In Studio with Kendrick Lamar — Recording Grammy Award Winning Rap Album of the Year

Throughout my 5 years of pursuing photography as a hobby, it's awarded me with things I wouldn't otherwise have access to. For example, being in the studio with Kendrick Lamar and his team while he records To Pimp a Butterfly, an album that would then go on to win a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album of the Year.

I never wanted to be a photographer. It never crossed my mind — but between having a graphic design background and freelancing while traveling the world and working from a computer, I began to take photos on my iPhone of the cool places I went. As time went on, I wanted to take better, higher quality photos. That new passion opened new doors, new contacts and refreshed old relationships because I had a new service to offer.

My first assignment as a photographer was to work as Grammy Award Winner, Ne-Yo's personal photographer. First I traveled to Haiti, then it was onto LA for the finale of X-Factor, then it was behind-the-scenes for a music video. Next thing you know, I was on the UK R.E.D. Tour.

My second assignment was to shoot for EDC, better known as Electric Daisy Carnival in New York. That led to Las Vegas and London. Which then led me to Stereosonic in Australia and Tomorrowland in Brazil. You might be wondering how all this happened. To be honest, it sounds just as crazy to me as it probably does to you. The truth is, I made it happen. My whole life I've been involved with the right people or crowds, and if I wasn't, I attracted them somehow. Over the years, I've worked tirelessly at what I love to do and it led to me perfecting my craft little by little. First it was graphic design, then web design, then photography.

In an internet and content driven world, all 3 of those are crucial to any celebrity, influencer or brand. My passion and skill set made me valuable to a lot of people and I was able to mingle with the right people. After stacking name after name, event after event, artist after artist on my resume and portfolio, it got to a point where I was good enough to work with anyone because my portfolio and client list showed I was capable.

After putting in work, I reconnected with a friend I knew for many years, and he just so happened to become Kendrick Lamar's road manager. We followed each other on social media and one day an opportunity presented itself. I got to shoot Kendrick Lamar at the Made in America Festival in his hometown of Los Angeles. It was an experience I'll never forget.

Because everyone was happy with the work I produced, one opportunity led to another and I became the personal photographer for TDE — the record label to which Kendrick is signed to. Not only was I shooting Kendrick, but I began shooting their entire roster, one artist at a time.

2-3 years later, when Kendrick started working on his new album, To Pimp a Butterfly, I got invited to the studio to come shoot. Now, when you see an artist out and about, it's work, but it's different. Shows, meet and greets, events, interviews, etc. But to be invited to the stuido with an artist is the highest level of invitation and respect they can give you. After all, this is where it goes down. Everything that makes an artist comes from what they do in the studio.

I was nervous. I was the only one allowed to document this moment, and every time I shoot Kendrick, I feel like I'm shooting history even though it's in the present. The reason I was nervous was because they wanted me to shoot what was going on and if my camera ever got stolen or lost, I was the weak link because all the content is on there. I actually declined to shoot video because of that, so I only shot stills. It's something I regret now because looking back on that video would be insane.

Looking back on it now, one of the greatest accomplishments in my personal life that I can say I did was be in the studio with Kendrick and his team, every day for months on end, all times of the night, while they record an album that would later go on to win a Grammy for Best Rap Album of the Year.

At the time all of this is happening, you have no idea how it's going to be perceived or received from the masses. You just know where you are, what you're doing, what you're feeling and what you're listening to. Literally watching and listening to worldwide hits be made in front of your eyes & ears before anyone outside of that room gets to hear them. I love the process.

One minute you're in the studio making music, mixing, mastering, watching geniuses at work, and then the next minute, you're on stage in Canada, in your favorite city on earth, at your favorite festival on earth — photographing Kendrick as he performs the songs you watched him create in front of a live crowd.

That's just f*ckin cool....