Alissia on Historic Grammy Producer of the Year Nod and Her Sacred Encounters With Quincy Jones and Prince

Alissia’s DMs are lit. Prince slid into them to attach with the producer and bass participant about loving her music. Bootsy Collins reached out over social media and consequently, she labored on one-third of his 15-track 2017 album, World Extensive Funk. And Quincy Jones even related with the songwriter and DJ about her music, an opportunity encounter together with her “greatest inspiration” that modified her life.

The greats have identified about Alissia for years, and he or she’s been working persistently behind-the-scenes to make a reputation for herself. She’s produced and written for Anderson .Paak, Calvin Harris and Mary J. Blige, incomes a 2023 Grammy nomination for album of the yr for the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul’s Good Morning Attractive.

Now, Alissia is nominated for non-classical producer of the yr on the 2025 Grammys, making her simply the ninth girl within the present’s 67-year historical past to compete for the prize. A girl has by no means gained the award, and this yr she’s in good firm: Nominees embrace Dan Nigro (Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo), Mustard (Kendrick Lamar), D’Mile (Girl Gaga, Bruno Mars) and Ian Fitchuk (Kacey Musgraves).

“I acquired out of my seat and began leaping round and screaming. I couldn’t imagine it,” Alissia tells The Hollywood Reporter about listening to her title referred to as as a nominee. “I needed to verify a number of occasions that it was my title, after which my telephone began blowing up. It was insane. It took me some time to actually course of it. I really feel like I’m nonetheless processing. I’m so, so honored and, wow, nonetheless in shock.”

She provides: “It wasn’t actually an in a single day factor. Oftentimes individuals don’t actually discuss in regards to the arduous work that everybody places of their craft, however it’s been years and years of labor.”

Initiatives that Alissia contributed to which might be additionally nominated embrace Kaytranda’s Timeless (finest dance/digital album) and Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge’s sophomore launch because the duo NxWorries, Why Lawd? (finest progressive R&B album). Extra credit from Alissia this Grammy cycle included manufacturing work for Coco Jones, Chlöe, BJ The Chicago Child and Lion Babe.

In an interview, the musician — who was born in Switzerland, grew up in Italy and has lived in America for 15 years — discusses her historic nomination, the state of feminine producers, a latest session with Mars and her likelihood encounters with Jones and Prince.

Might you are taking me by means of your journey and discuss these years earlier than you labored with well-known artists?

I actually began on bass. I began as a musician for years and years, after which I shifted extra into producing. I discovered myself organically extra in-studio, simply creating. I’m such a nerd, a music lover. I breathe music, I get up, hearken to music and something that has to do with both enjoying or writing or arranging — I actually love doing all of it. I had a video that went viral on YouTube, so lots of people began reaching out from that. It opened plenty of doorways for me, just like the craziest names, individuals I actually regarded as much as from after I first began. That’s after I first began into the manufacturing world.

Was a part of your journey additionally as being a performer along with enjoying devices?

Yeah, I really feel like I used to be at all times very low-key. I used to be only a nerd who ended up working with all these unbelievable artists, and it was by no means actually about me. It was at all times in regards to the music. There have been plenty of labels who wished to signal me tremendous early on, and I’m so glad I actually caught to my intestine and was like, “I don’t even know who I’m or what sort of music I need to make.” And so they have been form of placing me on this field: “You ought to be then singing and carrying any such stuff and doing this and dealing with this producer.” I used to be like, “No, producing is what I really like doing.”

Quincy Jones reached out to you early in your profession — what was that like?

I actually regarded as much as him, and I nonetheless do. His music, his legacy lives on perpetually. He was in all probability my greatest inspiration so far as a producer. I used to be like, “I need to write these kinds of strings that I’m listening to on MJ’s information. I need to have the ability to rating that.” I’d see documentaries of Quincy together with his pen. I used to be like, “I need to have the ability to do this.” I studied and now I understand how to rearrange strings, so it’s actually due to him. 

It was a loopy week [when he died]; that second was so unhappy for me and for lots of people. I acquired nominated a number of days later as producer of the yr, so it was just like the particular person I used to be trying as much as essentially the most handed a number of days earlier than I acquired the nomination, so my emotions have been everywhere.

His workforce reached out and I acquired to take a seat down with him one time in New York, and it was unbelievable to be speaking to somebody you look as much as a lot. All his phrases of recommendation are actually one thing I’ll at all times cherish. I really like the truth that he was so humble … he’s so all the way down to earth and a real music lover. And it’s actually uncommon to search out somebody that’s such a legend but in addition [someone] you’ll be able to discuss to love it’s a member of the family and makes you’re feeling protected in his house.

