Sean Garrett Tells All: The Stories Behind His Classic Records

The star producer shares his studio stories from working with Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, and many more.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

Sean Garrett is one of the most influential men in music. He's produced 15 No. 1 singles in only seven years. He's the first to reach that feat in under a decade since George Martin produced 20 No. 1 singles for The Beatles from 1964 to 1970.

Garrett has been in the studio with nearly every music powerhouse since his start in 2003. He's worked with Destiny's Child, written tracks for Janet Jackson and Mary J. Blige, had a hand in Ciara's breakout on "Goodies," and remembers working with a 15-year-old Chris Brown on tracks like "Run It" and "Wall to Wall." He's worked with Beyonce on her solo material for years, and has amazing stories about her hits "Diva," "Upgrade U," and "Get Me Bodied". Plus, he touches on the pressure of working with music's No. 1 power couple—Bey and Jay-Z.

Garrett also launched a notable solo career with his debut album Turbo 919 in 2008 and his The Inkwell mixtape in 2010. Read on as "The Pen" talks about the tracks that made his career and offers some additional insights on the music industry.

As told to Lauren Nostro (@LAURENcynthia)

RELATED: Raekwon Breaks Down His 25 Most Essential Songs
RELATED: Juicy J Breaks Down His 25 Most Essential Songs
RELATED: Pusha T Breaks Down His 25 Most Essential Songs

Janet Jackson f/ Kanye West "My Baby" (2004)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Damita Jo
Producer: Kanye West, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Janet Jackson
Label: Virgin



Sean Garrett: "That record came at a really interesting time. I am a big fan of Janet. At the time I was really wanting to work with Kanye West and it was when he was really starting to pop as a producer and Big Jon [Platt] was the A&R for Janet's album, Damita Jo. It was a really cool experience. I thought working with Janet would change my life and it definitely did. The record put another big name on my list, but that was a really cool experience.

"At the time, we all worked separately on the song, but then I got a chance to actually work with Janet and record the vocals. It was really amazing. I was starstruck. She was one of those people that I really wanted to work with I've been blessed to have had some cool experiences, but she was definitely one of the first."

Usher f/ Lil Jon & Ludacris "Yeah!" (2004)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Confessions
Producer: Lil Jon
Label: Arista
Sean Garrett:"This song was the highlight of my career. That was the start. 'Yeah!' still reigns as the most incredible experience in my career because there were so many stories about the situation of how the song came about, how the song actually was released, who liked the song, who didn't like the song.


 

I'm going to write a Michael Jackson song over a crunk beat, and either I'm gonna win big or I''m gonna lose big.


 

"The true story was that I was a big fan of Usher. I grew up loving Usher but also at the time, I was a big fan of Lil Jon. I thought he was so radical and off the beaten path. He had 'Get Low' out and I thought that beat was fucking crazy. I had just signed my deal with L.A. Reid and Hit-Co and he asked me what I was going to do. He wanted me to plan all these smashes and I thought, 'What am i going to do?' I was just two months in. I thought, you know what? I'm going to fucking write a Michael Jackson song over a crunk beat, and either I'm gonna win big or I''m gonna lose big.


 

Long story short, we went through quite a few changes because the original beat I wrote the song to was Petey Pablo's 'Freek-A-Leek' and he actually put the freaking record out after he heard we did an Usher record to it.


 

"At the time I took the demo to L.A. Reid and he thought it was dope but he felt like there was still a few missing elements to it. I kept on begging him and pleading with him and I told him that this song was it. Long story short, we went through quite a few changes because the original beat I wrote the song to was Petey Pablo's 'Freek-A-Leek' and he actually put the freaking record out after he heard we did an Usher record to it. L.A. Reid was on fire at this point. He was like, 'What the hell do you have me in? A superstar is out here looking crazy and you got me believing in this record that's already out.'

"We had to go in and remix the record, people were still on the fence about it and the record leaked and there you have it. I wasn't angry. I was the most excited I could possibly be because finally the cat got out the bag but then people made the choice. From here to New Zealand it was just everywhere. It was crazy."

Ciara f/ Petey Pablo "Goodies" (2004)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Goodies
Producer: Lil Jon
Label: LaFace, Sho'nuff
Sean Garrett: "That was actually Ciara's first single. I did that song in the same week. I've always really been an unorthodox type of thinker. There's always strategy to making my records—it's not just sitting down and writing a record. I never really liked following a traditional style. I wanted to be known for having a different sound.


