When it comes to creativity, they say two heads are better than one. And when you add a few more to the mix-say, an entire team of artists, producers, and songwriters-it's often music to our collective ears. Case in point: 21 Savage's collaborative session with both emerging and established songwriters and producers. The three-day sessions in Atlanta back in July 2018, put together by Spotify's songwriter relations team, resulted in two Grammy nominations including Best Rap Song for a lot (feat J. Cole) and Rap Album of the Year for i am > i was.
At the 2018 event, 21 Savage and a team from Epic Records worked with a hand-selected group of songwriters, producers, and artists, including producers DJ Dahi, J. White, Cardo, FKi1st, and Nija Charles. Four of the songs the team worked on made it onto the Grammy-nominated album, so you could say the rest was history. Check out the tracks for yourself:
a lot (feat. J. Cole) - produced by DJ Dahi & J. White and nominated for Best Rap Song of the Year
a&t - produced by FKi1st & Nija
good day (feat. ScHoolboy Q) - produced by Cardo & 30 Roc
monster (feat. Childish Gambino) - produced by DJ Dahi & Axlfolie
We sat down with three producers from the session -DJ Dahi, Nija Charles, and J White-to get their take on what it was like to work on the Grammy-nominated album.
How was this workshop different from other songwriting you've done? DJ Dahi: What made the camp special was the creative freedom. This really felt like a music conference where people were introduced to other writers and producers who they admire but might not have gotten a chance to work with before.
Nija Charles: Usually rappers already have their verses written, and I just create the hook based on what they've done-but here we had a blank canvas. Collaborating for a rap album was definitely a new and rewarding experience.
How was working with 21 Savage compared with other artists you've worked with? DJ Dahi: It was dope. We really got a chance to lock in and talk about life. I believe to make great music you have to have a connection. We were able to do that in a short period of time which was amazing.
J White: He's super genuine and a very hard worker.
What was it like working with Spotify? DJ Dahi: Working with Spotify was great. They've shown a lot of support for writers and producers over the years. I believe they understand the value of what we do.
Nija Charles: Working with Spotify was cool because they were able to bring a bunch of dope people together to make magic and give us a spotlight for our work.
How can we continue to support and encourage women in music creation/production? Nija Charles: I think the way to continue to support and encourage women is opportunity and representation. I also think highlighting and giving the spotlight to women who are successful helps show other women that it's possible. And I feel giving more women opportunities is the best support.
Tell us a little bit about the role Spotify has played in your career and in connecting you with fans. J White: Spotify has helped me get recognized by fans who might not otherwise know who the producer is and has helped show them what it takes to create a song.
How has your life changed, career-wise, since the session? What have you been up to? Nija Charles: Since the session, my life's changed tremendously. I've worked with more rappers, and I've worked on numerous number one albums. I'm Grammy-nominated, was featured on a song with Beyonc for the Lion King album, and I'm working on my own projects.
What's the best part of being behind the scenes of a Grammy-nominated album? DJ Dahi: I take pride in being a producer. I believe the best songs always come from collaboration.
J White: Just being creative and having freedom to do what I love.
Scroll through some behind-the-scenes photos to see the Spotify-hosted session in action.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
21/04/2026
Cloud-based production isnt going anywhere, and BitFire is doubling down by prov...
21/04/2026
The topic of artificial intelligence has a stranglehold on the sports-video-prod...
21/04/2026
5G is still a hot topic in live event production, and this workflow continues to...
21/04/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, Ed McGivern, GM and President of Appear US, discusses the ...
21/04/2026
Studio Network Solutions (SNS) has announced an on-premise AI suite designed for...
21/04/2026
Suite Studios has integrated its file-streaming technology into the newly announced Frame.io Drive, a desktop application from Adobe company Frame.io. The colla...
21/04/2026
Net Insight has integrated InSync Technology's FrameFormer into the Nimbra E...
21/04/2026
Fox Sports has selected Appear as a technology partner to support the next phase...
21/04/2026
Diversified has appointed Tyler Affolter as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) to lead the company's commercial organisation. The appointment follows the firm'...
21/04/2026
Layercake has formalised the integration of Bitmovin's video streaming infra...
21/04/2026
The International Judo Federation (IJF) has extended its distribution partnershi...
21/04/2026
Glookast has launched the Cinnafilm Tachyon plugin for its Media Producer and Me...
21/04/2026
Eutelsat has entered into an agreement with Cadena Tres, a division of Grupo Ima...
21/04/2026
Dolby Laboratories and TV Azteca have partnered to introduce Dolby Atmos immersive audio to free-to-air television broadcasts. The implementation utilises the A...
21/04/2026
FOX Entertainment partnered with Verizon to overcome significant production hurd...
21/04/2026
Osprey Video has announced its technology showcase for the NAB Show 2026, highli...
21/04/2026
Riedel Communications (Booth C4908) introduced a range of new solutions at NAB S...
21/04/2026
The NAB Show is in full swing, and the SVG and SVG Europe editorial teams are chasing down the hottest stories from all over the Las Vegas Convention Center. He...
21/04/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the URSA Cine Immersive 100G, an immersive cinem...
21/04/2026
Clark Wire & Cable is continuing its evolution from cable supplier to full-scale solutions partner for broadcast and live production. At the 2026 NAB Show, we s...
21/04/2026
Rashad Frett attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Ricky at Eccles Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, UT. (Photo by George Pimentel/Shut...
21/04/2026
Five years ago, Spotify arrived in Pakistan, opening a new chapter in the country's music scene. Since then, local listeners have explored across genres, ge...
21/04/2026
Since its launch in 2020, RADAR has been our program for spotlighting emerging artists around the world. This year marks the sixth edition of RADAR Spain, our o...
21/04/2026
Offers compact wireless solution for pedalboards
Taiwanese audio brand Cloudvocal have announced the availability of a new pedalboard-friendly wireless syst...
21/04/2026
Latest hybrid sampling/synthesis instrument arrives
Arturia's Augmented series offerings rely on a mixture of sampling and synthesis, allowing users to ...
21/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to host Power Electronics Online Conference From Design to Vali...
21/04/2026
MAS and Lockheed Martin partner to establish an F-35 depot in Canada, enabling in-country sustainment and creating high-skilled aerospace jobs....
21/04/2026
Advertising strategies shift as competition grows for a large, active and qualit...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Layercake Deepens Bitmovin Integration to Power End-to-End Media Orchestration w...
21/04/2026
Cobalt Digital Announces Launch of blueCORE at NAB Show 2026: Compact Powerhouse...
21/04/2026
On-Premise AI Suite from Studio Network Solutions Debuts at NAB Show 2026
Melanie Ciotti April 21, 2026
0 Comments
Unlimited processing, no cloud depe...
21/04/2026
London, 21 April 2026 IBC today announced the appointment of Tim Banham as its first Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), a newly created role that reflects the or...
21/04/2026
Motion Design Tools - April 2026
Roland Kahlenberg April 21, 2026
0 Comments
Within 2 days, Maxon and Canva announced pro-level motion design apps - A...
21/04/2026
Chaos and Zero Density to Showcase Real-Time Ray Tracing for Virtual Studios and...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
When it comes to creativity, they say two heads are better than one. And when you add a few more to the mix-say, an entire team of artists, producers, and songwriters-it's often music to our collective ears. Case in point: 21 Savage's collaborative session with both emerging and established songwriters and producers. The three-day sessions in Atlanta back in July 2018, put together by Spotify's songwriter relations team, resulted in two Grammy nominations including Best Rap Song for a lot (feat J. Cole) and Rap Album of the Year for i am > i was.
