Jenso Plymouth talks being the “designated driver” for Chris Brown and Sevyn Streeter’s creativity
Every song on Chris Brown’s 11:11 album was recorded by Jenso Plymouth, an engineer whose sole focus is bringing an artist’s vision to life. That’s why he usually has the best seat in the house to witness some of the most impressive feats you’ll see in a studio.
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“Chris had wanted to sample an Instagram video of a young African girl singing these praising tones. I think Teezio helped him get the initial track,” Plymouth told REVOLT. “It’s a song we worked on for two or three days. Then, when Chris did that high singing part, it was another display of why he's one of the best.”
In this installment of “Studio Sessions,” the recording engineer explained how working with YSL led to him working with Breezy, the process of recording the entire 11:11 album, and building his bond with Sevyn Streeter. Read the exclusive conversation below.
“Studio Sessions” alum Teezio has been Chris Brown’s primary recording engineer for years. You handled those duties on his latest album, 11:11. How did you get involved?
I started recording Chris in 2022 when he and Teezio wrapped up Breezy. I’ve pretty much been around for that and pretty much everything that went up to 11:11, including the deluxe. I came up at Bainz’s studio, Crosby Recording Studio. When Chris and Thug did the Slime & B project in 2020, Bainz and Teezio built a friendship then. When Teezio started entering the mixer part of his career, Bainz put a good word in for me because I had been in the YSL situation. I also worked with Sevyn [Streeter], who was formerly signed to Chris and has a similar workflow. Having an experience in both of those gigs put me in a good position to work with Chris.
What did you have to learn about working with Chris?
I guess I was pretty well equipped because Teezio explained to me his workflow, and I had worked with artists that worked as fast as Chris is. I had recorded a good amount of R&B, so I understood the stacking and everything. I had to get in sync with [his] tempo and anticipate what he wanted to do.
You recorded his entire 11:11 album and the deluxe. What was the timeline for that?
We did some of the deluxe songs while working on the regular version of the album. We may have done a handful of them after. This was about a 1 ? year span between 2022-2024. It was fun. It was exciting. Chris is one of the greatest of all time. He was easy to work with. A big thing for me was to be fast and flexible, so he could be creative. The song “Shooter” might be the first one we did for the album. That one was amazing because of how it was built over time.
I think Teezio was part of the initial production. Chris had wanted to sample an Instagram video of a young African girl singing these praising tones. I think Teezio helped him get the initial track. It’s a song we worked on for two or three days. Then, when Chris did that high singing part, it was another display of why he's one of the best. I was in awe of it happening, but at the same time, I was having fun and making sure to stay creative, so his vision can be executed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd4j4uRswyM
What was Fridayy and Chris’ chemistry like in the studio?
Even though Chris is fast, he's never forcing anything. He has excellent instincts for making music. He’s very collaborative. If you’re in the studio with him, it’s probably because he trusts what you do musically. Fridayy would definitely pull out the piano and get some chords going. Chris was receptive to him being himself and inserting what his artistry is where it makes sense. He’ll always find a way to marry what he wants with whatever is going on in the room.
You’re usually doing long and late hours in the lab. What do you need to work your best?
All I need is a great mic in the recording chain because it makes my job easier since I don’t have to rely too much on technical stuff and trying to make it sound good. Chris doesn't even need any plugins or anything to sound like Chris. I learned early on with recording him that he brings the sound, so as long as I have good quality equipment and a fast computer with some decent plugins, my job is kind of straightforward. I’m ensuring I stay out of the way and [don’t hold] someone up from getting their idea across. I make sure I’m the designated driver. They tell me where they want to go, and I ensure we get there safely and as quickly as possible.
What’s Chris’ vocal chain?
It’s a Telefunken Elam 251E going to a BAE 1073 Rackmount Microphone Preamp & EQ into a Tube-Tech CL1B Optical Compressor. That’s a top-tier chain. If you have Chris Brown's vocals and that template, the plugins become less of a thing. I use a basic Fab Filter EQ, Waves plugins, and Valhalla reverbs after the fact. I love a lot of stuff from Native Instruments. I love using plugins from Plugin Alliance, McDSP, iZotope, and Slate Digital.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCv3nfXp0Uj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Chris is one of the most in-demand artists in the game. What were some of the quickest turnarounds for records you worked on?
The stuff off VULTURES 1 wasn’t too far off. Certain things have been pretty quick, and this was one of the quick ones. I don’t want to delve into specifics, but we work quickly. I’ve definitely recorded Chris for two hours and sent it to Teezio, and he has it done either that night or the same morning.
You’ve also done extensive work with Sevyn Streeter. How did you two develop that sort of bond?
We had that from day one. The first song I ever did with her was a song called “Guilty” with Chris ironically. It was during the pandemic. I had just left doing a YSL session, and Xavier, an A&R at Warner Chappell, called me to see if I would work with this artist named Sevyn Streeter. I had recorded R&B artists, but I had really been in the trap stuff for a few years before, but it went effortlessly. My philosophy has always been to make sure the artist is comfortable and [be] helpful when I can. Sometimes, people don’t always understand the vocabulary of R&B.
Whether someone’s doing an ad-lib or a background stack or a double, there are certain things I was in tune with. Now, Sevyn is like family. She’s one of my favorite people I’ve ever worked with in the industry. I messaged her earlier today. She always hypes me up in any room we’re in. I learned so much about music working with her. She’s one of the most talented vocalists I know. I could talk about Sevyn forever.
She hasn’t released a full-length album since Drunken Wordz Sober Thoughtz. Are there any unreleased songs you two have done that you hope come out?
We have some material from back then. I know she's been working on some new material. I did her whole last album. She’s definitely gearing up for some more material. She writes for other people and does other things. Based on our last conversations, I think a new project from her isn’t too far away. There’s definitely some stuff that we've done, and we're planning to get back in the studio.
What’s a typical session like with her?
There’s definitely great lighting and drinks. It’s always a vibe. When we started working, it was COVID, so we often worked out of our home studio. She was always making sure we had a good vibe. If that meant taking a break to eat, we’d do that. She's always very hospitable and very collaborative.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkCYkDPrIoS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
What do you have planned for the rest of 2024?
While Chris is on tour, I’m recording another artist. I wish I could say, but we don’t have any music out yet. I'm working with more artists engineering and production-wise. I work for a label called Human Re-Sources as their studio manager, so I’m excited about a lot of their artists on their roster, helping build this digital culture over here. They have some great artists like Natyana, Kelz, Lekan, Love Moor, and FIFTEENAFTER. I'm still involved with Crosby Recording Studios a lot, too. My goal is just to keep working. I've also been writing for this engineering publication called Recording Magazine. I'm trying to do more community and education work in the audio and music space.
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