Grammy-nominated producer Paul Cabbin is known for having plenty of skills up his sleeve when it comes to making music, and perhaps that’s why he’s quickly become one of the music world’s favorite beat makers. He can play the piano, the drums, and the bass, among a number of other skills that make him a stand-out in the realms of music production. While his well-rounded work is known behind-the-scenes and in the studio, one should recognize a number of the artists Paul Cabbin has worked with. Boasting production credits with artists from Chris Brown to Hitmaka to Bobby Brown, the Compton-born producer has made his rounds, and persists in his motivation to get bigger and better with each passing day. That constant strife for improvement can be heard with every record he works on, including his latest work on G-Eazy’s “Provide” featuring Chris Brown and Mark Morrison, released just a few days ago.
With two Grammy nominations, 16 plaques, and a countless list of other hit songs—including two TikTok hits that went viral this year alone—it’s humbling to see how a producer like Paul Cabbin got his start in music. Growing up in Compton, Cabbin started playing the piano at 14, tinkling with the keys to mimic the songs he’d hear on the radio. He was playing live drums every Sunday at church at the same time— the beginning of his reputation as a well-rounded musician. “I can play piano, drums, and guitars,” Paul Cabbin says of his instrumental abilities today, “like most of us pastor kid producers out here.”
Eventually, Cabbin started selling beats on MySpace in 2007. “I’ve sold beats for as low as 99 cents at one point,” he reflects on his time selling his work online. In 2011, Cabbin landed his first placement for Bobby Brown’s song “Doesn’t Anybody Know’ featuring Ralph Tresvant, an achievement he couldn’t have been more happy with as a lifelong lover of R&B. “I produce mostly rap these days, but R&B is my favorite,” he says. “Ballads, feel-good records. I like chords, melodies, and progressions.”
Fast forward a decade and Paul Cabbin is now making beats for the biggest artists in the game, collaborating with heavy hitters including Tariq Beats, Murda Beatz, Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign, Jeremih, Joyner Lucas, among an astounding list of music makers. He acknowledges the importance of collaboration in his success. “That’s my formula to success,” he says. “I’m always collaborating. Salute to all my collaborators!”
With G-Eazy’s latest project out now on all streaming platforms and more work set for release in the coming future, there’s more to hear from producer Paul Cabbin as he continues to exert his influence on our favorite songs on the airwaves. Now, you have a face to the name.