ATLANTA — Iconic Atlanta hip-hop producer Zaytoven is excited for fans to listen to his new projects and is reflective of his decades long journey in the music industry.

Zaytoven, whose real name is Xavier Lamar Dotson, was born in Germany, and grew up in San Francisco, before eventually moving to Atlanta.

“My dad was in the army, so I moved around pretty much all my life,” Zaytoven said. “What got me into music early on was Church. My dad was a preacher in Mississippi, and my mother was a choir director. I started picking up instruments in church. We moved to San Francisco, California and that’s when I started making beats and using the keyboard.”

He said “the organ and keyboards were the main instruments that I was focusing on and perfecting.”

Zaytoven met a man named JT The Bigga Figga and was invited to his studio where he would learn about making beats.

“I started selling beats for $200-300 and they got placed on albums,” Zaytoven said.

Zaytoven said when he moved to Atlanta, his parents suggested he needed to go to barber school to get licensed and get a job.

“It taught me a lot about consistency in working at something and it was what I did in high school to earn money so I could pay for the equipment I needed to make music,” he said.

Around 2002 or 2003, Zaytoven met Gucci Mane at Zaytoven’s studio inside the basement of his parents’ home in Atlanta. Gucci Mane wasn’t originally an artist, but he liked the beats Zaytoven made and came to buy beats for his nephew. He said Gucci Mane eventually developed a passion for rapping and they developed a great rapport.

“I always felt like it was something special he had,” Zaytoven said. “Every morning, he would call me at 7 a.m. I wanted to make beats and he wanted to rap. It went hand in hand. Going to different clubs, he would perform the songs we made. Before you knew it, we started catching a buzz around the city.”

As their popularity began to grow, Zaytoven produced the hip-hop classic hit “So Icy” with Gucci Mane and Jeezy.

“That’s what got us going,” he said. “So Icy” became a hit and the rest was history. We kept growing from there.”

Gucci Mane eventually became an Atlanta hip-hop legend and one of the pioneers of the genre Trap Music, alongside Atlanta hip-hop icons T.I., and Jeezy.

In 2011, Zaytoven won a Grammy Award for producing for music icon Usher’s album “Raymond v. Raymond.” In 2024, he released the collaborative album, “Pray for Atlanta” with 1K Phew.

In addition to working with Gucci Mane and Jeezy, Zaytoven has produced for Atlanta rap legends T.I., 2 Chainz, Future, Migos, 21 Savage, Rocko, OJ da Juiceman, and other hip-hop icons such as Lil Wayne and Drake.

Zaytoven became known for producing countless hit songs and mixtape classics including “Chico” Lil Wayne, “MFN Right” by 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne, “I’m a Dog” with Gucci Mane, “Make tha Trap Say Aye” with OJ da Juiceman and Gucci Mane, “I Don’t Love Her” with Gucci Mane, Rocko and Webbie, “Guwop Home” with Gucci Mane and Young Thug. He produced the song “Problems” with Lil Wayne on his album “Tha Carter V,” “Used to This” with Future and Drake, “Show It” with T.I. and Kodak Black, and many more.

In 2013, Zaytoven produced the song “Versace” for Atlanta-based rap group Migos, which includes Takeoff, Offset and Quavo. The song became a massive hit around the United States and included a remix featuring Drake.

Zaytoven also discussed what rap legend Takeoff means to Atlanta, to hip-hop and the culture. Takeoff was shot and killed in Houston on Nov. 1, 2022. Zaytoven called Takeoff a “brilliant beast” and said he was “one of the most talented artists I’ve worked with.”

“He was always himself, which I think was his superpower,” Zaytoven said. “He didn’t try to be like or sound like anybody else in an industry or genre. I think that’s his legacy. He was someone who believed in his gift and shared it in a way that was authentic to him. Hip-hop and the city lost a giant, but thank God for the music we have.”

Zaytoven said two of the biggest lessons he’s learned in his career is being consistent and having a strong work ethic.

“You have to be persistent, and your work ethic has to be at an all time high,” he said. “The reason these guys have been around so long, got so many awards and done so many big things is because we constantly do this day in and day out. That’s what I learned with them. There’s no days off and there’s no breaks. If they’re working hard every day, that’s what I have to do.”

Zaytoven is grateful how everything came into fruition. While Zaytoven is known as one of the pioneers of the popular genre Trap Music, he says he didn’t know decades ago how the imprint he would leave on the popular genre.

“I was creating a sound, not really knowing what I was doing,” he continued. “A lot of that really has to do with the audience I was working with. A guy like Gucci Mane, a guy like OJ Da Juiceman, a guy like Future. These are guys I was working closely with, and I was just creating music that felt good and sounded good to me, and they were rapping on it. I didn’t know I was laying the foundation for Trap Music for years to come. I was using my gift, making music and it turned into what it is today. That’s with the help of the artists that I was working with because they help make the sound popping.”

Zaytoven eventually invested in a barber shop and would cut hair even when he had successful records with Usher and Future. He says “cutting hair is also a way for me to stay grounded.”

He has been busy working on a few projects, including one with his son, one with Money Man, and one with Atlanta rapper Young Dro titled, “10 Piece Hot” coming soon. He also added that he would like to work with music icons Beyoncé and Rhianna in the future.

“My son is rapping and producing now on a more serious level,” Zaytoven said. “To see him have the same drive and passion that I had coming up is inspiring. I stay inspired by just getting up every day, putting in the work, working on my craft and that almost always leads to opportunities I never imagined. And when you really do something for the pure love of it, which is what I have always had, you can’t not put in the time to practice and get better. That passion drives me.”

Zaytoven also shared words of advice for anyone chasing their dreams.

“Continue to do it,” Zaytoven said. “Follow your passion, follow your heart. Work hard. Try your best to try to stand out. At the end of the day, if its Gods plan for you to be successful in that area, then you will be. Do this because you love it.”

Fans can find his music on every digital streaming platform and his website Zaytoven Beatz.