Meet Stan Sono | Music Producer/Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stan Sono and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stan, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I would say the most important factor behind my success is a combination of perseverance and belief in myself. I think “success” means different things for different people based on what their goals are. For me, the meaning of success changes all the time as I reach new milestones in my career. Ultimately, if you aren’t self motivated and don’t believe in yourself, it will be hard to find success. It’s important for me to continue to work, grow, learn, and develop my skillset to continue climbing the ladder of success. I’ve also learned that it’s equally as important to be confident in yourself and take pride in knowing that you belong in whatever field it is you’re in. It’s easy to get discouraged whenever things aren’t going your way, but if you’re passionate in what you’re doing and have the mindset that you can overcome anything, you will be successful in life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a singer/songwriter/producer originally from Ukraine, but moved to Chicago at a young age and lived there most of my life up until recently moving to Hollywood this year. I make everything from Rap to R&B to Pop and Dancehall. I pride myself on being able to adapt and work in various genres just cause I can’t be put in a box. What sets me apart from others is my drive, determination, and dedication to the craft. I love to get involved in the entire process from making a beat to writing or co-writing the song, arranging it, experimenting with vocal production, and just seeing it all the way through from beginning to the very end. I’m most proud of the fact that I never gave up and continue to push my sound forward and become better every day. I feel that is more of an accomplishment than any credit or placement. I’m most excited about the relationships I’ve been making out here in LA as well as all the new music I’m working on. I got to where I’m at today by trusting in myself and believing that I can do whatever I set out to do as long as I work hard and build with the right folks who will fight for me. It definitely has not been easy and won’t be easy because if that was the case, everyone would be successful. Nothing is guarantee and whatever good news you may have gotten yesterday, doesn’t matter today. I’ve learned to just continue to grind non stop and not get caught up in the moment. I’ve also found that trying not to compare myself to others success and not giving into the highs and lows of this industry is the only way I’ve been able to overcome all the BS. I want to make an impact in music and make people feel good with my art. I want to inspire others to pursue their passions and work hard at them to get to where they want to go and not be afraid of taking risks in doing so!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I actually have an ever evolving bucket list on my phone for what to do in California as I’m new to the state. I have maybe only done 1-2% of what’s on that list so given my short time here I’ll do my best in answering this question. I really enjoy hiking so I would say we definitely gotta hit Runyon and Griffith. We also gotta hit Roscoe’s at least once or twice and Lucifer’s pizza. I would take them to Malibu, Santa Monica, and Venice and walk around the beaches, piers, and boardwalks. I don’t drink much but I had a good time at Mama Shelter on my birthday, it’s a dope rooftop spot. Definitely gotta get al pastor tacos at Leo’s taco truck and the one by Pavillions on Vine st, I forgot the name, but the birrieria is fire there! I have a buncha homies out here with studios and what not, so if it was one of my music homies, we would definitely be hittin those spots too!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve always believed that behind every successful person is a team of people who make it all possible. In my career, I’ve had a ton of amazing folks help me along the way and I definitely could not have gotten to where I’m at now without them. One of the people that deserves a lot of credit for getting me my first deal is legendary Pittsburgh producer and engineer E. Dan of IDLABS. He’s produced for Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller along with a handful of others. He gave me my first shot by signing my good friend preme__xy and myself to a indie record deal with Rostrum Records. He mentored me throughout and helped me grow not only as a musician but as a person. He then introduced me to my good homie and current business partner Will Dzombak, who is the CEO of Taylor Gang and manages Wiz Khalifa, TM88, myself, and many others. Will has played a key role in my career over the last 5 years. He’s believed in me since day one just off the strength of my talent and character alone, which means so much to me considering how nowadays everyone clout chases. Will has connected me to many of my current collaborators and has opened doors for me that I couldn’t have otherwise opened on my own. Shouts to both those guys and preme too! Got all my sauce from that dude.

Instagram: instagram.com/stansono

Twitter: twitter.com/stansono

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stansonomusic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiMcWjkYCbtACUd9iRXlpCw

Other: I’m most active on Instagram and Twitter! HMU.

Image Credits
Billy Watson Nate Crossley