For Est. In 1989, Mike WiLL pulled together a mix of tracks new and old, giving new fans a chance to catch up on the breadth of his production, while keeping things interesting with a handful of exclusives. "A lot of people knew the name Mike WiLL Made It but didn't know the work; some people knew the work but not the name," explains Mike, "Est. In 1989 touches on all of that – it brings fans up to speed, while giving them some tracks they can't find anywhere else."

The list of featured artists on the tape is extensive, a true testament to networking and the quality of production Mike WiLL has been turning out since he first hit the scene in 2008. The tape features Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy, Big Boi, Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz, Waka Flocka Flame, Future, Daz Dillinger & Kurupt, Lil Boosie, Slim Dunkin, Yung Joey, and more, along with drops from the likes of DJ Drama, DJ Teknikz, DJ Scream, DJ Holiday, DJ Infamous, Beestroh, Sense, and others. "Choosing artists for the tape was an organic process, really," Mike notes. "These are genuinely people that I f**k with. I had 40 songs to choose from and went with the ones that showed the most diversity."

The title of the tape points dually to Mike WiLL's past and future, recalling not only his birth year, but also the current space he occupies in music and where he figures to take that in the coming months and years. "My birthday is March 23, 1989, so everything that's going on now – everything that fans are getting from me – was established then," says Mike. "And for Last Of A Dying Breed, I just feel like one of the last few real producers coming up right now, something more than just a beat maker. I'm hands-on – I'm in the studio with the artist, giving my vision and input – and I'm building that with my Ear-Druma production team."