Mike WiLL Made-It is one of the most popular producers in the music business. His resume includes tracks with Kanye West, Rihanna, Lil Wayne and hundreds of other famous artists.
But in a revealing interview with Business Week, Mike WiLL (birth name: Michael Williams II) stated that he's still a long way from achieving his goals. Namely, he wants to make a huge chunk of cash before he hits the big four-oh.
"I know I'm going to make $3 billion by the time I'm 40," said Williams, who made his first million as a 23-year-old. "You know what I'm saying?"
The interview shed light on several topics, including the production of Miley Cyrus' Bangerz album last year. Williams said he talked the former television star into recording the mega-hit "We Can't Stop."
"I was like, 'Yo, use that country twang,'" Williams said. "'I hear it, but you are trying to hide it.' So she started using her country twang. That made it all-the-way dope."
An Atlanta kid, Williams spent months trying to get rappers to listen to his beats. But one night, he finally convinced Gucci Mane to listen to his stuff, and the two proceeded to spend several hours in the recording studio developing the "trap" sound.
After taking a hiatus from college, Williams scored a 2011 hit with "Tupac Back," which featured Meek Mill and Rick Ross. Now, he's to the point where Jimmy Iovine - one of Williams' idols - believes that the young producer can actually make $3 billion.
"He can do it," Iovine said. "He's a clever, clever guy."
Williams wants to develop his portfolio in much the same way Dr. Dre did with Beats headphones. The Compton producer/rapper is worth more than $800 million after selling his stake in the company.
"I told (Iovine), he and Dre are the OGs," Williams said. "They're opening up doors for people like me."
