Check Out Sam Haskins’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Haskins.

Hi Sam, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started with nothing fancy, just an obsession. I was the type of kid to replay the same song over and over, not just because I liked it, but because I wanted to understand it. Why did one record feel impactful and alive, like it could move a whole generation, while another one felt thin even if the artist had talent? I couldn’t let that question go.

As I got older, that same obsession didn’t disappear, it just had to share space. In high school, football started taking more and more of my time and focus. Practices, games, weight room, the whole lifestyle. But even then, music never left. It was still my outlet. I was still creating, still learning, still paying attention to sound, even if it was part-time compared to the grind of sports.

That path eventually took me to Troy University down in Alabama. And that’s where “VA Sam” actually became my name. There were other Sams around, but I just happened to be the of the only guy there from Virginia, so “VA” became the tag that separated me. It wasn’t a branding move, it was just how teams work, you earn a name and it sticks. So it just followed me because it felt true.

For a while, my life was full-time football and part-time music, but the music was still building in the background like a heartbeat you can’t turn off. Later football ended for me, but it didn’t feel like failure, it felt like a redirect. I came back to music different. Hungrier, more disciplined, more focused. Sports taught me how to show up when it’s uncomfortable, how to take pressure, how to stay consistent, how to be accountable. I carried that straight into the studio.

That’s when the shift happened. Music stopped being something I did on the side and became the main mission again. I kept learning, kept sharpening, kept building, not just songs, but standards. And I realized something important. Artists don’t only need a mix. They need someone who takes their vision seriously and helps them move with structure, not chaos.

That’s why I built what I built. E.M.P.I.R.E. Music Group became where the sound gets treated with respect and brought to its full potential. Backend Monopoly became the backbone, the business and development side that helps creatives move smarter, not just harder.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Hell No, it hasn’t been smooth. Not even close. Anything in my life that ever meant something significant to me was never handed over easy. It was earned the hard way, and I’ve always been the type to make sure I don’t leave until I get whatever I came for.

A big part of the struggle was resources, or the lack of them. Coming up where I’m from, you learn early that talent alone doesn’t automatically get supported. Sometimes you’re building with limited equipment, limited guidance, limited money, and limited access to the rooms that matter. You’re figuring things out in real time, learning through trial and error, and paying for lessons you didn’t even know you were signing up for.

And then there’s the environment. Virginia can be a “tough crown” where people will love you until your momentum starts looking like it might outgrow their comfort. Definitely not everybody, but enough to notice. You’ll see support get quiet. You’ll see people question you when you start moving different. You’ll feel the pull to stay the same so everybody else can stay comfortable.

But here’s the truth, I don’t hate that part of my story. I had to learn how to move without applause. I had to learn how to keep my plans private. I had to learn how to stay disciplined when the energy around me wasn’t. That environment taught me how to spot real support versus convenient support. It taught me how to build structure, how to be self-reliant, how to keep going when it’s “just you”, and how to stay aligned even when its inconvenient.

That’s why I say what I say. If you’re from Virginia and you can do it there, you can do it anywhere. Because you’re not just fighting the work, you’re fighting the weight of the gravity around you too. And you really have to come from there to fully understand what that means. It’s a different kind of pressure. A different kind of test.

So no, it wasn’t smooth. It was pressure, setbacks, resource gaps, and lessons that came packaged as obstacles. But I wouldn’t trade it, because it built something in me that doesn’t break. The road didn’t get easier, I got stronger. And once I understood that, it wasn’t about hoping for a smooth path anymore. It was about finishing what I started, every time.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My specialty is hybrid mixing, blending analog warmth with digital precision. I focus on clarity, depth, and translation across systems, but I’m always protecting the feeling. I’m not here to over-process the life out of a record. I’m here to elevate it.

I’m known for being honest. I’m not the ‘yes man’ engineer. I’ll give real input because I care about the outcome, not just the job.

I’m most proud that I bet on myself when it would’ve been easier to play it safe and still won.

What sets me apart is I don’t just hear sound, I hear the whole picture. I move like a builder, not a button-pusher. I bring structure to the process, real input to the creative, and a level of execution that doesn’t waste time or compromise the emotion. A lot of people can make something loud or “clean.” I’m focused on making it hit, feel true, and last.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The quality that’s been most important to my success is relentless follow-through. I’m not the type that needs perfect conditions or constant motivation. If something matters to me, I stay on it until it’s done right. Talent opens the door, but follow-through is what keeps you in the room.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://emgofficial.com/vasam/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emgofficial10/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vasamxemg/
• Twitter: https://x.com/vasamxemg
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vasamxemg
• Other: https://www.twitch.tv/vasamxemg