Producer Mike Williams is starting to release music under his own name. Getty Images
How can you tell if a track was produced by rising hit maker Mike Williams? Listen for the tag: At the beginning of every song he touches, a female voice whispers, "Mike Will made it."
"It's my logo," the producer said. "It's how I mark my territory."
 

When word got out that Miley Cyrus was relaunching her music career, producer Mike Will handed her the mega-hit "We Can't Stop." Megan Buerger joins Lunch Break with a look at the 24-year-old's high-flying career and solo turn. Photo: Getty Images
The vocal stamp is a savvy branding tool for the 24-year-old, also known as Mike Will or Mike Will Made-It, who has become one of rap and pop music's most sought-after producers. Known for injecting gritty, Southern hip-hop beats into the mainstream, he has been tapped by Jay Z, Kanye West, 2 Chainz and Ciara to produce hit after hit. Of the 30 songs he produced in the past two years, including Rihanna's "Pour It Up" and Lil Wayne's "Love Me," eight went gold, platinum or double-platinum, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Last year, Miley Cyrus hired Mr. Williams to help develop her post-Disney image. The partnership resulted in eight Mike Will-produced songs on her newest album, "Bangerz." One of these tracks, "We Can't Stop," has sold nearly 3 million copies.
"His batting average is silly," said DJ Mormile, a former Interscope executive who managed Eminem and The Black Eyed Peas, and now manages Mr. Williams.
Much like a film director is charged with establishing a production's tone, a record producer is brought on to help an artist develop his or her identity by composing and mixing songs. Some producers also co-write lyrics, but Mr. Williams's efforts are focused on music writing.
Now, he is following in the footsteps of producers like Timbaland and Pharrell and launching a solo career. On Dec. 23, he will release a free mixtape on LiveMixtapes.com. Titled #MikeWillBeenTrill, the compilation will feature a selection of the producer's most popular collaborations with big-name artists, as well as a few tracks under Mr. Williams's own name that feature guest vocalists rapping or singing over his beats. Early next year, he will release two solo projects—an instrumental EP, as well as a debut album on Interscope Records.
Last September, he released his first single under his own name. The track "23" features Ms. Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J, and has sold more than 800,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan. The accompanying music video depicts Mr. Williams and company taking over a high-school gymnasium wearing Air Jordan basketball sneakers and jerseys with 23, Michael Jordan's number. Ms. Cyrus wears a series of bikinis and club-style outfits emblazoned with "Bulls," in a nod to the Chicago athlete. The video has been viewed more than 120 million times on YouTube.
Mr. Williams grew up in Atlanta and began experimenting with music production in high school. As a student, he spent his afternoons at Patchwerk Studios shadowing local musicians. He remembers the day Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane offered him $1,000 for a track of beats he had created. A couple of years later, the two were working on a song called "Star Status Freestyle" when Mr. Mane rapped: "Mike Will made it, Gucci Mane slayed it." The tag was born.
He attended Georgia State University for two years and left in 2009 to pursue music full-time. Today, he charges upward of $100,000 per song.
He is known in the industry for producing bass-heavy hip hop and R&B, but he doesn't turn his nose up at pop. Mr. Williams initially wrote "We Can't Stop" with Rihanna in mind, but when word got out that Ms. Cyrus was relaunching her music career, he scheduled a meeting with RCA Records's chief executive Peter Edge to discuss the possibility of her taking over the vocals. Mr. Williams said he heard flickers of her 2009 anthem "Party in the U.S.A." in the song, but that the new one that he had written had a bit more of an edge.
"Turns out she was looking to change some things up," Mr. Williams said. "Peter suggested her before I even had the chance."
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Miley Cyrus and Mr. Williams at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. Ace Pictures/Zuma Press
After recording "We Can't Stop," Ms. Cyrus and Mr. Williams spent an additional 10 months in the studio re-engineering her album. It made its debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts in October. Mr. Williams was credited as an executive producer.
He draws from a stable of influences that includes Bobby Womack, Queen, Tupac, Jay Z and electronic dance music. He often blends genres together, pairing dubstep wobbles with a hip-hop bounce, or twangy vocals with dance hall drums.
Mr. Williams is far from done with producing for stars. He is working on music with Jamie Foxx, Kendrick Lamar and Mariah Carey and is executive producing Future's next album. He has also moving into commercials. In October, Nike hired him to create the soundtrack to a commercial featuring NBA great LeBron James.
 
Earlier this month, he hosted a concert in Atlanta to celebrate his mixtape. It was the first in a series of events that will mark the roll out of his solo career, but it was heavy on guest stars, including 2 Chainz, Trinidad James, T.I., Jeezy and Migos.
The transition to independence can be tricky for producers, but it is a crucial step to forming their own identity, according to Mr. Mormile. "You have to leave the nest," he said.
Write to Megan Buerger at megan.buerger@wsj.com