Behind the Music: The Track List

The track list for “Go With God Vol. 1” was far from an arbitrary mix of beats. So you can feel them like I was feeling them, I took some time to reflect on the journey and creation process of my first instrumental EP. Let me know which track you are looking forward to hearing most!

Grace Pt. 1

Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—“

This was THE very first beat I produced for the project! I had yet to fully lock in with any sound, let alone a sound of my own, and definitely not to the degree of putting myself on the line to create something for someone else’s project. But again, back then the obedience was rapid and faith was at an all time high so I jumped in. I knew I wanted the sound to be soulful, heavy-hitting enough to catch a new listener off guard, yet soft enough that the message in the song wouldn’t get drowned out or lost. With it being the first song on the project I wanted something that was slightly upbeat, easy to listen to, and allowed for a gradual build up allowing the artist to be able to really bring it home by songs 4 and 5.

The artist was a new artist, so the process was extremely new for them as well. More than that, they needed music in order to come up with lyrics..so not only was I coming up with a sound of my own for someone else, they would essentially be crafting the song based off what I provided. The only thing I had to work with was a concept, maybe a working title to the songs.

The beat is meant to sound bold, yet humble, and slightly timid at the same time. The concept behind the song was a person, maybe someone who’s new to following Christ and isn’t sure how to “do things right”, asking Him for His grace as they step out in faith. Even though they have no idea on how to, and no prior experience on the matter, they blindly answer the call and are asking God to provide His grace because they’re unable to see what He’s doing (walking by faith, not by sight).

Because this was so new and a mission God told me to partake in I wanted to ensure that whatever He wanted to come across in the song I delivered just that; and in order to ensure this, I would ask what the song was about, find scripture that aligned with that topic, then pray and meditate on that Word before working on the beat. The scripture of choice for this beat was Ephesians 2:8. This routine became so much a part of the process that I started naming the beats whatever scripture it was based off of until an actual title was chosen.

Grace Pt. 2

Hopefully between the blog and the write up for the first song y’all are still hanging with me and connecting the parts of this story. If me revealing Go With God Vol. I was actually a Gospel EP named “The Grace Project” wasn’t enough, what if I also told you there was TWO versions of The Grace Project?? After creating 4-5 beats that relied solely on samples, the artist brought up concerns about clearance and copyrights, so I had to pivot quickly.

I had just received access to Splice, a website that allows producers to download royalty free sounds and samples, and with the new concern being brought up there was no better time to give it a shot.. By this time my confidence had grown, and after creating the previous beats under the inspiration of The Holy Spirit, my approach was a lot bolder; it showed with this beat. By this time I think the song order had changed, as maybe 2 or 3 songs had been written, and Ephesians 2:8 which would come to be known as “Grace” went from the first song to the 2nd song on the track list. I still needed the song to have a bounce to it - steady, strong, and able to be the bridge to the remaining songs. The new #1 song was gonna hit HARD, so Grace had to be able to hold its own following it up while still ushering the listener into the remainder of the EP.

It proved to be the last beat I worked on for the project, with only one verse and the hook being cemented (which is why the beat ended up only being partially arranged)

Trust In You

😮‍💨..where do I start with this one..well for one it’s probably the one with the most “history”. I originally chopped the sample before I began work on the project but it was a totally different concept. When I begin working on the project I ended up revisiting it, with a crazy notion to use the drum pattern from The Isley Brothers “Footsteps In the Dark”. At first I was slightly hesitant like, “can I do this..with a Gospel song?” Sure Kirk Franklin out here sampling EWF but that don’t make it right for me! The Holy Spirit assured me it was “aiight” and we got it poppin’ from there!

I then had to pitch the beat to the artist. Granted I thought it was different and that was a great thing, but I’m also a creator that understands some times everyone won’t see (or hear) the vision, but to my surprise they were down for it! I think this actually ended up being the first song that was fully written and the lyrics really made the song come together.

