On today’s episode of Behind the Boards, I am ticking off a MAJOR BUCKET LIST ITEM as I had the opportunity to talk to one of my Production Heroes - Rob The Viking. Rob is best known for his work with the Hip Hop Legends, Swollen Members. He produced a couple of decades of albums with Swollen, but he has done a lot of other production in his career as well. Today, we’re going to chat with Rob about how he got into production, his time with Swollen, and some of the side projects he’s worked on, which of course includes his current project, XL and the Band. Let’s go! ~~ Vancouver Island’s Rob the Viking is a prominent Canadian music producer best known for his role in the legendary hip-hop group, Swollen Members. With a career spanning over two decades, he has made a significant impact through his high quality beat making and song production and, more recently, his recording/engineering collaborations that span genres beyond hip-hop. Rob’s production style is characterized by a blend of banging beats and tasteful use of samples, often infused with psychedelic synth elements. His ability to craft cinematic soundscapes has made him a sought-after producer for many artists, not just within Canada but internationally - and not just within hip-hop, but many other types of music. His work has not only garnered numerous awards (including 4 Junos), but has also played a pivotal role in shaping the sound of Canadian hip-hop, particularly Vancouver Hip-Hop. Rob has collaborated with a wide array of artists, contributing to their projects from Behind the Boards, and helping several artists (new & established) to elevate their projects to professional level. His dedication to the craft and his artistic vision have solidified his status as one of the best hip-hop producers in Canadian history. It was an absolute honour to spend time chatting about things I’ve wanted to talk to him about for 20+ years!