Written in Partnership with Amir Bakian
During a recent interview with ALIBI Music founder/executive producer Jonathan Parks, he told me that one of the coolest parts of running his production music library is getting the opportunity to work with so many talented composers, producers and artists from around the world, each with their own indelible impact on the art we all love. The music resulting from these collaborations is used in an array of film and TV projects, from movie trailers, promos and commercials to documentaries, video games and streaming series.
“It’s pretty awesome to have such talent at our fingertips and to see (and hear) that validated onscreen,” he said. “But once in a while, someone’s fresh energy will stand out, and we’ll know we’re catching them at the start of something big. ‘This one’s the real deal,’ we’ll say.”
ALIBI recently had that experience while creating its Old School Rap album. Parks and his team had tapped an up-and-coming artist/writer for two of the tracks, and the level of authenticity she delivered was as if she had time traveled here from the ‘90s rather than having been a small kid then. Remedy Da Franchise is that real deal for hip-hop… an artist you’ll want to watch as she continues to rise.
We had the chance to chat with Remedy about her love for hip-hop, her work on ALIBI’s “Old School Rap” and what’s coming up next:
How did you get into rap/hip-hop music?
Remedy: Hip-hop/rap has always been part of my life. My parents love music and I was introduced to gospel, R&B, jazz, hip-hop, etc. very early in life. My earliest memories are aligned with significant moments in hip-hop history. I remember when Tupac and Biggie were killed, watching TLC on TV when “Crazy, Sexy, Cool” was released and listening to “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” I made my mom buy the cassette tape of Missy Elliot’s debut album when it came out — I wasn’t even in the 1st grade yet. Hip-hop is part of my life story from the beginning. I used to write poetry, but it developed into songwriting and emceeing around the 5th/6th grade.
What was the inspiration for your songs on the “Old School Rap” album and which tracks are yours?
Remedy: I am a huge fan of ‘90s music, and I was listening to a lot of Wu Tang, Queen Latifah and TLC around the time that I wrote Are We Clear. My producer, Jason Szklarek, is always sending me beats and the production for “Are We Clear” put me in the zone as soon as I heard it. I knew what I wanted to do with it because I had just binge-watched the Wu Tang series right before I heard the instrumental. We found out that ALIBI was going to do this album and we thought it fit what they were looking for, so we submitted and it made the cut.
Get Busy was a different process. ALIBI let us know that there was a need for a record that was a party vibe reminiscent of Salt-N-Pepa. Jason and I took a few stabs at it and after fine-tuning the production and laying the vocals, we had our engineer, Steven DaCosta, put some finishing touches to my vocals, and we sent it over for consideration. ALIBI loved it and it made the cut as well.
What was your approach to this project and who was involved creatively?
Remedy: I tapped into that time period and put myself back in the early ‘90s. I spent time consuming decade-relevant music. For a few days, I listened to nothing but old school hip-hop, watched the Wu Tang series and watched nostalgic music videos. It helped me tap back into that timeframe and reimagine myself as an adult in that time period.
What excites you most about this release?
Remedy: It’s such a fun project and shows how versatile ALIBI’s songwriters are. It’s easy to create music that sounds contemporary since we live in this timeframe, but to make new music that sounds like old school hip-hop takes a lot of creativity. We’re decades away from the ‘80s/’90s now, so being able to tap back into that energy exemplifies how much talent exists at ALIBI. I was able to transcend time and create music from the era that is responsible for my love of hip-hop in general.
When you think of this music being used in the future, what types of projects do you most envision?
Remedy: I can see these being used in movies or a series, mainly those that are period pieces from the ‘80s and ‘90s, of course. I can also see the records being used alongside brands that may identify with partying, fun, upbeat, hip-hop culture, etc.
How was this experience different from any previous work you’ve done with ALIBI?
Remedy: This experience was different because it required more preparation. My other work with ALIBI differed because I could pull from current experiences and current sounds. I didn’t have to trick my brain to come up with music. This process required my dedicated attention to a historical era in music and I really immersed myself in ‘80s/’90s culture to recreate the vibe. In a way, it felt like I was taking on a movie role as I studied the differences in cadence, voice inflection and instrumentation compared to today’s style of rap music. So much has changed.
What are your top credits overall in this business?
Remedy: Navigating the TV/film world is something we just began focusing on in 2022. In less than a year, I’ve managed to get records placed with ALIBI and several other libraries. Outside of sync, I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with platinum producer Black Nailz and making music with rappers La Chat, Project Pat, Vita, Sasha Go Hard, etc., earning coverage and cover stories in hip-hop magazines (the latest being Apex Coture Magazine and Stardom 101 Magazine), as well as winning several awards at various underground award shows across the US. It’s been a wild ride for me over the years and things have dramatically progressed on the sync front.
Are you doing anything else exciting right now (career or otherwise) that you’d like to share with the world?
Remedy: I’m currently in pre-production for music videos that will be released in 2024. I also released an EP called “Polar Lights” this year alongside another female rapper named Queen Jazee. I will continue to create music for sync opportunities and expand my reach over the next year. Outside of music, I’m also studying for a DBA — education is important to me.
How can people follow your work (website/Spotify/social channels)?
Remedy: I can be reached on www.remedydafranchise.com and @Remedydafranchise on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and – of course – you can find my work in ALIBI’s catalog.
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