ChaseTheMoney's Producer Tag Marks Newfound Hip-Hop Treasure

Among the ranks of producers, tags like Metro Boomin, Zaytoven, and Mike-Will-Made-It are worth their weight in gold, seals of approval that guarantee high impact tracks. Producers may not get all the limelight, but they shape how we consume hip-hop. Chasethemoney, the producer with music so good you had to say his name twice, is pursuing that same notoriety, and his fortunes are in sight. The St. Louis producer helped spearhead the “St. Louis bounce”, with dark, heavy beats and bass that swallows your speakers whole. “The St. Louis bounce got a different rhythm, you’re gonna feel it. I would describe my production like a spaceship. It’s matte black and inside things are puke green. My music is infectious”. ChaseTheMoney’s not wrong, with songs like “VTM” and “I Got Whatever” are powerful enough to take listeners on a ride through the solar system.

Chase grew up on the Northside of St. Louis with immediate connection to the rap game - he shares a birthday with the Notorious B.I.G.. He was influenced by all types of music growing up, everything from his mother's favorites Cher and Wham! to Insane Clown Posse. Through it all, the most prominent influence was Three Six Mafia. Three Six's dark beats and sample flips DJ Paul and Juicy J are some of Chase's biggest inspirations today. “’Stay Fly’ and ‘Pop My Collar’ are my favorite songs by them”,says CTM. “The samples they used were so hot and they sold me (on them) right there”.

"At 13 I was just pressing buttons, it was at 14 when I took it seriously, I remember thinking I could make money off it and enjoy it. It became a passion and I made it my life."

—ChaseTheMoney

With the wide array of influences behind him, Chase started producing in his early teenage years. “At 13 I was just pressing buttons, it was at 14 when I took it seriously, I remember thinking I could make money off it and enjoy it. It became a passion and I made it my life.” Chase was able to balance his High School classes and his new found talent effectively visiting the studio everyday after class. “I left school everyday to go to the studio and made about 10 beats a day. People found out I was making beats and a lot of people were intrigued. I was the popular, unpopular kid because I was so focused and to myself. I told people $1000 a beat in high school, swear to god” With this inner drive and focus Chase was able to graduate high school early ready for his next move to Chicago.

The decision to relocate to Chicago immediately paid off, as Chase met the famous DJ Victoriouz. Connecting with him paid huge dividends for the producer, as CTM was introduced to many local artists, particularly recent G.O.O.D. Music signee Valee, who he met in person at Victoriouz’s house. Valee and ChaseTheMoney started getting to work and quickly realized their collaboration was creating something special. “When we made "Grandma House" I knew we had it the moment he dropped the cream soda line, it was crazy. How everybody is now reciting his "Two 16’s" verse it was like that in the beginning and that’s how I think it will be forever.”

“Expect a lot of plaques, I’m going to make your favorite song”

—ChaseTheMoney

Fast success on a few songs lead to their collab project VTM. “My name is ChaseTheMoney and all my brothers call me CTM (for short). So I thought why not do a project called ‘Valee The Money’ (VTM) and we got started”. The project took two months to record and he ended up releasing it on his birthday May 21, 2017. VTM upped the two artists’ profiles with hit tracks like “VTL”, “Acid”, and “Diamonds”, getting replays and cosigns from well known rappers including Earl Sweatshirt, CardoGotWings, and Schoolboy Q. "VTL" was so epic that it‘s only fitting it was the birth of Chase’s famous producer tag. ”At the beginning of ‘VTL’ Valee says and everybody thought it was tag. But it wasn’t yet. So I was like ‘hey bro can I use that as my tag?’ and he gave it to me”. The trippy artwork, hand picked by ChaseTheMoney, served as a good precursor to what was in store for listeners. “Once I knew I wanted a project called VTM, I found the artwork from my homie who took a picture of Union Station in New York and thought it was so raw. The pic looks like futuristic mall/spaceship, so I was like wow this symbolizes this project because its high end trap music.”

Amongst all the success Chase was also building his empire working with artists in the city such as TyMoney, Lil Wop, and Z Money who together teamed up for ZTM. “Me and Z Money kept bumping into each other at the studio so we exchanged numbers, met back up the next week and completed the project in a week.” The 18-minute project packed a punch with tracks like “Two 16’s” and “My Stove” continuing Chase's momentum through the 2nd half of 2017. Aside from the rapping, the production on ZTM showcased the power and complexities behind Chase’s beats, as well as his ability to compliment any rappers style.

As 2017 came to an end, his epic year ended on a high note with his production getting placed on Chance The Rapper and Jeremih's project 'Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama: Re-Wrapped' for the song “Are You Live”. Ironically, the placement came as much of a surprise to him as it did to the general public. “I didn’t know Chance was on the track, I only knew Jeremih and Valee were working on it. I found out I was on the project the same day of everybody else found out”. Now in 2018, Chase still has many hits in the vault including more tracks with Valee, Lil Wop, and Jeremih. However, his goals are set even higher hoping to expand his network to collaborate with rappers such as 2 Chainz, Future, and Gucci Mane. As for what people should expect, Chase replied “Expect a lot of plaques, I’m going to make your favorite song”. With that mindset, nothing is out of the realm of possibilities for the next step in his career.