| Net Worth | $6,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Xavier Lamar Dotson |
| Date of Birth/Age | January 12, 1980 (age 39) |
| Source of wealth | Record Producer, DJ, Songwriter |
| Height | 5’7″ |
| Country of origin | U.S |
| State/City of origin | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Last Updated | 2019 |
Net Worth
Zaytoven net worth is 6 million dollars.
Zaytoven’s primary wealth comes from being a record producer. In addition to being a talented DJ and record producer, Zaytoven is widely regarded as one of the best pianists in the industry.
While the bulk of his net worth comes from his career as a record producer, Zaytoven also draws a monthly salary from his YouTube channel. He officially opened his channel in 2008. Since then, he has gathered more than 100,000 subscribers and more than 30 million views.
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His Sound Cloud page also earns Zaytoven money. Sound Cloud pays artists based on the types of ads that are played during streams of the artists’ music.
After gaining such notoriety from being a well-known music producer, Zaytoven has also ventured into acting and scoring films.
Introduction
Although most people in the music industry are well-known for their solo contributions, Zaytoven’s fame is due to his collaborations with other very popular artists as a music record producer and DJ. As his musical fame grew, Zaytoven used his connections to break into the world of acting and expand his already impressive entertainment resume.
Early Life
Zaytoven was born on January 12, 1980 and named Xavier Lamar Dotson. His father was in the United States Army and stationed in Germany, so that is where Zaytoven was born. As the oldest of four children, Zaytoven also spent his early years in Germany.
While Zaytoven was still a child, his family moved from Frankfurt to San Francisco, California. Zaytoven would grow up in the city, and it would form a lasting influence upon his music.
As a child, Zaytoven and his family spent much of their time in church. His father’s second job was as a preacher, while his mother held down a job as the director of the church’s choir.
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Within this environment, Zaytoven and his siblings learned how to play a variety of instruments, and Zaytoven perfected his piano and organ playing.
But it was a middle school that would truly change Zaytoven’s musical direction. A classmate introduced Zaytven to “Dre Day” by Dr. Dre.
Zaytoven became an instant convert to rap, and he began to learn how to produce music while he attended Galileo Academy of Science and Technology.
Young Zaytoven also played keyboards at the high school football games. He was extremely fortunate to have rapper JT the Bigga Figga attend one game.
The rapper was very impressed and invited Zaytoven to his studio. Once there, Zaytoven had unlimited access to all of the MPCs and keyboards.
Zaytoven began selling beats to JT the Bigga Figga. Other rappers in the San Francisco Area also began to work with Zaytoven.
When Zaytoven’s family moved to Atlanta, Zaytoven stayed behind in order to finish high school and continue working with area rappers.
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Personal Life
In terms of his personal relationship with his wife Stephanie, very little is known because Zaytoven likes to keep his personal life very private. He has shared that he has been married for more than 10 years. They also have two children: Xavier and Olivia.
Career
Despite his success at working with local rappers in San Francisco, Zaytoven decided to pursue another path initially. After graduating high school, he bought production equipment and shipped it to Atlanta, where his parents lived.
Once the equipment was shipped, Zaytoven moved to Atlanta too. Zaytoven would tell The Fader that the move was because he could not longer afford to live in San Francisco.
While cutting hair in Atlanta, Zaytoven began to make new music contacts, and these would come over to the studio he had built in his parent’s basement.
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The most influential person that Zaytoven would meet while working as a barber in Atlanta was Gucci Mane. Gucci would write the song lyrics and Zaytoven would provide the beats.
That relationship would continue to grow as Gucci Mane became well known as a rapper in his own right, with Zaytoven continuing to provide the beats.
Gucci Mane and Zaytoven’s collaboration, “So Icy,” was the first hit single that Zaytoven was a part of, and it reached number 23 on Billboard’s rap chart.
This success allowed him to work with even more artists. Among the first project that Zaytoven was able to work on was Usher’s “Papers,” which earned Zaytoven a 2011 Grammy Award.
From there, Zaytoven’s rap career took off and he was able to work with all of the following artists:
- Jagged Edge
- The Shop Boyz
- Lil Scrappy
- Future
- 21 Savage
- Yo Gotti
- Moneybagg
In addition to making his mark as a producer and musician, Zaytoven has found work in scoring and starring in films. The film Birds of a Feather was based on Zaytoven’s life.
Zaytoven has also worked on the score for Finesse the Movie and Birds of a Feather 2.
In 2015, Zaytoven wrote the book From A to Zay,” which was a guide to independent music production.
The book allowed him to set up producer camps all over the country for young beat-makers who want to learn how to become a producer.
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Interesting Facts
When he decided to pursue a professional career, Zaytoven chose his stage name to honor Ludwig van Beethoven.
The homage made sense because both men were born in Germany. Likewise, both Zaytoven and Beethoven chose the organ and piano to master at a young age.
The comparison goes further. Both Zaytoven and Beethoven had a genuine love of music and sought out mentors to help them further their careers.
In the case of Beethoven, it was the dignitaries of Vienna, while Zaytoven sought the help of local rappers within his home city of San Francisco.
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Highlights
Zaytoven grew up in San Francisco with the love of church music in his veins. Once he began to hear West Coast rap, he knew he had to incorporate his love of music into the new sound.
With the help of local rappers, Zaytoven learned how to be a producer and develop his own beats.
Once he moved to Atlanta, the love of music was combined with an active rapping community. In the safety of his parents’ basement, Zaytoven’s musical prowess developed into backing beats for future household names.
Favorite Quotes from Zaytoven
“I’m a musician, but I do the beats in five minutes and someone raps over it.”
“These days they’ll pay me $100 in the studio to give a haircut.”
“There was something about the way Gucci rapped over the beats that I was giving him. It was magic.”
“The world hasn’t really heard the best of my music.”
“Music is about feeling.”
Tips for success from Zaytoven
- Stay humble. Zaytoven’s success was built in the basement of his parent’s basement, and he is always quick to give thanks to his parents for allowing him to work there. Without the help of his parents, he would have never been able to hone his production skills.
- Never give up on what you are doing, even when it seems like it is taking you so long to get there. Zaytoven and Gucci Mane sold mix tapes out of their cars for years before they landed a real record deal. But once they did, it opened many professional opportunities for Zaytoven.
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