Today we’d like to introduce you to Casey Golden.
Hi Casey , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I moved to Minnesota in 1996 and got involved with the local hip hop community not long after. That scene pulled me in fast and ended up shaping a big part of my life.
I eventually signed a production deal with Prince Board from the Black Eyed Peas, which had me splitting time between Minnesota and Los Angeles. In 2006, my first album came out. It included Fergie, Sy Smith, and a lot of incredibly talented artists. It debuted at number 28 on the iTunes hip hop charts, which was exciting at the time.
What surprised me was realizing that the attention side of it didn’t really fit me. The promotion, the spotlight, the constant push to be visible never felt natural. What I actually enjoyed was making the music. Producing it. Mixing it. Figuring out how everything fit together.
I worked alongside Grammy winning producers and engineers and asked a lot of questions. I became focused on the technical side of recording and on how to make records sound better. That curiosity turned into a long term obsession with mixing and production.
Fast forward twenty years and GoodLook Studios has been part of the Minneapolis music community for fifteen of them. I’ve worked with Grammy winning artists and with local artists who are still finding their footing. Different stages, same approach.
I’ve always cared more about the work itself than being out in front of it, and that hasn’t changed.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Starting a business is not easy, and I didn’t do it on my own. I had a lot of help along the way.
I was able to ease into the studio world with my business partner at the time, Tony Nguyen. We shared space with what is now Cape Status, a post production company, and that setup gave me room to grow without having to figure everything out all at once. It let me slowly build a client base while learning how to actually run a studio day to day.
Having mentors around during that time mattered more than I probably realized back then. Being able to ask questions when a record wasn’t sounding right, or get advice on small technical things, made a huge difference. Those conversations saved me from spinning my wheels more times than I can count.
It took a lot of long late nights and a real obsession with getting better. I wanted to understand not just how things worked, but why they worked. That part took time and patience and plenty of trial and error.
I also learned some business lessons the hard way. Making sure I got deposits was one of them. That one came quickly.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
What I’m most proud of is being accountable to my clients and treating their creative work like it’s my own, without letting my ego get in the way of what their record is supposed to be.
Everything has to serve the song. If it doesn’t, it goes. That’s always been the rule.
I’m best known for hip hop and top 40 pop production and mixing, and to me those two things are inseparable. I don’t have to make the beat to have an impact on how a song comes together. Shaping the sound, the feel, and the final record is production. That’s how I’ve always looked at it.
Over the years, I’ve worked with artists like 50 Cent and Nas, Poo Bear, The Black Eyed Peas, Dessa, Bryson Tiller, and Sharma Boy. Along the way, I learned a lot about problem solving, communication, and managing expectations in high pressure, highly personal situations.
Those same skills carry over into my real estate business, Golden | Shields.
Art and your home aren’t that different. Both are deeply personal. Both demand attention to detail. And both require complete trust between the person creating or facilitating the process and the client. I’ve realized I love helping people find home just as much as I love helping them create something they’re proud of.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Aspiring engineers or artists just have to get out and do the work. It sounds easy, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t have the consistency to keep showing up year after year.
You make your own luck. That means being willing to sacrifice, whether you’re making art or building a business. Time, comfort, weekends, ego. It all comes into play if you actually want to be successful.
If you’re not willing to put in the effort, there are always five people right behind you who are.
Pricing:
- 100 / hr for Me
- 80 / hr for Corey
- 60 / hr for Alex
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.goodlookstudios.com
- Instagram: caseygolden.mn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodLookStudios/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thismustbetheplacepod
- Other: https://www.golden-shields.com/
