Features

What’s new with Young Cutta? Producer on the rise

Nighthawk News Alumni • December 8, 2020

“Young Cutta” pictured above is an up and coming artist who has already done unbelievable things for his age. Submitted photo.

By Katie MacBride, Editor-in-Chief

It’s been a year since Henry Lotas-Sherratt, aka Young Cutta, started his career in the music industry. Last November, the former First Flight student shared his story regarding his goals and love for beat making in the story, The next big music producer? Meet beat-maker ‘OG Cutta’. There are plenty of changes in his life and career to update.

Since last year, Lotas-Sherratt has changed his stage name from “OG Cutta” to “Young Cutta” and has expanded his travels for making beats, beginning in his bedroom on the OBX, moving to Atlanta and now residing in Los Angeles. He has taken two trips to LA so far, both for three-week periods, and he plans to return after he graduates a semester early from homeschool.

But, in order to make the connections Lotas-Sherratt needed to create a foothold in the industry and travel across the country, first he needed to meet people in the music industry.

“I’ve always been a hard worker and I kind of ‘finessed’ my way in,” Lotas-Sherratt explained. “I used Instagram and social media to DM (direct message) people, and reach artists, managers and A&R. Just get myself heard.”

And thanks to Lotas-Sherratt’s social media networking, during his trip to LA back in October he signed a deal with Canadian record producer, DJ and songwriter Shane Lee Lindstrom, professionally known as Murda Beatz.

Lotas-Sherratt explained that he and Murda Beatz became acquainted when Lotas-Sherratt direct messaged Murda Beatz on Instagram: “He saw that I was working hard, and I knew and worked with some of the people on his team. They recommended me to Murda and he saw that I already had placements with people like Lil Durk, so they wanted to sign me.”

Not only has Lotas-Sherratt’s trips to California created new opportunities, but they have also opened him up to a more extravagant lifestyle and workplace than what he is used to on the OBX.

“I would wake up in a mansion every day, put my new gold chain on, get on my computer and try to make at least 10 beats a day,” Lotas-Sherratt said. “Then at night we would be in the studio with big artists like Polo G and Rich the Kid.”

With the gates of opportunity open for Lotas-Sherratt, working with big-time artists has started to become normal. Lotas-Sherratt has worked on albums with artists such as Lil Durk, Fetty Wap, Sada Baby, Rich the Kid, Lil Quill, Quincho, NoCap, JayDa Youngan, Polo G, Lil Tjay, Fredo Bang, Yung Mal, Lil Gotit and more.

Pictured above is Lil Durk’s album, “Just Cause Y’all Waited II,” that went gold back in October. Lotas-Sherratt helped compose some of the music in the album.

Not only is Lotas-Sherratt helping produce beats for many of these artists, but his help is also contributing to their albums going big. Back in October, Lil Durk’s most recent album “Just Cause Y’all Waited II,” which Lotas-Sherratt worked on, went gold.

“I produced two tracks on that album and so those two tracks basically helped it go gold,” Lotas-Sherratt said. “And how that works is album sales and how they are counted pretty much determine if an album goes gold, so it’s like 500,000 albums sold equals like a gold plaque.”

Now that Lotas-Sherratt is considered a Billboard & Gold Producer, meaning songs that he’s worked on have charted on Billboard, the American and Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media group-owned entertainment media brand, he is looking forward to continuing that success as he awaits two more album drops, hoping they too will be just as successful.

“I just got one (a track) with Fetty Wap that should be dropping soon,” Lotas-Sherratt said. “I also have one on Lil Durk’s next album and Sada Baby’s next album, ‘Shorty Shorty’.”

Lotas-Sherratt hangs Billboard charted and Gold Plaqued album, “Just Cause Y’all Waited II,” by Lil Durk above his at-home workspace. PHOTO SUBMITTED

To help get his tracks out there and work with artists and producers, Lotas-Sherratt even created his own website, youngcutta.com.

“The website is for people who need beats or drum kits for producers,” Lotas-Sherratt explained. “So people just go on there, find my beats and they can play them through the website and buy them, right there. And I also have drum kits for producers that need sound, so they can just go on there and buy some of my kits.”

This website will also help Lotas-Sherratt stay connected and continue to release his products as the senior works on graduating from homeschool a semester early from his home on the Outer Banks. During this time, he plans to continue making beats and working with artists from home with intentions of returning to California after he graduates, or even sooner.

“I just love the sound. I love waking up and making music every day,” Lotas-Sherratt said. “There’s something about rap and R&B, too. There’s a vibe with the beats, the melodies, everything about it.”

With Lotus-Sherratt’s life goals becoming a reality, he plans to continue his journey of making music and producing hits.

If you would like to read about the changes Young Cutta has made in career ‘then’ versus ‘now’, you can read the first story regarding his come up by clicking this link.

Senior Katie MacBride can be reached at 21macbrideka62@daretolearn.org.

Donate to Nighthawk News Magazine

Your donation will support the student journalists of First Flight High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.