Southside (record producer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Southside
Southside in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Joshua Howard Luellen
Also known as	Young Sizzle Southside on the Track 808MafiaBoss Sizzle
Born	(1989-02-02) February 2, 1989 (age 36) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop trap
Occupation(s)	Record producer rapper songwriter
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Epic 1017

Joshua Howard Luellen (born February 2, 1989), known as Southside or Sizzle, is an American music producer, rapper, and songwriter. He is from Atlanta, Georgia. Southside is well-known in the music industry for his powerful, trap-style music. He has produced songs for many famous hip hop artists.

Southside met rapper Waka Flocka Flame and signed with his record label, Brick Squad Monopoly, in 2010. This label was part of Gucci Mane's 1017 Records. In the same year, Southside and another producer, Lex Luger, started a production team called 808 Mafia. This team helped create many popular songs over the next ten years.

As a lead artist, Southside signed with Epic Records. He released a teamwork album with G Herbo called Swervo (2018). This album reached number 15 on the Billboard 200 music chart. In 2022, his song "Hold That Heat" (with Future and Travis Scott) became his first song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching number 57. Southside has also released several of his own mixtapes.

Early Life and Music Start

Southside grew up in the southern part of Atlanta, Georgia. When he was younger, he played Little League Baseball. However, he stopped playing after getting a head injury from a ball.

He began making music beats when he was 14 years old. His uncle gave him his first computer, which he used to start creating sounds.

Music Career Highlights

In his mid-teenage years, Southside decided to make music production his main career. Rapper Waka Flocka Flame discovered him when Southside was 17. Through Waka's connection with Gucci Mane, Southside signed with 1017 Records.

At the label, Southside met Lex Luger. Together, they created the music for Waka Flocka's first album, Flockaveli (2010). This work helped Southside become more recognized in hip hop music. He has since worked with many artists like Rick Ross, Jeezy, Wale, Meek Mill, and Lil Scrappy.

Southside was the main producer for Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka's album Ferrari Boyz. He also produced many songs on Waka Flocka's second album, Triple F Life: Friends, Fans & Family.

In 2013, Southside and TM88 produced the song "Tapout" for Rich Gang. This song was very successful, reaching number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also earned a gold award from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Throughout the early 2010s, Southside's music was featured on many mixtapes. In 2014, his work with TM88 on Young Thug's song "Danny Glover" became a big hit. Later that year, Southside produced a quarter of the songs on Future's popular mixtape Monster.

In 2015, Southside continued to make his unique trap sound popular. He produced a large part of Future's album, DS2. He also created nine out of ten beats for Future's mixtape, 56 Nights, making all the beats in just one night! Southside also helped produce three songs on the teamwork mixtape What a Time to Be Alive by Future and Drake.

Southside's Music Style

Southside uses a computer program called FL Studio to create his beats. He also uses special sound tools called VST plugins. His unique trap sound is known for being raw, powerful, and like street music. It's similar to the style of his friends, Lex Luger and his group 808 Mafia.

Southside's sound is known for being dark, strong, and sometimes scary. It features hard-hitting 808 bass sounds, crisp snare drums, fast hi-hats, and exciting synthesizers. He also uses spooky lead instruments and layers of sounds from brass, strings, woodwind, and keyboard instruments.

Like many producers, Southside adds a special sound tag to his songs. His main tag is a high-pitched voice saying his name. He also uses his team's tag, "808 Mafia." More recently, he has used a sound clip from the theme song of the TV show Ironside (1967 TV series), which was made by Quincy Jones.

Early in his career, Southside said he could make a beat in 15 to 30 minutes. By 2015, he claimed he could make a beat in less than 6 minutes, sometimes even without any sound playing! He says Lil Jon is his favorite producer. He also enjoys the work of Pharrell, Shawty Redd, and Drumma Boy. Other artists who have influenced him include Kanye West, Dr. Dre, Timbaland, and Swizz Beatz.

Southside also believes that modern technology and the internet have helped him a lot. He says that music streaming sites like SoundCloud, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music allow him to earn a living from his love for hip hop music. They also made his career as a producer possible. In the studio, Southside is known for working hard and being smart about how he promotes his music. Since 2013, he has focused on the business side of being a producer. He learns about the legal parts of the music business and makes smart financial choices for his songs.

Discography

Collaborative Albums

Mixtapes

Singles

As Lead Artist

As Featured Artist