creative process live via Facetime.
    • “I made that in my mom’s basement...I remember facetiming him when he was recording and writing to it.” (Murda, 10:24)
  • The beat was originally offered to Nicki Minaj and Quavo before Travis took it.
    • “Butterfly effect was one of the beats...I had Nicki Minaj on it, then I got Quavo on it, and then I got Travis...” (Murda, 23:19)

3. Music Industry Insights & Culture

• Sampling & Beat Shopping:
  • Murda confirms he’s pulled beats back from artists who didn’t do them justice and sometimes shops the same beat to multiple artists.
  • On giving feedback: “A lot of times, I’ve told people to redo verses, and sometimes they’re like ‘nah, that’s it.’” (Murda, 21:13)
• Sampling Process:
  • Sampling is core to hip hop, but clearance is a pain handled by managers and label teams. Some estates (Prince) refuse sampling requests categorically.
    • “Hip hop, the art...is sampling—going to vinyls, chopping up drums...that’s the whole art of the game.” (Murda, 32:59)
• Navigating Fame:
  • Murda prefers being known in music circles rather than mainstream celebrity, makes light of being mistaken for Ed Sheeran.
  • Encourages all aspiring creators: “No matter where you’re from, what you look like, where you’re at...make whatever you want to make, a thousand percent.” (Murda, 31:41)

4. DJing & Performing Live

• Learning DJing Post-Fame:
  • Didn’t learn to DJ until after breakthrough records like “Motorsport” and “Butterfly Effect” increased booking demand. First gig was in Hawaii.
  • Balances playing his own tracks and catering to the crowd:
    • “I’m not going over there...I’m trying to make everyone have a good time and cater to everyone in the crowd, especially Vegas because it’s people from everywhere.” (Murda, 12:54)
• Memorable Live Moments:
  • “Butterfly Effect” is a staple walk-up song for Toronto Blue Jays’ George Springer and a live set classic.
  • Tells wild stories of club appearances and the chaotic hype his songs can inspire, especially at Vegas gigs.

5. Murda’s Place in Basketball & Supporting Fort Erie

• Giving Back to Hometown:
  • Actively involved with Fort Erie’s top-tier youth basketball program, helped secure Adidas partnerships.
  • “Got involved with the school...just bringing awareness...helping with the curriculum, bringing the right education to the kids.” (Murda, 16:16)
• Athletic Background:
  • Played a little basketball and travel baseball growing up—“They used to call me Kyle Korver. Like, I played a little bit of ball, not much...” (Murda, 16:55)
• Gaming:
  • Passionate about video games; plays FIFA, PGA, NHL, and others.

6. On Collaboration & Discovering New Artists

• How He Finds New Talent:
  • Scours Spotify’s algorithms and DJ mixes for undiscovered artists—“Recently, it’s just random...like, algorithmic...you just keep going through [Spotify] and then you find [something]…” (Murda, 34:49)
• Artists He’d Like to Work With:
  • Wants to reconnect with Playboi Carti, and work with Justin Bieber, Yeat.
• Young Artists to Watch:
  • Zucchini Kid (Atlanta), Zoom Amified (UK), Led By Her—all rising talents Murda’s supporting.

7. Business & Investments

• Entrepreneurial Ventures:
  • Invested in real estate, startups, and “Good Wipes”—a disposable hygiene company that’s now a category leader in the U.S.
  • “Anything modern really...good wipes is for everybody. One day I posted them and all these girls...my mom loves those.” (Murda, 29:19)
• Crypto:
  • Casual investor in crypto; shares stories of trading during DJ sets.

8. Cultural Banter & Humor

• Club 520 energy:
  • Hosts riff on old music hustles, Western Union payments, cheap liquor, and the regional differences between Indiana and Canada.
  • They roast Murda on Ed Sheeran comparisons, and good-naturedly banter about who was the best at video games and basketball.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being low-key famous:

  • “I think I’m a good level of known...I don’t want to be known as Ed Sheeran.” (Murda, 03:18)

• On early hustle:

  • “Before that, it was Western Union, PayPal, selling beats. They had me flagged at Western Union and they thought I was doing fraud.” (Murda, 06:33)

• On the producer tag:

  • “We were working on music and he [Baka] ended up saying [‘Murda on the Beat’] on one of the songs...Drake was like, every time you send me a beat, just put this tag on it.” (Murda, 08:48)

• On “Butterfly Effect” creation:

  • “I made that in my mom’s basement...I remember facetiming [Travis] when he was recording and writing to it. Crazy times.” (Murda, 10:24)

• On sampling ethos:

  • “The art of hip hop is sampling...don’t shun it. That’s the whole art of the game.” (Murda, 32:52)

• Inspirational advice:

  • “No matter where you’re from, what you look like, where you’re at, what language you speak—make whatever you want to make, a thousand percent.” (Murda, 31:41)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:44] – First time in Atlanta, surprising Migos/QC as a Canadian kid
• [06:29] – First big placement: “Pipe it Up”
• [08:43] – Origin of the “Murda on the Beat” producer tag
• [10:24] – Creating “Butterfly Effect” with Travis Scott
• [13:39] – How/why Murda started DJing
• [16:16] – Supporting Fort Erie basketball, Adidas partnership
• [21:13] – Telling artists to redo verses, sometimes reassigning beats
• [23:19] – Story behind “Butterfly Effect” shopping to multiple artists
• [29:30] – Investing in Good Wipes, business ventures
• [31:41] – Encouragement for young artists from small towns
• [32:52] – Hip hop, sampling, and clearance
• [34:49] – How Murda discovers new artists
• [38:04] – Old school cheap drinks and party stories

Final Vibe & Takeaways

The episode maintains Club 520’s signature blend of storytelling, authenticity, and locker-room energy. Murda Beatz shines as a humble yet influential figure in music, ready to drop gems for up-and-comers while never forgetting his Canadian roots. The group’s chemistry drives a lively conversation full of industry insights, laughs, and inspiration for the next generation of creators.