Born Mohamed Sulaiman, Toronto based record producer-artist and label owner SLMN is a chart-topping producer signed to Sony Music Publishing, among numerous milestones.
With a background in Civil Engineering, the illustrious beatsmith has carved his own lane in the music industry after being discovered by former Neptunes manager, Rob Walker. This matured into him signing his first major contract in the business in 2018.
Although he is officially signed to one of the most prestigious music imprints in the business ie. Sony Music, SLMN (pronounced Sol-o-mon) harnessed his craft growing up in a household where his dad played a native instrument called the oud from Sudan.
“As a kid I was heavily influenced by the style and melodies of Sudanese Music as my dad played the middle eastern instrument called the oud. Sudanese music is primarily played in the pentatonic scale, and you can clearly tell that a lot of my lead lines in my production follow the pentatonic scale. Also, growing up I was big into the drums, and took it up in high school. That along with my strange, combined taste in hip hop, R&B & alternative rock, began the unique sound that my production style expresses today.”With a vast list of influences across the board, a long receipt list of artists he has been able to connect with including larger-than-life iconoclastic acts such as Mariah Carey, to contemporary heavyweights such as Lil Yachty, Russ, Roy Wood$, and R&B royalty in Bobby Valentino – S.L.M.N is a decorated music producer that can cut across different generations, sounds, and styles. We caught up with the music purveyor on his upbringing, style, accomplishments, plans, and much more in the gem-filled interview. Read about it: What city are you from/ Where are you based now? I’m from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, but I’m based in Toronto, Canada now. What is your artist/producer name? What is your real name? How did you get your artist/producer name? My artist & producer name is S.L.M.N. Real name is Mohamed Sulaiman. My artists & producer name is an abbreviation for my last name. It’s also pronounced sol-o-mon. At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? I decided to pursue music as a full-time career in 2018 after I signed my publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing. Has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound today? If so, how? Definitely. As a kid I was heavily influenced by the style and melodies of Sudanese Music as my dad played the middle eastern instrument called the oud. Sudanese music is primarily played in the pentatonic scale, and you can clearly tell that a lot of my lead lines in my production follow the pentatonic scale. Also, growing up I was big into the drums, and took it up in high school. That along with my strange, combined taste in hip hop, R&B & alternative rock, began the unique sound that my production style expresses today. How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you? My sound can be described as soulful, hard hitting & with a hint of melancholy with each track. My fans tend to note that my music helps them feel more reflective in their thoughts. What ultimately inspired you to dedicate yourself to a music career? Seeing the impact my production had on artists & fans gave me a belief in myself that I’ve never experienced before. Also, Rob Walker (former manager of the Neptunes) discovered me, believed in my sound and talent, and brokered my eventual publishing deal with Sony, which essentially gave me the confidence that I could sustain financial independence working just on Music. What’s one reason you are passionate about music and what inspires you? Music has always been my way to dig into my own soul, and peer into others. It’s always helped me reflect on my life, my feelings, and has always been an outlet to express emotions without using words. Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative? I’m big on staying active & fit. I play a lot of basketball and spend a lot of my time in the gym. I also love traveling, which I find really helps me reset my creative palette when needed. What were you doing before music? I worked at a General Contractor as a Technical Proposal Coordinator with a focus on Civil Engineering. Who are some of your main musical influences? Dre Dre, Kanye West, Coldplay, Timbaland, Drake. What are some of your music career goals for the future? To get nominated for a Grammy, to produce on a top 10 billboard single, and to grow my label to sign multiple acts in the future. Tell us about your recent projects? Tell us about some placements you’ve secured. Placements: Mariah Carey – “Caution” Russ – “On The Way” Lil Gnar & lil Yachty – “Eastside” Roy Wood$ – “Say Less”, “Shot Again”, “Glasses” Black Atlass – “Show Me” Anders – “Diamonds”, “Bad Habits”, “With or Without”, “Problems”, “Save Your Emotions”, “Curious”, “Notice”, “Take it Back”, “Floor 21”, “Bossy”, “Choosy”, “Re-Up”, “Don’t Call” Elijah Blake – “Sky Blue”, “Satisfied”, “Further Notice”, “To Be Loved”, “Senses”, “Phone Down”, “Frenemies” ELHAE – “fXXX” PERSONAL PROJECTS Released an EP titled “Late Bloomer” in April 2020. The EP was featured as the banner for the R&B section in Apple Music Canada. It garnered over 5 millions streams total worldwide. What’s one of your most proud projects so far? My most proud placement would definitely be the song I produced for Mariah Carey. The album debuted at #1 on Billboard for top R&B & Hip-Hop albums. The fact that the song produced was also the title track for the album was also a very proud moment. As an artist my most proud moment would be the release date of my first EP when I witnessed all the support I received from all my peers & fans. What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for? Include some dates if you have them. I’m releasing my single “Where Did You Go” with a new artist I’m developing named Kvn Rose featuring Toronto artit“anders”. Following that I will be releasing my next EP by the end of summer, where all the songs will be performed by KvnRose. From a placement perspective, I have a couple major placements on the way, but I do not want to jinx them my revealing them too soon! I am also releasing my second Splice Original sample pack with the platform by the beginning of the 4th quarter 2022. What message do you hope fans take away from your music? I hope fans can dig deep within themselves when listening to my music if they resonate. If not, I hope they just enjoy the sounds. Where can we follow you on social media? @prodbyslmn on Instagram & twitter !
