By Olivia Madera
Born in Oxnard, but raised in both San Ysidro CA, and Columbus OH Angel Lopez has always had an interest in music which led him on his journey to becoming a music producer for singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, Maluma and rapper and singer-songwriter Kanye West, among other celebrities.
Growing up, Lopez’s mother was a singer, and both his father and grandfather played the guitar, making music very common throughout his life.
“I picked up the guitar and started learning and that led to figuring out how to compose beats and compositions. And that kind of started me on my journey,” Lopez said to VIDA Newspaper.
From a young age, Lopez practiced and learned different chords and how to play different songs with the guitar. Through music, Lopez said he was able to find self-discovery, a natural ability to create and a very musical ear.
Lopez’s mom Norma Lopez, bought him a keyboard and sound card and allowed him to take over her work computer to start his dream. He said she was always supportive of him and his dreams and even bought him his first guitar. Lopez said through his mom’s support he was able to have the right beliefs and the right system to pursue what he loved.
Norma Lopez said that she saw his desire and passion for making music, so she tried her best to support him by getting the supplies Lopez needed, despite financial hardships.
“He had the passion, he had the dream and I saw that for the first time he was really serious,” Norma Lopez said.
She said that she saw his passion was real and would last for a while, which is why she holds great pride in him for persisting with his dream, sticking through the trials, and never giving up. She said most of her pride as a mom comes in how far he has made it and that he is working in what he loves.
“I kinda always knew this was what I was gonna do, I just knew I was good at it. But it did mean a lot to have that kind of support at home,” Lopez said to VIDA Newspaper.
When Lopez was 16, he obtained his first break with Chicano artist MC Magic and helped the artist produce the album Magic City. During this time, Lopez said he started to get paid for working somewhat professionally on big projects and continuing to make beats.
In 2014, he said Lopez said he was discovered by a producer named Timbaland through Instagram.
“That was kinda like a breaking point for me, you know, like the introduction to doing this stuff on a higher level,” Lopez said.
Lopez said Timbaland became a mentor for him which allowed Lopez to observe how he works and collaborate with other artists. The more artists Lopez met, he said the more he was able to get along with other artists and acquire an easy ability to connect with the artists.
“One thing led to the other and I built great relationships with some of these artists that I grew up listening to and looking up to. But it was thanks to Timbaland,” Lopez said.
Even after Lopez was “found” he said he still had to work hard since he wasn’t getting paid. He said that music has always been one of his passions and that he doesn’t get motivated by money. Lopez said he loves working with the artists he works with, making his job a passion he enjoys doing.
As for being born in Oxnard, Lopez would visit family in the area often when he was younger and said he has always loved the “805”. He said he will always be proud of where he was born, however, he wishes that he was able to soak up more of Oxnard’s culture as an adult.
With his work, Lopez mainly stays in Hollywood but has recently been traveling back to where he grew up in the Midwest to work with one of his main current artists, Jack Harlow.
With the level Lopez is working at, he said the location doesn’t matter when working with artists at because all you need is a good artist and a good team.
“The work is pretty much you,” Lopez said.
Out of all the artists Lopez has worked with, he said he has worked mostly with a lot of his dream artists and that the important thing he makes sure to implement is connect with them on a personal level.
“Music is a very real form of expression, and to me, the most important part is gaining access to the artist and gaining their trust,”
For working with artists, Lopez said it’s about figuring out what they want to write and convey by establishing an exchange of trust on a personal level, so the work can flow artistically.
Lopez said he has been working with Jennifer Lopez on her new album coming out next month, and his favorite thing to see her do was open up and let the production team in so they could really see who she is. He said the whole album was about her husband, so it was exciting to be a part of the story and even get to attend their wedding.
“It happened because of her willingness to trust the team of people she had there, the creatives,” Lopez said to VIDA Newspaper.
“I very happy for having been able to produce the album Jesus is King, for Kanye West. It was a great experience and makes me so happy and proud in a very good way,” Lopez said to VIDA Newspaper.
When conducting his work, Lopez said he believes in first instinct art where you don’t analyze or overthink things. He said the work always varies due to the amount of time you spend with an artist and the things that might occur during that time such as a conversation, a thought, chords strummed, or ideas thrown together. Lopez said next thing you know you’re making a song out of the ideas everyone has making the process fun.
Before Lopez had a bigger name for himself, he had to say “yes’ ‘to a lot of things that came his way.
“When you’re on the way up, you know you don’t necessarily have the power of no,” Lopez said.
But once Lopez started accumulating more success, he said he was able to have the power of “no” as well as more artists reaching out to him. He said this made it easier for him to network and see what artists he wanted to put his energy into and work with.
Though Lopez has received three Grammys, been nominated for songs and multi-platform albums, and has worked with very popular artists he said that all comes secondary to him.
Lopez said his biggest accomplishment is being able to live his dream of making music.
Lopez said that in anything you might do whether it’s music or not, you shouldn’t do it for rewards, the lifestyle, or incentives. He said the biggest thing to remember is to pursue something because you passionately love it.
“Don’t expect money out of music, or whatever it is you’re doing. Do it because you love it, so if you’re going to pursue it do it because you love it.” Lopez said to VIDA Newspaper.