Tm88
Combining gleaming, extraterrestrial synths with the sinister undertones of the bando, TM88 is a forefather of surrealist trap. Since emerging as part of 808 Mafia in 2010, he’s paired imagination with technical wizardry to produce some of the most iconic rap songs of the decade, collecting Platinum plaques and over 6 billion streams. Simply put, few producers have impacted hip-hop with the concussive force of TM88. It’s part of a mission that began a long time ago. “I always wanted to be involved in music in some kind of way,” he remembers.
Born in North Miami and raised in Atlanta, Bryan Lamar Simmons had an ear for music — and an eye for opportunity — from the beginning. “I came up on Kris Kross, Geto Boys, and Michael Jackson,” he says. “I used to record music off the radio, bring it to school, and sell the tapes.”
That hustle took him to the studio where he was inspired by a friend’s dad to make beats. “His beats weren’t that good,” TM laughs, “but I wanted to figure this out.” His cousin gifted him FL Studio and he made his first beat at 12. “I was like, ‘Damn bro! I could be like Jazze Pha or Lil Jon!’” TM sold his first beat—for a mere $40—to a local rapper at 18. In 2010, TM and Southside formed the production collective 808 Mafia, and serendipitously, Waka Flocka Flame happened to find one particular beat he liked on the group’s self-titled instrumental project online. One of those beats became “Lurkin,” a track on Waka’s 2012 album Triple F Life. It was TM’s first industry placement — the first of many.
TM’s relationship with Waka opened the door to the who’s who of the South: Gucci Mane, Rick Ross, and Future, to name a few. His Hendrix connection also proved fruitful. The two linked through a mutual friend on Twitter and began work on 2013’s Future Presents: F.B.G. The Movie. “I was really at home, struggling at the time. We had records out but behind the scenes, I was struggling. Long story short, Future wanted to record that night.” He sent 15 beats and was shocked to find the rapper blow through them. “I kid you not, he recorded to 15 beats in like two hours!”
Since then, TM88 has released multiple standout projects of his own (88World, 88Birdz with Doe Boy) while building an impressive production discography including Drake (“Way 2 Sexy” featuring Young Thug and Future), Lil Uzi Vert (“XO Tour Llif3”), Lil Durk (“Ahhh Ha”), 21 Savage (“Drip”), Wiz Khalifa (“Pull Up”), King Von (“Hard to trust”) and Travis Scott (“Nothing but Net”). The songs are the result of a unique synergy he works to cultivate with artists.
“Creatively, I like to vibe with the artist. It helps to have a relationship. It makes the music way better,” he explains of his process. “The way I hear the music is different from everybody else. It creates a strong bond.” In 2017, he hit the commercial and critical jackpot with Lil Uzi Vert’s “XO Tour Llif3” “We give each other motivation,” he says, noting the lengthy FaceTime conversation that led to the creation of the song. The track has since one 11x Platinum and TM is still stunned by its success. And he’s always found more.
In 2021, Drake’s TM-produced Young Thug and Future-assisted single “Way 2 Sexy” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He’s also hit No. 3 on Billboard’s Rap Producers chart. Teaming up with another production titan, he linked with Pi’erre Bourne for their collab album Yo!88 at the end of 2021. Building upon his relationship with Future, he also produced four songs on Hendrix’s 2022 album, I Never Liked You (“712PM,” “Puffin On Zootiez,” “The Way Things Going” and “Affiliated”). He also created soundscapes for DJ Khaled’s God Did album (“Big Time,” “Keep Going,” and “Beautiful”). I Never Liked You and God Did were both nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards. Amid a steady stream of production work, which includes two songs on Wiz Khalifa’s Multiverse album (“Homies” and “Thank Him”), he’s also founded Crash Dummy Records, a collective of rising producers also looking to leave their mark on the music industry.
While he’s got goals to reach, he takes stock of what he’s already done — and the self-belief required to do more. “I be so hard on myself. I want to make the best shit,” he shares. “Sometimes you already have the shit that you need.”
His bucket list includes working with Beyoncé someday. More generally speaking, he aims to remain the flexible, forward-thinking musician he’s always been. If he switches up, it was all part of the plan. “I transition my sound with the times,” he says. “I try to make sure I’m one of the leaders of the sound.”