 

What was great about that time was that I could do records on Lil Jon tracks because they were so quirky and linear and weird. Putting R&B songs and pop songs on those beats was so intriguing to people


 

"What was great about that time was that I could do records on Lil Jon tracks because they were so quirky and linear and weird. Putting R&B songs and pop songs on those beats was so intriguing to people. It was a perfect opportunity to break an artist with the record 'Goodies.' We worked directly at the time. She was little 'Cici.' That's why I can't really take her seriously. What I mean by not taking her seriously is that we still look at her as a little sister. Watching her grow up is great but all of our memories are definitely from when she was a baby girl at 15 or 16."

Destiny's Child "Lose My Breath" (2004)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Destiny Fulfilled
Producer: Darkchild
Label: Columbia
Sean Garrett: "It was an enormous time. I wound up doing nine songs on Destiny Fulfilled and 'Lose My Breath' was a record that was really exciting. At the time, me and Rodney Jerkins did that one together. There was so much magic going on in the studio. We probably recorded all the songs in about a month and every day it was a new song coming out. 'Lose My Breath' was towards the latter part of the album and that was an amazing song that we felt could not only be big on the radio but big with bands and marching bands. I was on a natural high after that."

Destiny's Child "Soldier" (2004)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Destiny Fulfilled
Producer: Rich Harrsion
Label: Columbia
Sean Garrett:"I loved how Destiny's Child evolved and became this really incredible pop group but I wanted to introduce them to the hood from the perspective of having the world look at them in a different way. That was the whole dynamic of putting an album together and, of course, Beyonce is the head honcho. It was great working with her and a lot of the concepts that she and I would talk about before we would put it down.


 

What was great about 'Soldier' was that was they all liked guys from the streets. Each verse was a representation of the guy they were actually into."


 

"What was so beautiful about working with them on this album was they were willing to cut and record almost every track that we were actually coming up with. It was very cool. It was like a machine. I wrote "Soldier" on the way to the studio in a taxi. I said I got this hook that's nuts and I would come in and sing it to the girls and they would say, 'I like that.' What was great about that was they all liked guys from the streets. Each verse was a representation of the guy they were actually into."

Beyonce f/ Slim Thug "Check On It" (2005)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: #1's
Producer: Swizz Beatz
Label: Columbia
Sean Garrett: "'Check On It' was actually on the Pink Panther soundtrack. That was a really big record, too. That came out of the studio sessions and was written going out the door. That track wasn't even taken that seriously. It was just a record that me and Beyonce worked on really quick. We probably did that one in 15 to 20 minutes.

"That was the great thing about working with Beyonce because she utilizes every song. She has all kinds of packages that she's going to release, re-release, remix, or have an idea to package all of the records to where they can all be effective. This wound up being something really, really big."

Amerie "Touch" (2005)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Touch
Producer: Lil Jon
Label: Columbia
Sean Garrett:"I was a big fan of Amerie's first album, and I thought she was really cool. We had an opportunity to get in and meet up and that was around the same time I was working at Sony Studios in New York City. That was a lot of fun, too. She was a bit complex at times because she was very opinionated about what she wanted. Sometimes it's hard to give people what they want when they don't really know exactly what it is that they want. She knew what she wanted but I didn't know if it was attainable at that time. That was interesting, but it was fun.


 

There were a lot of big hits going on at the time and big sounds. Sometimes people want what other people have. Everyone is different.


 

"There were a lot of big hits going on at the time and big sounds. Sometimes people want what other people have. Everyone is different. I pretty much try to cater to each artist individually and try to maintain that separation. There are so many things you have to be concerned about. You might do a song, and have an artist say you gave another artists the same thing you gave me, or why didn't you give me that song and it's hard to understand."

Chris Brown f/ Juelz Santana "Run It" (2005)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Chris Brown
Producer: Scott Storch, Sean Garrett
Label: Jive
Sean Garrett: "That was really an exciting time, because when I first met Chris I had so many songs in my head that I wanted to do with him. I felt like I signed my first record label when I was 15 so he and I instantly clicked and I just thought, "Wow, this kid is a superstar" from the first day I met him. It was a lot of fun. He was so young and so excited about girls. That's all he talked about the entire time. [Laughs.] That's all he wanted to do."

Chris Brown f/ Lil Wayne "Gimme That" (2006)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Chris Brown
Producer: Scott Storch, Sean Garrett
Label: Jive, Zomba
Sean Garrett: "We recorded those songs down in Miami. We did 'Ain't No Way,' 'Gimme That' and 'Run It' and all he would really talk about the whole time was girls so that's what we talked about. [Laughs.] The songs reflected an edgier perspective of a 15 year old.

