In the music industry, collaborations with stars like Lil Baby, Gunna, YK Osiris, and Rick Ross aren’t solely predicated on price but also on connection. Hip hop artist Senior is talented enough to stand on his own but is buoyed by the star power of the artists who respect him as a man as much as they respect him as an artist.
“[YK Osiris] is a really close friend of mine. I was supposed to be in Punta Cana right now for his birthday. He’s been very helpful. He showed me a lot in the music industry,” Senior said. “He records as he writes songs and is very creative. He has a lot of unreleased songs that I’ve heard that are crazy. I hope he releases them soon.”
In this installment of “Studio Sessions,” the Montreal word wizard explains why he plans to release an album every year, why Lil Baby is the luckiest man alive, and how a controversial party on a plane turned into one of his most touching songs.
How did you get started making music?
I’m from Montreal. It all started in the basement. One day my friend, an engineer, and I were like, “Let’s start making music.” So, I ordered a computer, a microphone, and all the usual recording equipment. And then we started making music right away. I finished my first album, I Feel Better Alone, in a month and a half. I bought a house, destroyed the house, and I built my own studio. So, the whole house is a studio right now. There are bedrooms for the producers and bedrooms for the engineers. There’s a really nice studio and good equipment. Everything was set up for me to be able to build and craft my second album, which was Break & Tell. That took me almost two months to make. My goal is to give my fans one album per year and so far, I’ve done that.
Not only have you amassed a huge social media following as an independent artist, but you also have some of the best in the business on your album Ostrogoth, Pt. 1. Who was the first major artist you connected with?
I would say Rick Ross started everything. I somewhat describe the story of how it all happened in one of my songs, “Picasso Designer.” I first saw Rick Ross at Vendôme in Miami when Rolling Loud Miami was happening last year [in late July 2021]. The club owner told me I was going to perform next to Ross. I performed, and Ross recorded me on his phone. He put me on his Instagram Story, which means he liked the song. Afterward, I met Ross and was later invited to his house in Atlanta. I flew to Atlanta, and his feature on “Patrona” happened a few days later. Mr. Magic, the owner of Magic City, helped put that together. He’s the GOAT. It all happened within a week. Geter K, Rick Ross’s manager, played a big role in that.
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Since you and Ross weren’t physically in the studio together for your “Patrona” collaboration, who was the first major artist you worked with in the studio?
I think it was Gunna. I have a song with Gunna that’s pending. I want to give it time and make sure he’s free. I have songs with other artists that are not released yet.
What was it like working with Gunna in the studio?
We did that in Miami. I think I met Gucci Mane a week later. With Gunna, he was so quick. He was able to create his verse in 10-15 minutes — and the verse is insane. For me, I need time to create a song. It takes me about three hours to create a song. I’m still learning. I’m getting better. For Gunna, it was flowing like water. I can’t wait to release the song, honestly. About two or three weeks after we were in the studio, he invited me to go bowling with him in Atlanta. Then, we shot a music video in the bowling alley. We shot a few scenes, so we have a music video, but it’s not completed.
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What is your favorite song on your album?
I would say, “Cry Babe.” Life has its ups and downs and if you look at how my album is structured, it starts with a very high tempo and high energy. Then it starts becoming a bit more emotional. That’s one of the songs that hit the most for me. I’m always recording what I feel, so I rarely write a song in advance. I’m usually writing the song as I’m recording the song. There’s a line at the end where I say, “I did it for my city; now you all know.” That line made me very emotional because I organized the flight to Mexico on a Sunwing plane that turned into a party back in January. It was all over the news. The goal was not to make a party on the plane. After that event, I saw a lot of people that were hateful about the situation, and it was people from Montreal — my city. That made me a bit emotional because that’s where the support should come from. The last line of “Cry Babe” connects to what happened.
What was your favorite song to make on Ostrogoth, Pt 1?
I would say, “Judge Me.” I was in the studio with A Boogie, he had his mic in the other room, and I had my mic in one room. There was glass in between us. I could see him record his part, and I was recording my part at the same time. I think I will definitely do more of these songs in the future. It was two microphones connected to the same session.
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I saw you in the studio with Lil Baby playing dice. It looked like he was racking up the wins on you.
Lil Baby is the luckiest person on Earth. I’ve never seen someone win so many times at dice. He came to Montreal. I went to see him, we played dice, and he won. I went to Atlanta, we played dice, and he won. I can never win against Lil Baby. For the song we have called “Come Up,” I was in his studio in Atlanta, and we were vibing, and he finished his verse the same night.
What’s your musical connection to YK Osiris, who you have on “She’s Like”?
He’s a really close friend of mine. I was supposed to be in Punta Cana right now for his birthday. He’s been very helpful. He showed me a lot in the music industry. He introduced me to a lot of people. I also respect his art. He actually recorded in my studio. He writes his songs. He records as he writes songs and is very creative. He has a lot of unreleased songs that I’ve heard that are crazy. I hope he releases them soon.
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What do you have coming for the rest of the year?
I’m expecting to release the songs with Gunna, 42 Dugg, and Lil Keed— rest in peace. I was actually supposed to see him a week or two before what happened to him. We were supposed to do a music video a few months before but never had the chance to do it. I also have a song with Nav. He has this new album coming out this month. I’m expecting to release that song very soon. My plan is still to make an album every year. That’s my promise to my fans and those who follow me. And that’s what I’ll be doing. I actually have a crazy plan, but I don’t want to talk about it now.