For the love of the real stars, the producers, we created #Beatsmith — a series that focuses on the connections and inspirations that led to the creation of that hit song or album.


Last week on #Beatsmith, we spoke to Altims about producing Rema’s latest banger, “Lady” — a standout off his third EP, Bad Commando. Now, we’re turning our attention to the EP’s title track, which seems to be gaining more momentum with each passing day.

Produced by fast-rising talent, London, “Bad Commando” is an utterly infectious earworm that burrows itself into the brain of anyone who listens. So, we decided to catch up with the song’s producer to discuss how a rejected beat became another Rema hit.

On meeting Rema:

I met Rema back in 2018. Before we got acquainted, I used to hear his songs, but I didn’t know who he was. Then I saw him recording at the Mavin Records studio one day, and I introduced myself.

On first discussing “Bad Commando”:

Honestly, none of this was planned. I had originally made the beat for another artist, but he wasn’t feeling it at that point. So, I played it for Rema and he immediately liked it.

On main inspiration:

If I’m being honest, I didn’t have anything in my head when I was making the beat. I was just flowing with the vibe. Well, I was eating during the process, so I can say there was a lot of joy in my heart.

On difficulty level:

Compared to the other songs I’ve worked on (Starboy’s “London”, DJ Tunez’s “Turn Up”), making “Bad Commando” was probably the easiest. I made the beat in like 20 minutes and finished everything when he recorded.

On the song’s short runtime:

I think the shorter a song is, the sweeter it gets. When it doesn’t go on for too long, like with “Bad Commando” (which clocks in at one minute and forty-four seconds), you can play it over and over again.

On if he’d change anything:

Listening to the song post-release, there are a few minor tweaks I’d like to make here and there, but at the end of the day, I’m happy with the way it turned out.

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