Exclusive Photo: Geno @Genosnaps

"Mr Hanky"

‍

Corey “Mr Hanky” Dennard, is the producer behind several club-cracking singles for Young Jeezy, Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj, Yo Gotti and Young Dolph. His music became radio mainstays with two breezy, laidback singles--“California” performed by Colonel Loud featuring Young Dolph, Rico Barrino and T.I. and the RIAA Gold Certified Smash “On the Way” featuring DJ Luke Nasty, “Smile Bitch/Living My Best Life” by Lil Duval ft. Snoop Dogg and Ball Greezy. Which was also RIAA Gold Certified and #1 Billboard on Urban Radio For 6 Weeks, RnB Charts for 12 weeks and #4 Rhythmic radio.  And his most recent hit, he collaborated with 2 Chainz featuring Lil Wayne and The Human Jukebox, Southern University’s Marching Band, on the latest track “Money Maker.” Corey has created unique gems in a field saturated with unoriginality and repetitively. 

‍

How did you get the name “Mr. Hanky”?

Corey recalled getting the name in college from a character on South Park. He went on to say, the character, Mr Hanky ” on South Park is  literally “a pile of bleep” wearing glasses. He states he wore big glasses and he radiant dark skin, so some of the members of the band coined the nickname thinking it was a funny comparison. He stated they didn't realize the nickname “Mr. Hanky,” would become his personal brand and a household name in the music industry.  He states while he was in band in college, he began working as a disk jockey, DJ, selling mix tapes, and promoting parties at local clubs.  Corey said most people knew him by his band nickname, so he used the nickname as his personal brand, and “Mr Hanky”, became the brand on his mixtapes, his  DJ name and his promoter name.  He states everyone knew if Mr. Hanky was involved, it was going to be the “shit”. 

‍

Which Song are you proud of the most?

Diving back into the interview, I told Corey that he has crushed the game and produced multiple hits. So, I wanted to know which song he is proud of the most. To my question, he admitted that he’s proud of all his works but picking the one song that stands out depends on the time and the mood that he is in. 

‍

What Gives Corey Inspiration,

Corey’s answer made me want to explore the atmospheres that inspire him to produce such a diverse array of beats across so many genres. To make my question more precise, I asked if it’s feelings or a certain time that inspire his flow of music or if it’s anything else. My interviewee answered that there are multiple factors that affect and influence his creative process. He also emphasized that the company when making music makes a huge difference; Corey made a comparison between producing music when women are around and vs  when “goons” are around. It was a funny comparison but unsurprisingly, it made his point clear.

‍

“If there is a bunch of “goons” around, you’re not gonna be in the right atmosphere to create a  love-making song”

‍

In the same context, Corey carried on explaining that his music also depends on the general mood of society. He stated that in a time of protests and widespread anger, it becomes creative difficult for musicians to focus on uplifting or “booty-shaking” music as he called it. He thought this  music would not be embraced by people who are heading to the streets to protest.

When asked about if there is any specific act, drink or a trigger gets him going into music-making, my interviewee affirmed that “it just happens” and it’s not dependent on anything. Corey said that he thought of the California record when he was at a cookout. He said the knowledge he gained from  his years  as a DJ also helps him make hits that would make people dance and the ladies “booty-shake.”

What Does It Take to Become a Successful Artist or Producer?

I wanted to get more  out of Corey about his creative vision, so I asked  if he was one of the people who would get a music idea and share it with people by beatboxing or making a beat on the table to present a new beat or lyric. His reply was “absolutely not”  and his reaction and demeanor was clear that he was not feeling that example sharing a beat or lyric . Corey stated that he is not that guy and emphasized that it’s actually the wrong to go to someone and offer music beat ideas or rap lyrics. He  stated that most people in the music industry are not interested in impulsive impromptu conversation about your creative work.   Corey states trying to push music on people by catching them off guard is the fastest way to get forgotten by them. Music executives and producers are more interested in the real work you put in to  get your talents heard and appreciated. He concluded to this day, he has never invested in any artist or producer he met during an impulsive conversation or impromptu performance. He states artist development involves a lot of financial investment. He states if the artist has not invested in his work, why should I or any other music executive invest in them.  Corey says “artists should put in real work” to get noticed and become successful. 

