The simple answer is hard work and dedication. Born Leland Tyler Wayne to his parents
in St. Louis Missouri, the man we now know as Metro Boomin began his career
producing beats from his bedroom on his Fruity Loops equipment, which he still uses to
this day.
Originally hoping to become a rapper, Metro often found himself needing beats. At the
tender age of 13, Metro was already producing beats and dishing them out to whomever
he could get them in the hands of. Eventually, one of the hands destined for a Young
Metro beat belonged to a promising mixtape star at the time named OJ da Juiceman. OJ
recognized his talent and invited Metro to Atlanta to collaborate.
By the 11 th Grade, Atlanta had become somewhat of a second home to the youthful
producer. His mother believed in his craft and was more than willing to make frequent
trips to Atlanta with her son; as long as they made it back to Missouri in time for Metro
to keep-up his excellent grades in school!
“I’d been going to Atlanta since 11th grade, just to work on music,” Metro told The Fader
in an interview. “I knew once I graduated I was gonna move. It was really like
Hollywood as far as music is concerned, like how actors move to LA.” And that’s exactly what happened. In 2012, Metro was accepted to Morehouse College,
the prestigious Atlanta HBCU. Not even a full semester went by before the demanding
schedule of an artist on the rise began to conflict with his studies. Since he’d begun
working with a collection of notable artists, Metro wisely decided to step away from
school to pursue his dream. He was just an 18-year- old freshman when his Future
collaboration “Karate Chop” became a smash hit.
In May 2013, Metro announced his first producer mixtape, “19 & Boomin’,” which
later release in October of that same year. The tape featured songs from artists such
as Future, Young Thug, Gucci Mane, Trinidad James, and many more. The success of
that project granted Metro an Executive Producing role on Future’s “Monster”
mixtape.
As for Metro’s career now, he’s continued to shine amongst his peers. He’s proven to
be a key factor in a series of major albums, such as Future’s “EVOL,” Tinashe’s
“Joyride,” and even Kanye West’s “The Life of Pablo.” After going on tour with Drake,
the fans seems to enjoy Metro’s stage presence nearly as much as they love jamming
to his uniquely produced beats. It’s an interesting sight, seeing a producer as
beloved as a rapper; but just as Swizz Beats and Timbaland did before him, Metro
Boomin is flawlessly transitioning from behind the scenes to center sage.