It was never recorded sadly. I think the issue started when the artist went (proud & confidently) out and shared the song with someone else..I mean sang it for em on the spot and everything! They didn’t exactly receive the best response; to be fully transparent the person told them the song was dope, but not for them and they should give it to another person they were both familiar with. I think that was the start of cracks beginning to form in the ship. No matter how much I reassured them that the song was theirs and that they were their own person..that this thing was God given and for them alone, I believe the damage had already been done.

In a part of the lyrics, the artist sang about how losing trust in God felt equivalent to losing a part of themselves; how the things we see and problems we face make it hard to actually believe in Him and His Words..how true and sadly foretelling it was (for myself at least). Soon after this, more situations came and before long I felt like I was fighting to keep the project alive as if it was my responsibility to. I felt if I didn’t steward over it properly, things would not come to pass. And while my actions were understandable, it shows how I myself lacked trust that God was still in control of the situation. Insecurity and lack of belief is a real thing on so many levels..belief in ourselves as well as belief in Our God. It was definitely one of my favorites, and I wish things would’ve turned out differently for this one…

Keeping Me

Who knew a song with just a vocal sample of harmonizing ‘hums’ and some drums could cause problems the way it did, but that’s neither here nor there. Or maybe it is because even how the beat came to be was born from a place that was NOT orchestrated by The Holy Spirit, so let this be a lesson for us all!

Around this time I was working with not one, but TWO artists! Seemed like things could be picking up but I still wasn’t fully sold. By this time I already had the name GodSouL for my sound, but the vision was still extremely fresh. The first artist and I were clicking but I hadn’t been able to work with the 2nd just yet and I felt I had bitten off too much. I had been trying to create a beat for them that I felt held up to what I knew they could do, but I was bombing and beginning to doubt myself. To make matters worse I was set to have virtual collab sessions with both artists on the same day; long story short, they both stood me up.

Not even mad, but more out of disappointment and extreme unbelief..I fired up my computer and go to Splice. In a lamenting sort of way, I began combing through sound packs until I come across a Gospel themed one that contained the sample. I started crafting the beat as a “cry to God”, I even named the beat “Dream Deferred” originally. For whatever reason, that day just hit hard, like if I’m really supposed to be who you said God then give me a sign…

Before I knew it I had created this, and it was ROCKIN’! I think this was definitely the birth of GodSouL. It ended up being the 2nd song to be written and completed; THIS is the song that knocked Grace from its original lineup as song #1, with its lyrics that hit just had hard as the drums did on the song. It was meant to have even more instruments/accompaniment but we never got to that point…

Letting Go

It was beats like this one that gave me hope and made me truly believe that this GodSouL thing really was from God and that He really had everything worked out. It was created during the early stages of the project, part of The Grace Project 1.0, with a sample I found and chopped up. That also means it was crafted with “scripture and meditation with The Holy Spirit” method. Its scripture of reference was 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

And that’s exactly what the song was about: letting go of fears, inhibitions, doubt..anything that would cause us to speak the opposite of what God has told and promised us no matter how bleak our surrounding situations may seem.

It was meant to be a “REAL” song; a song of ministry, breakthrough, and healing. While the others were meant to make you nod your head, maybe bop a little while you snap along, this one was intended to have people raw and vulnerable; sobbing at the Father’s feet, ready to place whatever burdens they had before Him and to leave feeling lighter after being set free.

This is another that lyrics never fully materialized for, but I still hold out hope for it to turn around when the time is right…it was set to be song #4 on the original EP, but I feel that with its intended meaning and concept it closes out this EP in the right spot as the last song. Letting go is something I had to learn to do so much during this process and even after. This project is proof of how not letting go causes you to stay stuck in cycles and revisit the same situations until the lessons are fully grasped and obedience is executed.

Reminiscing about the creation of these songs has still found a way to be therapeutic even after almost 2 years, and it’s great I can even look back on it in this manner. Despite not being completed, it did a great deal for me..it gave me a glimpse to see what I was capable of, it gave me my first taste of what the process looks like to produce an entire project, and exposed areas personally, spiritually, and professionally I needed to fortify.

Can you relate to any of these situations? Which track are you looking forward to hearing? Leave me a comment with your thoughts and questions.