 I asked him what he meant exactly by “putting in the real work”. My interviewee said that his honest answer to the meaning of “puting in the work” is “putting on real-deal business”. He explained that any potential artist should do their research about the music industry. He states they should find an entertainment attorney, basically establish a team, and invest some serious money into their talents and career. He took the examples of McDonald’s and Coca Cola stating that even though most people all over the world know their brands, they still spend billions of dollars advertising like nobody knows them. He carried on with the importance of investing in one’s self as an artist, in equipment,  and in establishing a brand for themselves as artists.

‍

“If you’re not investing in yourself, how do you expect anybody else to invest in you?”

Do You feel traditional education is necessary to be successful in today’s music industry?

 In this context, I wanted to ask Corey about his opinion on going to a traditional school to learn music-making skills or if choosing the self-taught method, was a better alternative to acquiring the necessary knowledge to be a successful producer. My interviewee stated that music-making is not similar in any way to traditional professions. He thought school was important because it requires discipline and establishes consistency in learning. However, he didn’t consider it to be completely necessary because most schools don’t offer music and entertainment training due to the constant technological developments and  ongoing changes in the artistic fields. Corey stated that  trends  can come and go every 3 months. New applications can change the way music is produced and completely change the music industry in the blink of an eye.  He mentioned the example of a pandemic. He states the pandemic required everyone to adapt normal day to day practices and routine practices of artists. He states strategies were created to promote social distancing, and minimize risk of contamination in studios. I think the music executives have had some form of traditional  education, however life experiences are just as profound as traditional education.  According to my interviewee, traditional schooling would teach students to operate the equipment, however creativity can not be taught. To conclude his answer, Corey said that school can be helpful to help groom skills and learn the basics, however he didn’t consider it necessary. 

Going back to his time in school, my interviewee said that he wanted to be a band director but instead, he found himself capable as a DJ and enjoyed it. To support his ideas about school, he even confirmed that he made it as an artist while still attending school both artistically and financially. Corey admitted that he learned to make money at school; as one of the few people who could burn CDs back then, he learned how to make a good sum of money out of it.

At the same time, he took us back to his time in Southern University in Louisiana as he was making it as a DJ but he also mentioned that he did “responsible stuff” in taking part in HDA. Most importantly, he emphasized that he learned and grew as a DJ while throwing parties back then. He also highlighted that one of the important perks of college is that it helped him establish a solid network of contacts that he can still use until this day.

What Instruments does Corey play?

 He said that he grew up in a house where there was a piano and his mother played the piano and the organ so he and his sister grew up playing the piano naturally. He also started taking trumpet lessons at the age of 7 and played different instruments in school. 

How helpful was your  musical background at Southern University, to your current success in  the music industry.

According to my interviewee, his musical background helped him throughout his whole production career because there are producers that pay musicians to take care of the composition which is not the case for him. Instead, Corey was thrilled that he doesn’t have to split his earnings with anybody. He concluded that he can’t count the instruments he knows how to play because “they are all the same”.

 He stated his musical background  has been very helpful. He states, unlike most producers,he can play most instruments well enough to  produce melodies. He states most producers need to bring in musicians to play the  hook to develop  a certain beat.   He clarified that he doesn’t think it’s wrong to hire someone to play a melody for a hook, even if the producer can actually play the instrument, but it is always a benefit if you already know a little about a particular instrument to give guidance on what you need from the musician.  Corey considered artists and producers who do all the work all by themselves to be  powerful artists and producers.  He states producers  that have a musical background can sometimes build and create all parts of their work more smoothly and faster.

When asked about collaborations and what he thinks about working with other artists, Corey said that he’s always appreciative and willing to collaborate with other artists.

“Nowadays, I ain’t trying to be funny, but song producers nowadays,  got 8 producers and 20+ songwriters. What are you going to buy after the money is split? A hotel room for the weekend? It just doesn’t leave that much money.”

Mr Hanky stated that he prefers working on his own only because it gives him more space and freedom to implement his ideas and put his complete vision into the work. He also highlighted in the past,  a lot of legal disputes came out of collaborations,  for example, an individual was in the studio but didn’t contribute with much, if anything, ended up suing a label and the other artists for his split. I know it sounds crazy but it has happened. So sometimes it is just easier to work independently. 

‍

What is next for you in the future?

I am working on some independent personal projects. Most people do not know that I can rap and hold a tune. I can actually sing, compose and rap. So you might see my  personal album drop  soon, he said jokingly. We told him the ladies in the back wanted to hear him sing. He stated they could hear him sing in one-on-one personal sessions, and he jokingly declined.  Corey said, I also see myself collaborating with more artists locally and  internationally.  

‍