You additionally interacted with Prince — what was that like?

Throughout that point I used to be actually shedding bass 24/7, and I really feel prefer it was in all probability my greatest dream to get a name from Prince. I’m such an enormous Prince fan. I’m a kind of who would go on YouTube, have a look at all of the stay exhibits, like from the NPG, Revolution, The Time, and I truly put a canopy of considered one of The Time’s songs on YouTube and I assume he noticed that and he reached out. At first it was on Twitter and I wasn’t positive if it was him. I used to be like, “Is that Prince? How can I fact-check this?” He despatched me a DM and was like, “Confidentially talking, I see all the things you’re doing. You’re unbelievable.” I used to be like, “Oh, my God.”

And actually the subsequent day, I acquired a name from his assistant and he was like, “Prince desires you to return to Paisley Park.” I used to be melting. They have been like, “When are you able to come to Paisley Park?” I used to be like, “I’ve a present tomorrow, so I can’t come proper now, however I can come subsequent week.” Hastily, I’m not listening to again anymore. He reached out once more like a yr later. They flew me out. I acquired to the airport and I waited on the airport for some time. I wasn’t listening to again from them. It’s form of a tragic story as a result of he was already sick and I by no means acquired to truly correctly jam with him. It’s a loopy story as a result of I used to be so shut. In a while I discovered that he was placing his new band collectively and he noticed all of my movies. I’ll at all times cherish the decision from Prince. That’s one thing that’s golden and galvanizing.

You’re the ninth girl to ever be nominated for producer of the yr and a girl has by no means gained the award. How do you’re feeling about that?

I really feel prefer it’s so highly effective to see girls proceed to maneuver the needle. I really feel like I’m so honored to be nominated on this class. I hope that I’m an inspiration for different girls to maintain going, to at all times research arduous, present up ready and with confidence, do your factor and maintain doing all your factor, and by no means cease dreaming as a result of it may well occur to any considered one of us. 

Additionally, all the ladies that have been nominated earlier than me, [it’s] such an inspiration to see these forms of girls paving the way in which for individuals like me on this class. It’s very humbling. Even after I noticed the nomination, I assumed to myself, “It’s manner larger than me.” I’m carrying a giant title. Nevertheless it truly actually fueled me much more to work more durable.

What’s your expertise been like as a feminine producer in an setting that looks like a boys membership?

Being a girl, while you stroll in a room filled with males, typically, they may have some ideas and perhaps suppose that you simply’re [not] at their stage; you form of need to show your self extra. I really feel like in my profession, even after I was enjoying bass, I felt like I needed to research greater than the common particular person, males, I assume, with a purpose to actually really feel like I used to be capable of have a seat on the desk. And identical being a producer. I really feel like I actually needed to research for years, and actually shed my craft totally to have a seat on the desk and have that respect and belief from artists.

And it additionally takes individuals to, in a manner, it’s unhappy to say, however be open-minded. Some artists are aware of that they usually actually attempt to embrace extra girls round them. I really feel like we want extra of that as a result of there’s so many unbelievable girls producers on the market, and we generally don’t get the chance or the platform to actually work with sure individuals. It takes loads to actually have a protected house for girls on this trade. I obtain so many DMs from younger women telling me, “I actually love producing however I really feel hopeless.” [I want] labels and artists to really feel like they’ll actually belief after they see a girl producer [and] they’ll actually really feel slightly extra inclined to incorporate them in what they’re doing.  

You’ve collaborated a ton with Anderson .Paak and he additionally labored on Mary J. Blige’s album. Did he convey you into that mission?

He introduced me in for [that and the] Kaytranada mission that we’re nominated for. Anderson is such a tremendous artist and collaborator. We met years in the past, and ever since, he’s one of many artists that I’m actually grateful for as a result of proper from the start [he was] bringing me in plenty of classes.  I actually love working with him as a result of his complete workforce is girls, so he’s actually aware of that, and that’s actually uncommon to see on this trade. It’s at all times enjoyable, we at all times chuckle, and it’s at all times time. However don’t get me mistaken, he’s about working. He’s one of many hardest-working artists on this trade. 

You’ve additionally labored with Bruno Mars, proper?

We’ve got a track collectively, [Anderson .Paak’s] “Hearth within the Sky” that Bruno co-wrote for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. However I additionally related later with Bruno as effectively.

And that’s for one thing that’ll be out later?

We’ll see. Bruno is one other one which I actually, actually look as much as. He’s such a genius. Every thing he touches turns into gold. He is aware of the key sauce and at all times has enjoyable with it. At any time when I acquired to be in the identical room as him, he’s at all times aiming for the best factor he can ever make, and it’s at all times good vibes. So tremendous inspiring.