"For instance, the 'Gimme That' lyrics—"Momma you may be 3 years older but you hot (gimme that)/You be talking like you like what I got (gimme that)/I know you like it how I lean in the 'lac/You could be in the back saying (gimme, gimme, gimme)." You know his mom was definitely like, 'What is going on?' But that was Chris. He wasn't overly raunchy. He was just mischievous and loved the girls."

Jo Jo "The Way You Do Me" (2006)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: The High Road
Producer: Swizz Beatz
Label: Da Family, Blackground

Sean Garrett:"Jo Jo was one of those artists who I really thought was a big star. I just knew she was one record away from really exploding. For some reason I felt like she didn't get the looks that she deserved. I was a big fan of Jo Jo before working with her. It just seemed there was always something that was just pulling her back. I don't know what it is, she would sound great on records. There would always be something and it would just pull her back.


 

I was a big fan of Jo Jo before working with her. It just seemed there was always something that was just pulling her back. I don't know what it is, she would sound great on records.


 

"She was really talented. I enjoyed working with her. I wanted to do different things with her voice. I wanted her to try different things and that's why we did 'The Way You Do Me.' It was about doing records that let you see yourself elevate and get out of the box that you've been in for a while. She has a R&B tone and a real R&B feel to her. I told her she could still keep it R&B but still do mainstream music that would show some dynamic."

Jay-Z f/ Sterling Simms "Dig a Hole" (2006)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Kingdom Come
Producer: Swizz Beatz
Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
Sean Garrett:"Getting in and actually working with Jay_Z was the most pressure I've ever been up under. I would see him all the time and he gave me the nickname "The Pen" because I did so much work for Beyonce. I would see him all the time and we would joke around all the time but he would always challenge me—that's the one thing I admire the most about him. 


 

Sometimes it's not so much about being good but about being next. Jay-Z puts mad pressure on you. He doesn't say much but you know the pressure is on.


 

"At the time he was the president of Def Jam. I would say Jay-Z was probably one of the most influential big name people that put a lot pressure on me but at the same time, made me better. He was always bringing me down to Earth. I would always try to impress him, and I would send him things like "Diva." I actually didn't send that to Beyonce. I sent it to Jay. I was just on one. I would send it to him and hope for his approval. That was one that he really liked.

"I would see him when I was working on B'Day and wait for his approval on a lot of the songs so when I got a chance to work with him on "Dig a Hole," I didn't even really think he was going to like that record actually. I don't know how but Jay just brings the best out of you. He's like the big brother where I just hope he likes this track because he's so theoretical and so methodical at the same time. Sometimes it's not so much about being good but about being next. He puts mad pressure on you. He doesn't say much but you know the pressure is on." [Laughs.]

Pussycat Dolls f/ Snoop Dogg "Buttons" (2006)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: PCD
Producer: Sean Garrett, Ron Fair, Polow da Don
Label: A&M
Sean Garrett: "'Buttons' was really big. Jimmy Iovine is really dope and he's another person who just pushes me to be creative and the more creative I am, the more he likes it. "Buttons" came about in a very short time. I wrote it in a very short time. My man Polow Da Don did the beat.

"I really dug the beat. A lot of times, my songs come from a conversation I had with someone. It could just be a phrase used. Everyone knows Nicole is very sexy so the concept of loosening up her buttons,—every guy would want that and women wouldn't have a problem with guys loosening up their buttons."

Kelis f/ Too Short "Bossy" (2006)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Kelis Was Here
Producer: Bangladesh, Sean Garrett
Label: LaFace, Jive
Sean Garrett: "'Bossy' came out just the way it is because Kelis is bossy. I wrote that because when I got in the studio, she was wilding out about everything—not on me on but on everything. She was just wild. Kelis was edgy but she was really cool and cute, too. It was six years ago, so she was young and feisty.

"It all just worked. She had her hair and I was mad that she had cut the hair by the time I worked with her. I was pretty pissed off about that. I was mad because I wanted to work with her because of her hair." [Laughs]

Kelis f/ Nas "Blindfold Me" (2006)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Kelis Was Here
Producer: Polow da Don, Sean Garrett
Label: LaFace, Jive
Sean Garrett: "Nas is probably one of the coolest cats I've ever met. He's just so laid back. He's a really cool guy so it was dope. I just felt blessed to be able to work with all of my idols, all of the people I looked up to. Working with the man who made Illmatic and my career like a dream come true. Being able to meet these people and interact with them and have them respect your craft has been great."

