Sean C & LV Discuss 'Loud Dreams Vol. 1' Album & More

Sean C and LV have a good groove. In an era where hip-hop producers are often here today, gone tomorrow, the production duo has passed the test of time. Their rap sheet features seminal releases like Big Pun’s 'Capital Punishment' and Mobb Deep’s 'Hell on Earth' to Jay Z’s Grammy-nominated 'American Gangster.' But clocking tracks for some of the genre’s best has its downside and left the two recently wondering about the future.

“As a producer, you got goals. We worked on a lot of people so it’s kind of like, ‘What’s next?’” LV remembers asking himself. Leaning against a piano at Daddy’s House Studios (the space is owned by Puff Daddy and oft used by rappers and producers visiting New York City), he explains how this question proved part of the catalyst for their new album 'Loud Dreams Vol. 1.' “You know what? Let’s just do it ourselves. What we feel is good music,” he tells The Boombox.

“We still like a lot of music that’s out but a lot of artists aren’t being produced,” reveals Sean C about the current hip-hop landscape. “Just making a beat and sending it to someone is not producing a record. You sit down with the artist, come up with concepts. All of that is producing.”

With a Rolodex as deep as the one owned by Sean C & LV, it wasn’t a matter of getting collaborators, but deciding upon the right ones. Sean C explains that features for 'Loud Dreams Vol. 1' came from personal relationships and the desire to showcase new artists. “People that we gel with and new artists that we felt needed a platform to be seen. We put them alongside established artists to give them that stage."

Listen to Sean C & LV's 'Get My Money Up' Feat. Bun B, Tree, J Ivy & 100s

The album was recorded largely at Red Bull Studios in New York City. Red Bull serves as one of the project’s many partners, including Pony and Pusha T’s Play Cloths brand. Recordings were loose, mirroring jam sessions. “We tell you to come through and if you get on a song, you get on a song,” describes LV. “It’s a vibe. You’ll be playing a beat like, ‘That person would sound good on that or you get a person like Chauncy Sherod who just starts singing and he set it off.”

Sherod of CharlieRed joins artists including Pusha T, Bun B, Busta Rhymes and Fabolous as well as A$AP Ferg, Smoke DZA, Big K.R.I.T. and DOM Kennedy. During one meet-up, Sean C remembers playing beats for Bun B and before he could flip to the next track, Bun was already near-finished with a verse typed straight off his smartphone.

Despite an impressive list, Sean C says that he would have loved to have Andre 3000 on the album. “I would eventually love to make a record with him,” he shares. He adds that Bruno Mars and Sting are two of his desired future collaborators while LV would love Mary J. Blige. “I feel like everything will happen in time,” he says confidently.

The duo hopes that 'Loud Dreams' turns into an ongoing series and are already plotting a sequel. Markedly passionate about breaking and inspiring new artists and producers, they’re cooking up solo projects from Sherod and newcomer Al-Doe, alongside work with artists like Puff Daddy and Pusha T. Despite their years in the game, the two exude a newfound excitement; they're ready to embark on a new chapter in their career.

In that sense, 'Loud Dreams' is really about making it happen, whatever it may be. It’s this can-do mantra that has served Sean C and LV well for so many years. “The theme is ‘Go!’” says Sean C. “Whatever you want to do, do. Get it done.”

Listen to Sean C & LV's 'Hand in My Pocket' Feat. A$AP Ferg & Pusha T