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 ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
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...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
01/07/2026
Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy: A Reimagined, Hands-On Learning Expe...
01/07/2026
Amplium Captures Kawasaki Brave Thunders Game with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersiv...
01/07/2026
Boris FX Optics Expands Plugin Support to Apple Photos, Capture One, and Affinit...
01/07/2026
UKTV has today announced the appointment of Matt Berry to the newly created role of General Manager - Marketing, effective 1 July.
Matt will take on this senio...
01/07/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign featuring Deborah Meaden challenges consumers to rethink everyday bathroom wasteWednesday 1 July 2026
Fussy asks Bri...
01/07/2026
Constituency-level analysis reveals where girls miss out most on sport - and where targeted action could unlock more than £640 million in economic and health be...
01/07/2026
Wuppertal July 1, 2026
Riedel and SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration With SimplyLive IntegrationRiedel Communications today announced an expanded collaboration wit...
01/07/2026
Apple today introduced power-packed updates to Apple Creator Studio, a groundbre...
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.