Mary J. Blige "Work That" (2007)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Growing Pains
Producer: Neff-U
Label: Geffen
Sean Garrett:"'Work That' was huge, but before that, we did another number one record, 'No More Crying.' That was like my eighth or ninth No. 1 single. I was really a big fan, she's another person I was a huge fan of. I grew up loving Mary, and always dreamed of working with her one day. When I did get an opportunity to work with her, we hit it off really well.


 

Mary J. Blige used to always stress to me to just be yourself. I would ask her how to deal with things because it's a very difficult dynamic dealing with superstars


 

"She's not only someone I enjoyed working with but she's someone who would give me advice on the 'do's' and the 'dont's' in the industry. She used to always stress to me to just be yourself. I would ask her how to deal with things because it's a very difficult dynamic dealing with superstars, and people beginning to call you a superstar, and egos. You learn how to deal with success and knowing how to share it.

"The biggest hurdle for me was being able to know the 'do's' and 'the dont's.' You have to be cautious because you're dealing with so much and so many people all at one time. It is really like high school—in school the more people you deal with, the more opportunity for something getting started. It was great working with Mary, and the 'Work That' record was also a dope record received a lot of exposure from the Apple commercial which was really dope."

Chris Brown "Wall to Wall" (2007)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Exclusive
Producer: Sean Garrett, Great Scott
Label: Jive, Zomba
Sean Garrett: "Wall to Wall" definitely showed a lot of growth in Chris. I always knew he wanted to write his own songs and that's why I'm really happy for him now. He's stretching out and starting to write a lot of his own records. There's an art to songwriting. You have to grow up learning it. All that you wind up learning is what you need to have stored to be able to use when its time to actually do it. It was definitely growth and I could see him wanting to get more involved in his pen. It was cool and it worked out really great. I love Chris and I'm just happy he is still out here doing his thing."

Monica f/ Twista "Hell No (Leave Home)" (2007)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: The Makings of Me
Producer: Bryan Michael Cox, Sean Garrett
Label: J
Sean Garrett: "That was the first time working with Monica. She's definitely like a sister. She reminds me a lot of my Mom. She's a real true ATLien, a Georgia Peach. She has all the same values I do and she doesn't take any mess, but at the same time a real sweetheart and really down to earth. She always kept it down to earth and would straighten you out if you need to get straightened out. She and I are really cool. Working with her, she has a dope tone and dope voice, and it was really great to work with her."

Nicole Sherzinger f/ T.I. "Whatever U Like" (2007)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Her Name Is Nicole
Producer: Polow da Don, Sean Garrett
Label: A&M, Interscope
Sean Garrett: "I personally love Nicole and the Pussycats Dolls and maybe this is selfish but I never wanted her to go solo. I feel like that whole Pussycat Dolls concept was just nuts. I have grown to learn now that if you're blessed with certain things you should maximize that—I'm talking personally not necessarily for her but I love Nicole and the Pussycat Dolls.

"What she had was an extension of that and If she would have had those four girls standing beside her on 'Whatever You Like' it probably would have been one of the biggest videos. I love watching their videos. It was a lot of flavor."

Beyonce "Get Me Bodied" (2007)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: B'Day
Producer: Swizz Beatz, Beyonce Knowles, Sean Garrett
Label: Columbia, Music World
Sean Garrett: "Swizz Beatz was a big part of that. He's somebody I've got a lot of love and respect for. He and I are a lot alike creatively. It was just like the crazier the beat, the more I'd try and make the song ridiculous. Whenever we'd work, it was like a test  and I have to come in and I would out-do whatever it was that we did yesterday. I have to out-do what I think the expectations are.

"'Get Me Bodied' was a New York phrase because in the streets, if someone has a problem they would say, 'I have to body this cat when I see him.' I used a little reverse psychology and turned it into a boy meets girl or girl meets boy and thought, 'Can you get me bodied? I want to turn it out tonight. I want to party. I want to dance. I want to be myself.' Getting bodied means when a guy bodies you that he's got your mind. So, she wanted to get bodied. That's how deep you have to come when you're dealing with Jay-Z and Beyonce, too."

Beyonce f/ Jay-Z "Upgrade U" (2007)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: B'Day
Producer: Cameron Wallace, Beyonce Knowles, Swizz Beatz
Label: Columbia, Music World
Sean Garrett: "'Upgrade U' was really easy because when you just think of Jay-Z and Beyonce, they just upgrade you. It's in their vocabulary because they are always reaching for new levels of excellence so 'Upgrade U' made sense. In that world, you just know what to say because catchphrases just come out of conversation."

