So I was doing demos, and the A&R guy at A&M Records at the time said, вЂњWould you want to do disco songs of Tijuana Brass things for your uncle?вЂќ And I said, вЂњYou know Chip, I donвЂ™t feel great about working with Herb.вЂќ And when I started to do it seriously, like I said, I changed my name, and I got my first job - which was to do demos for Columbia Records, for a group called Con Funk Shun. Back then I was 11, in вЂ66, packing records in the shipping room, and I loved being around there. Herb and I were always close, family-wise, and as a kid, I always worked at A&M Records. I hated as a kid how everywhere I went, IвЂ™d tell them my name, and theyвЂ™d go, вЂњOh, are you related to Herb?вЂќ So at that time, I was going into doing funk music, and I randomly picked the name - some girl was like, вЂњOh, youвЂ™re pretty badass.вЂќ And at that time, I was about 17, and I went вЂњBoy, maybe I should call myself Randy Badazz.вЂќ And I did. But when I was about 18, I really wanted to be a musician, and at that time, Herb and A&M were giants. His words have been condensed and edited for clarity.

Here, Randy tells Billboard about his memories of composing and recording вЂњRise,вЂќ why вЂњHypnotizeвЂќ was the first sample request that he actually cleared, and how BiggieвЂ™s song has helped his own song live on through the generations.

Biggie smalls hypnotize