While some students might shop online or binge-watch a Netflix show, Sadat Ahmed ’28 is busy scouring the internet for online beats that’ll spark his musical identity. Having created music from a young age, Ahmed has continued his artistic journey at Princeton by working on new songs, hoping to create a new album during his free time.
This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.
The Daily Princetonian: Hi Sadat. Thank you for being here with us today. To start, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Sadat Ahmed: I’m a freshman, and I’m currently an ECE major. I’m from Queens, New York. I was born in Bangladesh, but I moved here when I was two and ultimately ended up in East Elmhurst.
DP: Where did your passion for music originate? How long have you been pursuing it?
SA: When I first came to this country, it was a lot about exploring the culture. I really liked Justin Bieber; I listened to a lot of his music. It inspired me to hit some notes. Ultimately, I started making a cappella music for fun. I recorded them on voice memos. From there, I did some talent shows in middle school where I wrote songs. Someone from my middle school said he liked it — he saw my potential and reached out to me. At this point, I started working with beats online, free for profit, YouTube beats, and then started releasing stuff. The same guy from middle school also started finding me beats, and he started making music with me more seriously. We started working together and now make music together consistently. He’s become my producer.
DP: When did music become more than a hobby, where you knew you wanted to produce and release music rather than doing it in your free time?
SA: I did this one music program, where we were connected to a lot of professionals, during my sophomore year of high school. There’s this guy who performs all around New York City, and we were talking about hosting shows. He was saying, “this is the best opportunity of your life, because you’ll never get access to this many people in such a tight-knit circle ever again.” I felt I needed to take advantage of it right away. At that point, I had released a few songs, but then I really locked in and worked on an album. I hosted my first concert, rented out a small venue, and invited everyone I knew. A lot of people ended up coming, and it was so fun. Meeting with my friend who produces music was probably one of the greatest experiences of my life because it was something new. Before going to a studio, I recorded it in my room, so it was a little awkward. But when we’re in the studio, he tells me if something sounds off. He tells me if my voice cracks or I’m off beat, and we just fix it. I’ve collaborated with other people when I used to host concerts throughout New York City — it was just a great opportunity to meet people.
DP: What does the process of producing music look like for you? Do you work on one song at a time or multiple? Are you always writing with the goal of an album?
SA: It depends. I wanted to release an album to end high school. It took about a year because my producer and I couldn’t get songs that we liked. So, we started the summer before senior year. My producer sent me beats, and ultimately, we crafted a story we wanted to tell. Originally, I sent him a list of ideas I wanted and then he sent batches of beats for me to choose from. Sometimes, it was trial and error. Ultimately, we moved from there to finishing the album. When we’re not working on an album, I try to tell him the type of vibe I want, and he sends me a bunch with that vibe. Then, we go with whatever sounds intriguing to work with. I record in voice memos, and once we both have time, we go to the studio and record.
DP: What or who inspires you the most when it comes to making music?
SA: Sometimes, I ask for beats that match the vibe of certain artists that I seek inspiration from. While I’m working on a song based on their vibe, I also find parts of me that shine through. Other than that, my producer really inspires me because he’s very versatile. He’s able to work with a lot of genres. Whenever we work together, it’s always a vibe.
DP: What have been some difficulties you’ve dealt with as an artist?
SA: Not everyone’s going to like your music. You just have to know how to deal with negative criticisms. When I first got criticism, it was sad, but you just keep doing what you’re doing. There’s always writer’s block when ideas don’t come to my head, or if I’m just not able to work with the beat.
DP: Earlier, you talked about your involvement in organizing shows. Can you tell us a bit more? Why has it been something important to you, and what type of community do you aim to build through them?
SA: After my first show, I decided to do charity concerts, where I donated all the proceeds to different charity organizations. I met a good amount of artists through this one program I did called “Sound Thinking NYC.” Through that, I realized I had a good amount of connections, and I reached out to basically all the artists. I thought if we all came together and brought all our friends, we could host a great show. We packed the small venues we got, and everyone shared their craft. I wanted to create a space where everyone could share their music and have fun.
DP: What’s been the most rewarding part of making music?
SA: I’d say getting into Princeton. It’s been a way to tell my story. For the application question that asked for the soundtrack that represents your life, I used a song of my own.
DP: Love it. What do you hope people take away from your music?
SA: I hope they understand the stories I’m telling with it. With each song I’m trying to say something different. I got the sad songs, I got the happy songs, I got the egotistic songs, and I got the vibey songs.
DP: Have you released music recently? What are your upcoming plans regarding your music, and where can we listen?
SA: I released a song earlier this year called “Working Harder” on all streaming platforms. After the semester is over, I plan to meet up with my producer and work on an album and maybe release it at the beginning of next semester. So that’s the goal right now, and that’s what I’m gonna be working on over the summer.
DP: Do you have any parting words for our readers?
SA: Yes! Stream my music under the name S4D4T on all streaming platforms and thanks so much for listening.
Monica Zepeda is a contributing writer for The Prospect and a member of the Class of 2028. She can be reached at mz9063[a]princeton.edu.
Please send any corrections to corrections@dailyprincetonian.com
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