Driving beat maestros to create music that moves their listeners, 3PEAT Production thrives on having a top-shelf production style with truer substance.
Founded by George Papazov, a successful, seven-figure business owner and father, 3PEAT prides itself on having soundscapes that evoke feelings and illustrate a musician’s creative vision. What also makes 3PEAT stand out from the crowd is the company’s modern approach to creating timeless music. Instead of working behind a computer screen, the creatives at 3PEAT call on the artist to come in for an in-live session, making it feel more authentic. In the future, George believes that 3PEAT will extend beyond music and go into different genres and mediums, like film, tv, etc.
His immense passion for music has gotten him through dark times and shed light on one of his life purposes. The love was so strong that he taught himself how to produce and engineer. Eventually, this led to George working toward being invested in the music industry and becoming a full-stack producer. His sons, Isaiah and Xavier, have also been a huge inspiration.
“I was really scared at the time to switch careers from a successful business to relaunch my production career. Holding them gave me the courage,” he admits. “They inspired me to follow my dreams, so I can be a good role model for them, never to be afraid to do something they love.”
Adhering to the concept in sports of having three consecutive championships under your belt, George Papazov is grinding nonstop to earn three platinum plaques. The trait that most athletes have, which is tenacity, also pushes Papazov to go hard daily.
Although George Papazov was born in Bulgaria, his family immigrated to Toronto in the early 90s, sleeping in an apartment in the hood. Ultimately, the business mogul’s unmoving focus resulted in a successful life for him and his loved ones. George’s first success was in an online trading education business. Now, he’s undoubtedly assisting musicians alike to make their ideas come to life.
Amber Le got an opportunity to interview George Papazov about 3PEAT Production, his career, and more. Read below:
How do you believe music and sports go hand-in-hand?
Music and sports are more alike than they are different. It takes a courageous amount of ambition and dedication to even have a chance. It’s about being told no repeatedly, but instead hearing “not right now” and waking up the next morning even more motivated to work harder. I’ve actually studied sport psychology extensively, and every person who succeeds has similar characteristics and personality traits. The sport, the music, the business – whatever it is, are just different manifestations of an identical mindset.
How would you describe your creative approach when it comes to producing?
I start every session with a 20 minute meditation. This really helps me connect with a higher power and consciousness. While I’m meditating, usually a feeling or an experience just pops up in my head – and I try to recreate that feeling into a soundscape. That doesn’t always happen though, and sometimes it doesn’t happen when I want it to. So those times, I’ll just try a more traditional approach of finding some interesting chords on the piano, or trying to come up with a catchy melody. It’s very mechanical, until at one point I get this sudden feeling like, “this is it, now we have something” and the rest of the production really just flows out of me with little effort. This can be one note, or idea, or anything really. But once I “feel” something, I know I got something good.
What do you think makes someone a good fit at 3 PEAT?
Purpose. I once read that the odds of us being alive, are equivalent to a room of 1 million people, each holding a 1 billion sided dice, all rolling and hitting the same number. Let that sink in for a minute. That’s the chances of life, now imagine the chances of us being alive together? If you can’t appreciate that and find a purpose in life that drives and motivates you to create change in yourself and others, we’re just not going to be able to execute on the mission statement for the business together.
How did the deal with WHO?Mag Distribution come about?
Funny story. One day I got an email for a one hour coaching session with a producer via a plugin company I am a client of. I had this intuition that just said, DO IT. So I did. The guy I ended up being matched with was a multi-platinum producer, and we became really close friends. His name is Steve Migliore. Fast forward a few months, Steve introduced me to Rob Schwartz of WHO?MAG Distribution when I told him I wanted to produce and release songs under my own imprint. The rest is history. I definitely manifested this one, because days prior to that I was holding the vision that I’d get access to distribution somehow. I didn’t know how, or when, or what would happen – but the universe works in mysterious ways. (If you let it).
What do you believe makes or breaks an artist?
Grind and money. These days it’s the ability to raise capital and to invest in yourself and make the right decisions to make that initial money stretch. Talent in your circle of friends is awesome, but anytime you get to a professional level the talent difference between everyone is nearly negligible. You have to find another edge. And music is just like any other high performance industry, you have to be willing to outwork anybody – to hustle, and to be all in all the time. Isn’t it funny how the luckiest people are the hardest working as well? It takes focus, drive and the decision that you will do what it takes to get what you want, no matter what the challenges are going to be. To me, the artist that grinds harder has a better chance of being successful than the one that is asleep all day with all the talent in the world. It’s not just artists, really it’s for anyone trying to be great and to win at something.
How does 3PEAT stand out from the rest?
Music production these days has adopted the fast fashion business model. If you’re not making 50 beats a day, then you’re not going to make it type attitude. I always believed it’s quality over quantity. And really it just takes a few hit records (sometimes even just one) to earn a living and to build enough capital that you can turn into a legacy and retirement (if you invest it wisely). So how we’re different at 3PEAT, is that we focus on quality. We produce music that makes you feel something. I won’t send you 1500 loop samples a week, but you won’t have to sit there and think of what to write or sing about as an artist, when you hear our work. It’s going to happen organically as soon as you hear the beat or song idea. I also really like to collaborate with people the old school way, in person, in a room together. Something about that environment that makes special records and timeless music.
Who would be your dream collaboration?
J Dilla, RIP to a goat for real. Sadly he passed away, in 2006 I think. It would also be a dream to work with Travis Scott, his music has a special meaning in my life. And on the producer side, I would love to work with Timbaland, no explanation really needed (laughs).
What are your goals for 3PEAT moving forward?
The first milestone for me is 3 platinum plaques. I know it seems shallow and materialistic to just chase awards, but there’s a purpose behind that number. I have two young sons, that used to fall asleep in my arms while I was producing during the covid lockdowns. I was really scared at the time to switch careers from a successful business to relaunch my production career. Holding them gave me the courage. They were the inspiration for me to follow my dreams, so I can be a good role model for them to never be afraid to do something they love. The first two plaques are for Isaiah and Xavier. The third one is for me. The long term goal is always to make music that people feel, and listen with their hearts not their ears. Achieving those goals would be a good start.
Do you believe 3PEAT will extend beyond producing music?
I’ve been involved in music since the mid 1990s in one way or another. I had to park the music dreams for a long time after a tragic accident in 2003. After making a return in the last 2 years, it would be a dream to just be able to do the production for the rest of my life to be honest. I’ve had to wait so long, I have built up the passion and inspiration to do this forever. I guess never say never, but I am the type of person that passionately obsesses over one thing. Extreme focus, often at extreme levels for an unhealthy length of time. I definitely want to expand my role in production though, across different genres and mediums as well (film, tv, etc).
Words of advice for those who are looking to start a business:
KNOW your purpose. Know exactly why you are in business, what is it you are trying to achieve. You are gonna get tested so much, in so many ways, before you taste the slightest success. It’s grueling, it’s hard. It will pay off, if you stick to your purpose. Your why. Find something you love that will change other people’s lives, and by the law of the universe, you will change yours for the better as well. It will take a long time to live the life you see people post on Instagram, but when you get there it’s so fulfilling when you got their by YOUR purpose.
