“Everytime it comes out somebody, some producer got ripped off, or some producer got the music stolen. It happens way too often.” – Jarom Su’a, producer
Producing a chart-topping hit for global sensation Drake might be a career-defining moment for some musicians.
But for Samoan-Argentine producer Jarom Su’a, when that collaboration fails to translate into fair acknowledgement or financial gain, it exposes a dark truth about the modern music industry.
The 20-year-old, whose father hails from the village of Utulei, American Samoa, says he was sitting at In-N-Out with one of his friends when he discovered his beat was used in Drake’s Make Them Cry intro track on his ICEMAN album.
“I had no clue I was on this project,” the LA-based producer says.
“We turned on the album and literally heard my music and I was like, okay this is weird.”
In pop culture news, Drake surprised the world with three album releases on May 15 2026. But Jarom reveals that this was a bold, spontaneous move from the Canadian artist.
“Drake is in a very interesting spot with his label so, these last three albums that he put out were pretty much a middle finger to the music industry and his label,” Jarom explains.
“There was no paperwork. No producer has been credited or paid, or anything, so it’s super interesting. He just sort of, like, put it out there and told the record label to kinda deal with it, which they are right now.”
Jarom says these instances of failing to give producers their rightful credits highlight a systemic issue that happens regularly behind the scenes – where major artists go on to dominate the charts without giving proper accreditation or payment to creators.
“This industry is the worst. It’s so bad and it happens probably every single album you hear,” Jarom says.
“Everytime it comes out somebody, some producer got ripped off, or some producer got the music stolen. It happens way too often.”
Putting payment and credit aside, Jarom says hearing his beat on one of Drake’s songs again “felt so good for only 30 seconds.”
“I guess maybe that’s my own way of not appreciating like the work that I’ve done,” he says.
“It’s just a testament to how my music is still circulating even without me knowing. To just wake up one day and you’re on the Drake album is so random… that was truly a freak of nature and honestly just a blessing.”
This was a familiar milestone for the young producer.
Back in 2021, Jarom first produced for Drake on his 7am on the Bridle track from the album, Certified Lover Boy. The track peaked at no.16 on the US Billboard Hot 100, reached no.27 globally and no.13 in Canada during its release week in September 2021.
Besides Drake, Jarom has produced for many chart-topping artists such as Bad Bunny, Trippie Redd, and Tink to name a few. But out of his many collaborations, it was the viral TikTok success of DC the Don’s, Get Naked that skyrocketed his music producing career.
“I made the beat in 10 minutes. [DC the Don] posted it online and it took over TikTok,” Jarom says. “To actually walk around Los Angeles and seeing little kids make dances to the beat that I made… it’s like wow.”
Being Polynesian also elevates his craft. Although breaking into the LA music realm as a Samoan producer is uncommon, Jarom embraces the opportunity to bring his culture to the forefront.
“One of the things I get complimented on in music is my drums, and I think since a young age, just listening to a lot of Polynesian music, and we have so many dances and family get togethers where you bring out the guitar and you start singing like, that’s just what I grew up on,” Jarom says.
“It’s just a culturally and musically rich blood and to be able to have my last name in all these records… it’s just super cool to have that touch in these modern American songs.”
And while he carries his family name, Su’a, proudly in music, it also holds a distinct sporting and filmic legacy. His younger sister, Eliana Su’a is known for her roles in Hollywood’s blockbuster film, Hobbs and Shaw and Disney Channel series, Pretty Freekin Scary. His grandfather, Murphy Su’a is a former professional baseball player for the LA Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers. His father, Justin Su’a is a former BYU college baseball player, and is currently one of the coaches for the Dodgers.
But despite this deep-rooted athletic history, Jarom chose to forge his own path in music when he realised sports wasn’t one of his strengths.
“I tried football, I tried soccer, I tried baseball… they were trying so hard for me to just get into sports but I was more excited to listen to music at practice,” Jarom shares.
“There was a time my pops was the coach for my little league team just to get me more playing time, and he ended up benching me because I was just so bad.”
Before becoming a music producer, Jarom says he was also an actor, a model, and voiceover actor. In middle school, he made one of the boldest decisions to turn down Disney to pursue a career in music. Backed by his parents, he was homeschooled at the age of 13 to hone his craft – a move that later paid off when Timbaland discovered and signed him under his creative hub, BeatClub one year later.
Jarom has since grown and left his mark in the music industry. He is currently signed to a publishing deal with Pulse Music Group under industry veteran Gary Marella.
But despite all the accolades and achievements, Jarom is looking to diversify his creative output by expanding into fashion and DJing.
“I’ve had the records, I’ve had the billions of streams or whatever in a span of five years of producing. It kinda got to the point where it’s like, yes, I’m making money and I’m meeting people, but it’s not as fulfilling as I thought it would be,” Jarom says.
“There’s so much you can do in music as a producer. If I’m not producing, how can I channel it into the clothes, how can I channel it into me being an artist.”
His next focus is bringing that signature rhythm and beat in fashion with his newly established clothing brand, Oandas Palace – a label that’s already received high traction after its pieces were worn by celebrities such as North West and Swae Lee. While this venture marks a new chapter for the young creative, his underlying motivation stems from his heritage and the unwavering support from his family that allows him to take risks.
“There’s just so much light in the Polynesian culture, especially my family,” Jarom says. “It’s so cool to have, when I’m ready to kinda take a step back, I know I always have this strong foundation backing me at all times.”
Some quotes have been edited for clarity.
