“I already made it farther than EXPECTED”
This record was written to inspire, challenge, and reflect on how far one has come.
After 10+ years, our first studio was shockingly being closed down by the city. I was overwhelmed, emotional, and sitting in a room that quite literally changed my life. It was more than just a studio to me. It was a safe space. A place I could be vulnerable. A room to grow in. The shed I sharpened my tools in. Countless days spent failing, learning, and continuously showing up to become better. I walked in at 23 with a deep passion for expression, just a writer who loved hip hop and what it did for me. I left in my 30’s as an artist, producer, engineer, and entrepreneur. A better man. Music and art have changed my life, and I am forever grateful. The negative tried to seep in, but the positive took over. It was all I needed to finish the record. So in my final session, I recorded Expected.
Before he passed, my dad’s love for art and music led to some of our fondest memories. As a kid, going to the record store was an adventure. I remember sitting in the car listening to Tears in Heaven and Layla by Eric Clapton. It provoked emotions I never felt, questions I never had. It was the catalyst for what became my journey, and I thank him for that.
Life pulls us in so many directions that we tend to get lost in the negative—what we haven’t done, what we should have done, what we need to do.
This was a reminder to remember what it took to get where you are.
For some, the odds are seemingly too stacked to overcome. Survival is hard, but life is to be cherished. Prove the naysayers wrong. Show up. Dare to be great in the face of adversity. Keep going!
I am writing this from an island abroad, in Cyprus, on my birthday. Life is beautiful.
Thank you for listening.
Written, Produced, Mixed:
@bydanielrobert
Co-produced:
@4evrshx
Mastered:
@columbiasoundsmastering 
