For “Studios Sessions,” we delve into the stories behind the long hours in the studio and all that goes into making an album by talking with artists, producers, engineers, photographers, and more who are intimately connected to the recording process with some of the biggest artists in the world. These are the stories that rarely leave the booth.

From engineering to songwriting to A&Ring, and unseen sacrifices between then all, there’s little Najee Travis has not done for LVRN Records’ artists over the last few years.

“[BRS Kash] damn near freestyled every record front to back. We were making four to five records a session. He had a studio schedule to come in every Thursday and Saturday. He would leave with eight records every week. We already have enough music for a second project,” Travis told REVOLT.

In this installment of “Studio Sessions,” the Creative A&R at LVRN Records discusses Summer Walker’s private process of making music, knowing BRS Kash’s “Throat Baby” was a hit a year before it dropped, and more. Read below!

How did you start working with artists in the studio?

I started engineering at the Spotify Sessions in Atlanta in 2017. I was in the studio with a hometown artist in 2018 and she was stuck on a bar for 30 minutes. As an engineer, you don’t want to overstep your boundaries and do the most, but sometimes it does help. I asked her, “Why don’t you say it like this?” She was like, “I like that. You want to help me finish writing?” I didn’t even know getting into writing was a possibility. That song was on the radio two days later.

What was your first session with an artist?

Probably Childish Major in 2016/2017. I was his homeboy and was trying to work with him a couple of years ago, but you know how the industry is. You have to build that value. Eventually, we became friends, he got nominated for a Grammy and said, “We out tonight. Let’s go party.” We went out, partied, linked up with a few OGs, and he said, “I’m finna go to the studio. Come through.” I was like, “Really?” This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. We got in there and made three songs together while I was still on my artistry shit. That was one of the sessions that really stood out as one of the bigger artists/producers who really gave me a shot.

You worked with Summer Walker years before her fame. What were those early sessions like?

I didn’t start writing with Summer when I first met her. Her original manager, who discovered her, is named Summer Walker, as well. She’s like my big sister and mentor. She introduced me to [Arsenio] Archer. He’s a big producer now and one of my closest friends who I make a lot of my music with. This was all pre-“Girls Need Love.” We got in the studio and she had these amazing records on voice memos. We sat in the studio for hours on end piecing together production around it. I was very early in my songwriting and production career. I was really trying to find out how I can be of value to the situation. I would sit in the studio with Archer for eight to 16 hours a day, learn from him and also give my creative input. I’d say, “Yo, you should put a drop right there. Yo, you should stack the vocals right there.” Some of it would stick. She would come into the studio and always had a routine. I forgot what it was, but it was centered around getting the candles and such. The first time I was in the studio with her was in 2018 at the LVRN Studios, and she made everybody leave (laughs). She was shy.

What was a memorable session you had with Summer?

We were in the studio with her and her homegirl, and they made this ratchet song they put on Soundcloud a while ago. They were like, “We have to go on YouTube looking for beats.” I told them, “Nigga, that’s what I do for a living. I’m the best YouTube beat-picker ever.” She let me pick the beat and she was like, “This shit is hot.” She and her homegirl hop on it and start taking Instagram videos on the spot. They tagged me in the videos. It was just a Soundcloud drop. But, bouncing those ideas and lyrics off each other, and picking that beat, really gained her trust and made it easier for me to be around in the studio.

You went from being an engineer to now A&Ring. Correct?

Yes, I’m A&Ring for Summer, Westside Boogie, Shelley, BRS Kash, and Eli Derby. It helps tremendously when you’re able to speak with producers, engineers, and artists in their language. You can always make a connection through the music. Helps to gain trust with the artists when they find out not only are you a fan of music, but you’re hands-on. Nothing is more frustrating than someone stepping in a room critiquing your art with no real solutions or productive conversation.

Speaking of BRS Kash, you helped work on his Kash Only. What was it like working on that project?

Kash is a monster. He can rap his ass off and really sing sing. Tunde Balogun, Justice and I had a meeting with him and Team Litty a year and a half ago. They were introducing us to the song “Throat Baby.” This was a while ago. We automatically knew it would be a hit, so we said, “Say no more. Sign us up.” We saw a vision and lane for him very early. Kash was also a big YouTube beat picker.

At first, he didn’t want to do a lot of production sessions with a lot of producers because he’s a lot like Summer. He might have turned up music, but he’s very self-sufficient. We got in the studio and for three or four months straight I let him do him. He started to create dope records, but what I did was contact the producers he was going to on YouTube, built a relationship with them, and started getting beat packs for him, so he doesn’t have to look anymore. So, I’d have beat packs ready for him when he got to the studio and he’s the type to hear a beat for 30 seconds and be like, “Load it up.” He damn near freestyled every record front to back. We were making four to five records a session. He had a studio schedule to come in every Thursday and Saturday. He would leave with eight records every week. We already have enough music for a second project.

Already?

In my opinion, we got so many fire records and concepts it could be more than that. The elevation of him and his diversity is going to show even more than his current project, Kash Only. He literally has Grammy records in the tuck.

What songs did you make the quickest?

It’s crazy because he’s really picky, so if he hops on something, it’s because he’s finna do what he going to do. He’s not going to play with us. Every record on the album is the same process. We might’ve gone through five beats, but by the sixth one, he knew what he wanted to do. You have to know how the artists are feeling that day. A lot of people don’t get placed because they don’t know how to go off of human nature instead of the industry. If Summer is feeling sad one day, she’s not going to cut a happy record. It just is what it is.

You’ve done so much great work at LVRN. How did you connect with the team?

I was broke as shit because I had quit my job to do music full-time. I had a little money saved up, but a couple of thousand dollars won’t go that far. One day in 2017, my homeboy gave me a call, who was managing an artist signed to Atlantic at the time, and said, “We got a session today and we need an engineer.” I told him, “Shit, I was recording my shit from the house for the last couple of years. I can do it.” I asked him, “How much does it pay?’ He said, “$60.” I was like, “Sign me up!” The first session was at LVRN. I walked in, saw all that equipment, and didn’t even know how to make the sound come on, bro (laughs). My homeboy [Slay] comes in the room, presses two buttons, and the shits start working. He really saved my life, low-key. Next thing you know, Don Cannon walks in the room and I’m thinking, “Oh my god! It’s one of these sessions. This is an idol in front of me.” We do the session. After the session, I go down to get some water and Big Summer was sitting down there, so I told her, “If you need engineers, I’m available.” She was like, “Yeah…nah.” I said, “Let me get your phone number so I can hit you up if y’all ever need anything.”

I hit her up for two weeks and that’s when I learned the industry works through necessity. If they need you, they’ll call you…She called and said, “It’s not engineering, but you can come intern.” I pull up, start interning, and really trying to figure out what the industry is all about. One day she needed an engineer for the Spotify sessions and she asked if I wanted to engineer today. I said, “Hell yeah.” I still wasn’t the best engineer at that point, but I would go in the room and figure it out. I’d be on YouTube, while the music is playing, trying to figure it out. Somehow, I made it through that for eight or nine months before I started working at Streamcut for engineering too. LVRN just had more of a home base feel and I started to build relationships with the executives, artists signed to the label like 6lack, early stages of Summer, DRAM, and WS Boogie. So, I eased up off of Streamcut and started songwriting by putting together my own sessions, with the blessing of Big Summer, to put together references.

Between engineering and interning, they called me like, “Yo, Big Summer is going to be doing Lil Summer full-time. We’re going to need a studio manager.” It was only me and this other dude who was up for the job and he turned it down. So, it only left me.