A great producer is like a great painter. They lay down the backdrop for the artists they produce, creating a memorable soundtrack for the listener while being respectful enough to let the singer be the song and let each musician share the spotlight without getting in the way of the big sound picture. Each shares in the accolades and the world's a better place for the music they bring it. Worcester-based 21-year-old Baghdad, Iraq-born producer Art Beatz has created his own trademark sound by bringing together the music of his homeland with the newest innovations in rap, reggae, reggaeton, and rhythm & blues while not being afraid to dig back to the work of past masters. Art, who doesnt read music, was taught to play by ear by his brother Bassam, who learned by playing hymns on a church organ back in Baghdad. Art has an amazing ability to sit down at anything with keys and make it sound beautiful. Laying down his own sounds on the Korg Triton keyboard, Beats has mastered ProTools so that he can create great music in almost any location. Just like the music he produces, Art Beatz isn't based in one place. While Deep Blue Productions in Worcester is his central location, he's recorded acts at the prestigious Long View Farm Studios in North Brookfield (which has also hosted the likes of The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and Mos Def), Cybersound in Boston, and made rapper Ariez's "Wat U Gonna Do" - which gained airplay on Boston's JAM'N 94.5 at the end of 2005. Along with the aforementioned Ariez - whose debut CD is currently in production, Art Beatz has produced rappers Rugged and JussLu, reggae artist Pritty Boy, and the Californian Arabic rap group Big Rob from Get Lit Entertainment. "I wake up in the middle of the night and compose a beat," says Art Beatz, who draws influence from the Greek composer Yanni, the legendary Mozart, hip-hop and rap producers Dr. Dre and Scott Storch, the Grammy-winning R &B and hip-hop queen Mary J. Blige, the one and only Tupac Shakur, reggae king Sean Paul, and groundbreaking reggaeton performer Daddy Yankee. Art Beatz is looking to add his name to that list. If you're looking for a producer for your next recording project, check out his work at http://www.myspace.com/artbeats1. Then contact him at artbeats1@yahoo.com. AIM sn: artbeatz17