Grammy Award-winning Writer A-Rod:: Grammy Award winning writer A-Rod started his life out in New Jersey. We'll spend some time today getting to know his story, hearing some of his hits, talking about his process. And then we'll wrap up with some philosophy on how to keep it all going.
A-ROD: Songwriting:: Watch Full Length Video
Moving to La:: The singer-songwriter was working with Jamie Foxx in the studio when an opportunity presented itself. He says he didn't have a plan to move to La. But he ended up actually moving in with them.
Recreating From:: I ended up having Mary J. Blige's single that came out from that album. It was the lead single on that album called 25 Eight. That started a whole trajectory of just, like, being able to work with artists and do a bunch of singles. It's been 13 years.
I Don't Seek to impress,:: I don't seek to impress. I seek to inspire. When you are trying to inspire people, you don't have to worry about measuring up to anything, he says. If you're not free, then it's going to be hard to deliver and really create.
Be Free, Be Free:: One of point's golden rules is be free, be free. Let it go, let it out there. Just say whatever comes to your mind. When you walk intoA&Room with someone and leave the ego at the door, you really got to do that.
Golden Rule #2:: Golden rule number two from points is leave your ego at the door. That sense of ego is interesting, right? It also could mean if you're in the room with somebody and they're bigger than you. You also need to leave your self consciousness and ego atthe door.
Early Sessions With Mary J. Blige:: When you're working with egos, how do you let your voice also be heard? I try to redirect everyone's energy to the song. Music is not about money when I'm a listener. It's about what can I do to make your artistry stronger.
Writing When You're Six Years Old:: Growing up, I was heavily influenced by R& B music, gospel music, hip hop. My whole family was musicians and singers. I believe that we're all inspired by something and there's very few original ideas. That has been very beneficial as a songwriter.
When Jesus Says Yes, Nobody Can Say No:: Say yes features Beyonce and Kelly Rowland. The hook of that song actually comes from a song that the producer grew up listening to in church. Have you been mostly, like, an introverse pre chorus writer?
The Process of Collaboration on Songs:: I want to get into the songwriting process of collaboration a little bit. After doing this for 13 years, I've run the gamut of ways to do it. I do believe that starting as minimal as possible is very important.
Collaboration With Artists:: Collaboration has always been something that I have welcomed. I feel like if I'm able to work with other people who are skilled at what we do, then we're going to make the best thing. Is there a point when you feel like you get overly critical?
What Have You Said On This Album?:: The artist has to start with what do you want to say today? What's on your heart? How do you feel right now? Look for the white space and not just be redundant in an artist's message. With the freedom comes the openness to receive.
Golden Rule #5: Speak from the Heart:: So golden rule number five is start from what was saying again. Be true. Speak from the heart. Get out, living, being knowledgeable about what's going on in the world around you. I need to know people.
Writing A Song For Rick Ross:: I wanted to write it for Jamie Foxx at the time, a song called Boss ended up going to a Marianne featuring Rick Ross. Once you get into that next critical phase in the creative process, it's time to start shaping it and rewriting.
Being an Artist:: Did you ever think about wanting to be an artist? For sure. I'm an artist. I have music that I'm working on and that I put out periodically. It's whether you want to share that art as yourself is the question.
On Her Relationships With Producers:: When you're working with a producer, do you have certain relationships that work really well? And then hear about what it looks like when it doesn't work so well. There's going to be a lot of gospel influence and R and B, even in the pop stuff.
Nobody cared about that song or ariana because nobody knew:: People knew ariana Grande as an actress, but nobody knew she was a singer yet. Harmony worked with kelly rowland on her first album. One of the songs was nominated for r b song of the year. Ariana Grande loves India. IRI.
Ariana's Still Not a Player Song:: I'm thinking about her every second, every hour. Do my singing in the shower, picking petals off the flowers. She's like, this is my record. If it's not, they can drop me.
Jordan Sparks on Ariana's 'No' Song:: Jordan Sparks' song This is not it for Jordan Sparks went to Ariana Grande. The song was a testament to not allowing a no to distract you, he says. By the next week, the song was gold by the end of the week.
How Do You Get an Artist to Make a Hit?:: How do you get an artist to make magic and rise to the level that maybe they don't even know is there? Do you have any techniques for that? If I can get people to think about pulling the heartstrings, I think you have a great chance at that song being something that sticks.
Favorite Record of All Time:: Favorite person I've worked with so far is probably the Isley Brothers. The closest thing that I feel that I've written to a classic would be Almost it's never enough by Ariana Grande. Chasing classics, not hits, not chasing hits.
Mac Miller on His Versatility:: You seem like a very versatile songwriter and you like a lot of styles of music. It took you a while to get out of the pop box. It was just making music, making stuff that I liked and sharing it with producers.
On Brandy's 'Borderline':: How did Camper and Brandy decide this is going to be, like, real and raw? He says they wanted to challenge themselves and find a way to make a radio song. Kemper: Let's condense this a little bit where it's palatable to as many people as possible.
On Mixing Music:: How often do you take inspiration from other lyrics? Man, a lot. I try to often mix genre. Sometimes take the big chance and find the bleeding edge and then come back to something. Weird is sometimes better than good.
The Art of Writing On a Weekend:: The idea is that the best kind of learning is when we're actually doing it and we're doing it together. If this works, then we're going to do this every time. And if it crashes and burns, then it was his idea. This is my first time.
A New Breakup:: All right, let's start with the idea that this is a fresh breakup orA&Restart. So I think we should, like, maybe and you guys could throw out things too. We're gonna make this on. They'll figure out the splits later.
How To Write A Love Song With 25 Words:: Big would say go with and then obviously, lyrically, we could fill in lyrics. But what he would say is less lyric in the beginning because you don't want to give people that many words. Ne-Yo challenged him to write a song with 25 words.
Thank you for sharing your insight:: Thank you for sharing your insight not only into the science and the art of music, but also your story, making it relatable. I think we all have some incredible takeaways about having a servant heart.
Luck Is When Opportunity Meets Preparation:: Singer-songwriter says luck happens when timing meets preparation and perseverance. He says there will be more no's than yeses along his creative journey. But he allows it to fuel him to continue moving forward and to get better.

A-ROD: Songwriting

Transcript

A-ROD

A-Rod, is a Grammy-winning American producer and songwriter celebrated in R&B and pop. His work on Fantasia's "Side Effects of You" album, which hit No. 1 on the R&B charts, and songs for Ariana Grande, including "The Way," alongside collaborations with artists like Mary J. Blige and Kelly Rowland, have established him as a prominent figure in the music industry. His multifaceted contributions span various genres, showcasing his versatility and creative prowess.