While many credit TDE’s rise to Kendrick Lamar’s debut good kid, mAAd city, the ascent wouldn’t have been possible without the fine tuning of in-house engineer, Derek “Mixed By Ali” Ali. For the last eight years, the L.A, native has curated all of the label’s recordings. Outside of his camp, his signature crisp can be found on YG’s engrossing debut, My Krazy Life. Taking a load off at Engine Room Audio, hip-hop’s unsung hero talked to RapRadar about breaking into the game, work ethic, and West Coast dominance.
