Chapter 62: Becoming a Producer
Arell arrived at the familiar studio, greeted by the bustling sounds of creativity. The room was alive with beats and chatter. Metro and Mike were at the mixing board, Travis was scribbling down lyrics, while there was two others Arell didn't quite recognize who were propped on the couch.
"Arell! What's good?" Metro Boomin called out, looking up and giving him a nod.
"I'm straight." Arell replied, dapping up Metro. He turned to Travis, "Got the payment for the verse?"
"Yeah, it's sent," Travis said, giving him a quick nod. "Hey, let me introduce you real quick. This is Naomi or WondaGurl, and this is Mr. Eestbound, Bryan."
"What's up, everyone," Arell greeted, giving each of them a fist bump.
"Yo, Arell, we need your ear on this track," Metro said, motioning for Arell to join him at the mixing board. "It's called 'Antidote.' We're still working on it."
Travis jumped in, "Yeah, we had a sample, but it's not hitting the way we want."
Metro played the track, and Arell listened intently. The beat was hard, but it was missing something special. They had been using "All Night Long" by Mary Jane Girls, but it wasn't quite fitting the vibe they were aiming for.
"Let me think for a sec," Arell said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I've got a couple of samples in mind that might work better."
He pulled out his laptop and quickly found "All I Need" by Lee Fields & The Expressions. "This one might give it the depth and soul you're looking for."
Arell played the sample for the group. The soulful, emotional depth of Lee Fields' voice filled the room, immediately capturing everyone's attention.
"Yeah, that could work," WondaGurl said, nodding along. "Let's try it out."
Arell loaded the sample into the digital audio workstation. He carefully chopped up the sample, isolating a few key sections that had a haunting, emotional resonance. He aligned the sample with the beat, adjusting the pitch and tempo to match the track's key and rhythm.
As Arell worked on the chops, Metro leaned in. "You see how you're cutting that? Try keeping the attack a bit softer. It'll blend smoother."
"Got it," Arell said, tweaking the attack setting on the sampler. He played it back, and the sample now flowed better with the beat.
WondaGurl took over, adding her touch. "Let's layer this with some drums. We need to give it more punch." She added a hard-hitting kick and snare, syncing them perfectly with the chopped sample. "And here, a bit of hi-hat shuffle," she said, programming a rapid hi-hat pattern that added energy to the track.
Eestbound stepped in. "Then the bass needs to change as well." He played a deep, resonant bassline that complemented the sample and drums.
As the track started to come together, Arell watched closely, fascinated by their different approaches. "You guys really know how to bring out the best in a sample."
Mike Dean, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. "The mix needs some work, though. Let's give it some polish." He adjusted the EQ on the sample, pulling out some midrange frequencies to make it sit better with the other elements. "And here, let's add some reverb to give it space."
Mike then moved to the synths. "That high-pitched build you added, Leland, is dope. Let's make sure it complements it well." He layered another synth sound underneath, slightly detuned, to add depth and richness.
Travis was listening to the progress and nodded approvingly. "This is it. This is the sound we were looking for."
After several hours of collaborative effort, the track was finally coming together.
Travis turned to Arell. "This is it. This is the sound we were looking for."
Arell nodded, satisfied with their work. "Yeah, this is gonna be fire."
Travis stepped up to the mic and started laying down his lyrics from the original beat and after about 30 minutes, they were ready to listen to the finished product.
Metro hit play, and the room filled with the rich, layered sound of the track. As the build-up part transitioned into the main section, the energy in the room skyrocketed. The beat drop was flawless, and everyone started nodding their heads in unison.
"Run it back! Run it back!" Eestbound shouted, grinning from ear to ear.
They ended up playing the track over and over, each time catching new details and appreciating the craftsmanship.
After about the thirtieth play, Metro leaned back, a look of pride on his face. "This shit is a hit, like for real."
Travis nodded, a big grin on his face. "No doubt."
The room was still buzzing with the energy of their newly polished track when Travis turned to Arell. "Ay, what's that song you wanted the verse on? Fair Take?"
Arell chuckled and corrected him, "Fair Trade."
"Bet, load it up," Travis said, gesturing to Metro.
Metro took a flash drive from Arell and loaded up the beat. He hit play, and the room was filled with the smooth, intricate sounds of the track. Everyone immediately perked up.
"This melody's fire," WondaGurl said, nodding along. "Where'd you find it?"
"Yeah, it's got that vibe," Eestbound added, leaning in.
Arell grinned. "I made it myself. Played around on my piano at home, found some stuff online for inspiration, and put it all together."
Mike Dean looked impressed. "Wait, you made this whole melody? That's serious talent."
"Thanks, Mike," Arell replied.
WondaGurl then looked up at him, intrigued. "And those vocals—where did you source that sample?"
"I wrote the lyrics and then had someone random sing it all out for me," Arell explained. As much as he wanted to be completely honest, he just couldn't, who would believe him if he said he had a system giving him random songs from the future?
"Damn, alright then," Travis said, impressed by Arell's resourcefulness.
"Man, this is smooth," WondaGurl said, tapping her fingers to the beat. "The way the drums hit, it's perfect."
Eestbound leaned in closer to the mixing board. "And the bassline, it's subtle but it carries the whole track. You did all this?"
Arell nodded. "Yeah, took a while to get everything right. I wanted it to have that depth."
Mike Dean adjusted the volume levels. "The balance is good. We just need to clean up some of the frequencies, make sure everything sits right in the mix."
As the beat continued, Arell observed closely how Mike was adjusting the EQ, cutting some of the midrange frequencies to make space for the vocals.
"This part here," Mike pointed out, "where the synths come in, we should add a bit of reverb to give it some space."
Arell watched in fascination as Mike made the adjustments. "Got it. That makes a lot of sense."
