Beauty and the Beats | Keri Hilson

Dec 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Anthony Roberts

BEHIND-THE-SCENES SONGWRITER KERI HILSON AND UP-AND-COMING PRODUCER POLOW DA DON STEP INTO THE BRIGHT LIGHTS FOR HILSON'S SOLO DEBUT, IN A PERFECT WORLD...

When the late legendary Ray Charles sat at his Steinway and soulfully belted out “Georgia on My Mind,” even he probably didn't know how true of a statement that would turn out to be for music fans. While most people mistakenly credit Charles with writing the tune that would later go on to become the official song of the Peach State, the lyrics were actually written by a man named Stuart Gorrell in 1930 as an ode to a woman of the same name (with the music composed by Hoagy Carmichael). Though Keri Hilson has never met Gorrell and wasn't even born when either version of the song was recorded, she bears a striking musical resemblance to the songwriter. She too has written some of the biggest hits for artists who will undoubtedly go on to become legends. And many people, as in the case of Gorrell, don't even know it. But no longer relegated to the shadows of the studio, Hilson — a Decatur, Ga., native, along with her own updated version of Carmichael in the form of superproducer Polow Da Don (who reps the A-T-L) — is keeping the state of Georgia on fans' minds, as well as on the airwaves. The duo has collaborated on numerous songs, including a nice portion of Hilson's debut album, In a Perfect World…, which hit shelves this month as a joint release through Mosley Music/Zone 4 Records (an imprint of Interscope). With just the right formula of creativity, trust, talent and patience, the two are poised to become music's new Bonnie and Clyde.

“It's probably the only thing that I'm this passionate about,” says the 26-year-old statuesque Hilson on her relationship with music. “Being an artist was always a part of my plan. I was an artist before I was writing songs. Songwriting was always kind of like my plan B, and low and behold, my plan B brought me to my plan A.” Some contingency plan, to say the least. Since 2001, Hilson has been putting her pen to use and racking up writing credits for a laundry list of artists' hits, including Ludacris' “Runaway Love,” Mary J Blige's “Take Me as I Am” and Omarion's “Ice Box,” as well as hits for Ciara, Chris Brown, Britney Spears and Usher, among others. Her writing prowess has earned her quite a reputation within the industry and has made her the go-to girl. But more than being the hit-maker behind the scenes, Hilson is hoping that people know her in the now for her own material and, In a Perfect World…, they will.

“My sound is the culmination of everything that I am. I'm a black girl born and raised in Decatur, but in the '80s, when there were no distinct lines in music,” she explains. “You listened to Phil Collins and George Michael and Madonna or Blondie, and you appreciated and respected these artists for the artists that they were. It wasn't about color. My music definitely reflects that. There's '80s influence, there's rap influence, there's a pop and alternative feel. It's a great mix of everything that's dope about every genre.”

To achieve that quality mix of ingredients, you have to have a master chef in the kitchen. And there's not many cooking up better beats than the 29-year-old superproducer known as Polow Da Don. Like Hilson, his track record is as solid as they come. Laying claim to providing both the booming backdrops and the melodic masterpieces behind some of hip-hop, R&B and pop's biggest records — including Fergie's “London Bridge,” the Pussycat Dolls' “Buttons” and Rich Boy's “Throw Some D's,” as well as music for Ludacris, Jamie Foxx, Young Buck, Kelly Rowland and Nas — the man is certified. Not bad for a guy who admits to have just begun producing in 2002. Recognizing the need for sous chefs, Polow enlisted the help of highly respected boardsmen Timbaland and Danja to add their own unique spices to Hilson's recipe, but the unlikely and sometimes genius, sometimes dysfunctional chemistry between Polow and Hilson is where the project seems to really come to life.

THE ODD COUPLE

“Our tag team when it comes to making music…our process is compromise both ways,” Hilson says. “I don't really know how to explain it. We definitely don't agree on everything, but we don't disagree on everything either. We just kind of talk and find things, and that's how songs are created with us.” But maybe she's too close, too internally tangled within the esoteric language that she and her producer share. Too involved in the very process itself to lend any real hope at deciphering their musical code. Perhaps it's those on the outside who can best describe the methods to their madness.

“It's like two siblings, not like a rivalry, but they're both the best at what they do. They're gonna collide and bump heads; it happens,” says veteran engineer Marcella “Ms. Lago” Araica, who Polow calls “the future of engineers” and the woman responsible for mixing Hilson's album sans four tracks. Being privy to many a session with the two and observing their collective energy and ideation process, she tells of a bond that many on the outside may not be able to understand, but one that definitely works for them.

“The sound of Keri's album is pretty much Polow's understanding of urban music and Keri's urban and pop influence. When you put the two together, it's a dynamic combo. Polow doesn't give up until the product is amazing. Like the record “Turnin' Me On” [feat. Lil Wayne], she did it because he asked her to,” Araica continues. “She didn't like it at first, but she gave in and it became a hit. She believed in him. That's their process. It might take weeks before she does something he asks because she strongly believes in her vision, too, but she trusts him. I've never seen a process like theirs before. They're very unique.” The trust that Araica speaks of was definitely not earned overnight.

“Sometimes [Polow] will play you a skeleton of a track, and be like, ‘This record's huge.’ He'll just give you a one-liner and mumble something under his breath to the beat, and you'll be like, ‘Ummm…,’” Hilson says of her apprehension to some of the beatsmith's ideas. Admitting that he originally crafted the tracks for what would become Fergie's “London Bridge” and Jamie Foxx's “DJ Play a Love Song” for Hilson, he says that he had to prove to her that he was able to make hits before he could convince her to see his vision.

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