Mike Will Made-It

From the outset of the 2010s, producer Mike WiLL Made-It established himself as a dominant presence within Atlanta's mainstream rap dominance. He initiated his professional relationship with Gucci Mane while still a teenager, leveraging that association to secure and maintain a broad commercial foothold through his characteristically spare, polished, and commanding beats for numerous prominent figures across hip-hop, R&B, and pop. Following his initial Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart-topping production on the Kanye West-fronted "Mercy" (2012), the producer has delivered at least one major hit in every subsequent year. Standout post-breakthrough achievements encompass Top Ten pop placements via Lil Wayne's "Love Me" (2013), Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" (2013), and Beyoncé's "Formation" (2016), alongside chart-topping successes with Rae Sremmurd's "Black Beatles" (2016) and Kendrick Lamar's "HUMBLE." (2017), the latter earning a Grammy for Record of the Year. Mike WiLL Made-It has additionally issued multiple collaborative headline releases, notably the full-length Ransom 2 (2017) and Creed II: The Album (2018), both appearing via his Eardruma imprint distributed through Interscope. Beginning in 2020 he started unveiling tracks intended for his second studio album, Michael, scheduled for release in 2023.

Michael Len Williams II was immersed in music from childhood in his hometown of Marietta, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb. His mother Shirley has sung and recorded alongside Dottie Peoples, his father worked as a club DJ, and a sister served as drum major. By his early teens Williams was already focused on keyboards, drum programming, and beat-making. During high school he began furnishing tracks for Gucci Mane, including material on the 2007 mixtape No Pad No Pencil. After graduation he enrolled at Georgia State University yet paused his studies once he achieved his first Billboard placement with Meek Mill and Rick Ross' "Tupac Back," which reached number 31 on the R&B/hip-hop chart in 2011. The following year Williams attained widespread visibility through a sequence of successes defined by lean, sleek, and imposing productions. Future's "Turn on the Lights," Kanye West's "Mercy," 2 Chainz' "No Lie," and Juicy J's "Bandz a Make Her Dance" either led or approached the summit of the R&B/hip-hop chart, while the final three also entered the pop Top 40.

Recognition expanded considerably in 2013, coinciding with greater stylistic range into mainstream pop. Six singles carrying the Mike WiLL Made-It credit reached the Top Ten on the R&B/hip-hop and/or pop charts: Rihanna's "Pour It Up," Lil Wayne's "Love Me," Ace Hood's "Bugatti," Ciara's "Body Party," Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop," and the producer's own first charting single as lead artist, "23" featuring Cyrus. "23" marked Williams' initial Interscope release and prompted the creation of the boutique Eardruma label aimed at nurturing emerging rappers and producers. Much of his 2014 production work centered on the label's inaugural major act, the exuberant sibling duo Rae Sremmurd, whose "No Flex Zone!," "No Type," and "Throw Sum Mo" achieved Top 40 status throughout the year. Soon after Williams guided Beyoncé's "Formation" into the Top Ten in early 2016, he and Rae Sremmurd achieved a career peak with "Black Beatles," a number-one pop single. "Formation" later received Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Following several mixtapes, Williams issued his debut proper solo album, Ransom 2, in March 2017. Laden with star features on nearly every track, the project debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200 only to be quickly eclipsed by another Williams-associated album from one of its contributors, Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. Williams produced or co-produced three cuts from that release, among them "HUMBLE.," his second number-one hit, and "DNA.," an additional Top Ten single. The former became his 16th production to attain gold or platinum status and secured him a Grammy for Record of the Year. Throughout this period Williams remained active as Eardruma label head and producer, issuing Edgewood, a joint album with rapper Trouble. That March 2018 release was succeeded eight months later by the Top 50 companion to the Creed II soundtrack, Creed II: The Album. Williams contributed to nearly every song, collaborating with Gucci Mane, Rae Sremmurd, Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz, ScHoolboy Q, and Bon Iver. The track "What That Speed Bout!?," featuring Nicki Minaj and YoungBoy Never Broke Again, surfaced in November 2020 as the first preview of material slated for Williams' sophomore studio album. In subsequent years, alongside appearances on tracks with Chief Keef and Gucci Mane, he released "Blood Moon" in August 2023, a song featuring Lil Uzi Vert and co-produced by J. Cole that offered further indication of the forthcoming Michael, planned for sometime in 2023.