Beyonce "Ring the Alarm" (2007)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: B'Day
Producer: Swizz Beatz, Beyonce Knowles
Label: Columbia, Music World
Sean Garrett: " On 'Ring the Alarm' it was angry and I just trying to challenge Beyonce. I feel like she challenged me so I challenged her and tried to give her something. She always made me feel very comfortable. It's trying different ideas and you never really knew what she was thinking so I just imagine what she was thinking if things went south, just in general.

"What if things went south? How would she react? How would she feel? As a person, you think of that artist who has it together so what if she didn't? That was the perspective. What if someone did make her vulnerable and eased up on her, her thing? How would that make her feel?"

Beyonce "Green Light" (2007)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: B'Day
Producer: The Neptunes, Beyonce Knowles
Label: Columbia, Music World
Sean Garrett: "The thing about working with Jay-Z and Beyonce is that they are both real leaders. They know exactly what they want. There is pressure when I'm working with her too but I never let them see me sweat but to be honest there was always a lot of pressure. I love that pressure and I'm best when I work under pressure.

"I think the one thing about working on tracks on B'Day with her is that she is very much in control of what she's going to sing, but fortunately she's also very open to accepting all types of ideas and she is a great finisher. It was just a beautiful thing. it was a beautiful opportunity to work on that project."

Beyonce "Diva" (2009)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: I Am... Sasha Fierce
Producer: Bangladesh, Sean Garrett, Beyonce Knowles
Label: Columbia

Sean Garrett:"'Diva' was challenging. It was a street anthem. A diva is a female version of a —it was just that perspective. I know she respects the hustler mentality. I was playing around with that concept. I wanted to use some reverse psychology. I know people call her a diva but I wanted to have her explain what a diva really was and not what people expect a diva to be, a negative perspective. It was more of an empowering perspective of what a diva is.


 

I sent it to Jay-Z before I sent it to Beyonce because you never know how a record is going to be come about or be accepted or be viewed. The confident side of me said if Jay loves it then I know it's right.


 

"I sent it to Jay-Z before I sent it to Beyonce because you never know how a record is going to be come about or be accepted or be viewed. The confident side of me said if Jay loves it then I know it's right. I'm not afraid of being told 'this isn't it' but I just like to be challenged. You yearn for it. You yearn for the acceptance from the people you really respect to like your stuff and what you're doing.

"Most people might think that it was crazy to give it to Jay first because if he says no then that's that. It was just a blessing to be around people you admire and challenge the creative because there have been times I haven't impressed certain people with records and I kind of like that. I know it sounds weird but I like the challenge and I hate the disappointment."

Beyonce f/ Lady Gaga "Video Phone" (2009)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: I Am... Sasha Fierce
Producer: Bangladesh, Sean Garrett, Beyonce Knowles
Label: Columbia

Sean Garrett: "Working with Lady Gaga was all because of Beyonce. She reached out to her. If you work hard, good things can happen. I work everyday and if you work everyday you get opportunities and get more than you are looking for."

Nicki Minaj f/ Sean Garrett "Massive Attack" (2010)

Not Available Interstitial

Album: Pink Friday
Producer: Sean Garrett, Alex da Kid
Label: Young Money, Cash Money, Universal MotownSean Garrett: "That was my first time working with Nicki and it was nuts. Nuts and more nuts because Nicki is just a fireball. I wanted to do things a little differently than she did, just in terms of the production of the record. 


 

That record was really before it's time because by that time, people were expecting the street Nicki. They had no idea that they were about to see the pop princess and I was the guinea pig because I knew that would be big but I didn't know if that should have been put out in a street way.


 

"That record was really before it's time because by that time, people were expecting the street Nicki. They had no idea that they were about to see the pop princess and I was the guinea pig because I knew that would be big but I didn't know if that should have been put out in a street way. That was a record that Hot 97 blasted and I didn't really feel like that was the way it should have been introduced to the world.

"I felt like Nicki should have introduced it and she should have done a video first. A lot of times when I do records, I have a vision of not only the song effecting the radio but how it should look on the screen, too. I'm not saying it goes down necessarily how I want it too all the time but I like collaborating with the artists because we're artists. I never got a chance to know how she wanted to roll it out and I knew it was going to be a big record.

"The video got stupid views but commercially the timing was just bad. I wanted the drums to be bigger and harder but we just didn't get the opportunity to see it all the way through but I enjoyed working with her. Afterwards, she was on my song "Get It All." I was satisfied with the record "Massive Attack," it was a lot for people at the time.

"They wanted that queen, so if she had that as her second or third single it would have been out of here but that's how music is. It's timing, not just the record itself. It was a blessing to work with Nicki, she is very smart and very talented."

Latest in Music