The track played on, and when it hit a particular transition where the beat changed, Travis perked up. "Oh, so I'm gonna come in here," he said, pointing to the screen.
Arell nodded. "Yeah, right at this switch-up. It gives you that perfect moment to drop your verse."
Travis then asked. "Alright, so what are you thinking for the verse here?"
Arell took a deep breath. "I actually already wrote a verse for you."
Travis nodded. "Bet, let me see it."
Arell pulled out his phone and showed Travis the verse he had written out in his notes:
Rollin' 84s, it ain't no safety Ridin' rich and wavy Gotta roll over to you, gotta get my release
Travis nodded along as he read through the lyrics, mumbling them under his breath to get a feel for the flow. "I like that. I can work with this. Might tweak a couple of lines, but the vibe is perfect."
Arell pointed out a few more lines. "Here's where it gets real. This part should hit hard."
I'ma roll on 'em 'fore I ever let 'em roll on me Split this one down the middle, wake up in the harmony
"Oh, shit, that's tough," Travis said, grinning. "I see the direction you're going. Real personal, real raw."
Arell nodded. "Exactly. It's about dealing with fake friends, real emotions. You know, life."
Travis stepped up to the mic and started mumbling the verse, syncing his rhythm with the beat. As he got more comfortable, he started rapping it out with more confidence.
Metro paused the track after Travis finished his take. "That was fire, Trav. Let's run it back and see if you want to add anything."
They played the track again, and Travis nodded along, occasionally scribbling down some adjustments. After a few more takes, he was satisfied.
"Alright, let's do a quick playback," Metro said, hitting play.
The room filled with the rich, layered sound of Fair Trade. The transitions were smooth, and Travis's verse fit perfectly with the beat.
"Travis, this is dope, but I think we can add some more energy with adlibs and background groans." Arell suggested, listening to the song structure all the while.
"Got you," Travis said, stepping back up to the mic. He added in the adlibs and background groans, making the track come alive with his unique touch.
"Yeah, exactly like that," Arell said, nodding. "Now, let's move on to my verse."
Arell stepped up to the mic and began rapping his verse with precision and emotion, capturing the essence of Drake's verses.
Twenty minutes later, Arell and Travis had finished recording their verses. The studio was filled with anticipation as they gathered around the mixing board to listen to the final product.
"Damn, this is tough," Eestbound said, nodding his head to the beat.
WondaGurl agreed. "Yeah, you two really brought it on this one."
As the track played out, everyone in the room was nodding along, catching new nuances and appreciating the synergy between the verses, the chorus, and the instrumental layers.
"Two hits in one night," Metro said, leaning back with a satisfied grin. "This track is fire."
Travis nodded in agreement. "Hell yeah. This is some next-level shit."
After the final playback, they were all buzzing with excitement over the finished track. They took a moment to relax, sipping on water and chatting about the creative process.
Mike Dean, turned to Arell with a curious expression. "So, Arell, you planning to drop this as a single?"
Arell considered for a moment before responding. "Yeah, definitely. But it's not just a single. I'm putting it on a mixtape I've been working on."
Metro looked intrigued. "Mixtape, huh? Is this the first song you've made for it?"
Arell shook his head. "Nah, I've got about five others ready to go."
"When did you start working on it?" Metro asked, clearly interested.
Arell chuckled. "Honestly, I didn't start with a plan for a mixtape. I've been making songs, and it felt right to put together a project before I drop my album."
Travis leaned back, thinking about Arell's plans for his mixtape. "You know, this reminds me of when I was working on 'Days Before Rodeo.' Just putting together, a collection of tracks that I felt, you know? And now I'm getting ready for my album Rodeo."
Metro nodded. "Yeah. Arell, if you need help with production on your mixtape or album, you know I got you."
Eestbound added, "Yeah, bro. Any beats, any mixing, just holla."
Arell appreciated the support and took a moment to outline his plans. "I'm thinking about putting ten tracks on the mixtape. I want it to flow and have a cohesive vibe. I've got some tracks ready if you guys want to hear them."
Everyone in the room nodded eagerly, clearly interested in hearing more of Arell's work.
"Alright," Arell said, pulling out his laptop and connecting it to the studio speakers. He navigated to the folder with his tracks and queued up "Rihanna My Type."
After Arell finished playing "Rihanna My Type" for everyone in the studio, there was a moment of silence as they all took in the track. Eestbound was the first to react, breaking into a grin.
"Bro, you wild for this one!" he exclaimed, clearly impressed.
WondaGurl chuckled. "Yeah, but we gotta admit, it's catchy as hell."
Travis nodded in agreement. "It's got a vibe for sure. But you know what would really set it off? Some more of that Afro-Caribbean flavor. Like, tweak the beat a bit, add some drums that hit different."
Metro leaned forward. "I can hear it. Arell, you down to give it a shot?"
Arell considered their feedback, nodding thoughtfully. "Yeah, let's do it."
They all gathered around the mixing board again as Metro and Eestbound made adjustments to the beat. They added layers of percussion, bringing in elements that gave the track a more vibrant, Afro-Caribbean feel. Arell could feel the energy building in the room as they tweaked the sound.
"Alright, let's hear it," Metro said, hitting play once more.
As the revised track filled the studio, there was an immediate difference. The new beat gave it a unique groove. They nodded along, feeling the new vibe take shape.
"Yo, this is it!" Travis exclaimed, bobbing his head to the rhythm.
WondaGurl was nodding along with a smile. "Much better. It hits different now."
Arell couldn't help but grin. "You guys were right. This sounds fire."
After a few more listens and minor adjustments, they were satisfied with the updated version. Arell decided to check the sound rating from his system again, curious about the impact of the changes.
He glanced at the screen displaying the sound rating: it had jumped from 83 to 89.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone