When artists and record labels are in need of a hit song, one of the people they call to deliver the feat is the Chattanooga, Tennessee born Adonis “A.D. The Phenom” Shropshire. A member of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ production and songwriting team “The Hitmen,” and writing partner of Brian-Michael Cox and Kendrick Dean, Adonis has emerged as a top-notch talent known for his impressive resume of chart topping singles for many of today’s popular R&B/Pop artists: Usher & Alicia Keys (“My Boo”); Beyonce featuring Diddy and Ghostface Killah (“Summertime”); Ciara (“And I”); Diddy (“I Need A Girl” Part 1 & 2); Chris Brown (“Say Goodbye”); Danity Kane (“Ride For You”). With over 50 million records sold and a few Grammy awards under his belt, including “Album of the Year” honors for his credits on Mariah Carey’s “The Emancipation of Mimi,” the illustrious songsmith spoke candidly with A&R Department about the elements of writing a smash record, how to earn song placements, and the role of management. 

What would you say are the fundamental elements of songwriting?  

Melody, lyric, concept of the song, and simplicity of the song. I think all four of those things play an impactful part into making a hit record. Like, you can have a song that…remember when SWV had “Weak” out, a lot of girls didn’t know what the hook was saying, they just knew the melody: “I get so…[sings melody]. So the melody won that battle. As long as two of those four things work—it will always work.

So would you say that consists of, let’s say—a formula? 

Different writers have different formulas. I think whatever works best for the results that you get. I know some writers like to write with the music playing the whole time—they just keep looping the music. I can’t write like that. That’ll make me keep starting over…‘cause once the music has got past the part that I wrote—then it’ll keep going; and then once it goes back—then I’ll have to start over again, so I feel like that stagnates the writing process for me. So I don’t write with the music on at all. And some writers like to use paper and write everything down. I can’t. I feel like that slows me down, so I just go in the booth and go off the top of my head. So there’s different processes people use, you know. 

What would you say is the most important aspect of getting a song placed?

Presentation. How fully complete the song sounds. How well you prepare the song for playing. Vocals shouldn’t be all loud and you can barely hear the beat or vice-versa—there shouldn’t be loud music and you can barely hear the vocals. You should really take time and make sure that your record is presented the right way so that the label or the artist—whoever’s listening—can feel like…you respected their craft enough to come with your stuff ready to listen to.

You should really take time and make sure that your record is presented the right way so that the label or the artist—whoever’s listening—can feel like … you respected their craft enough to come with your stuff ready to listen to.

How important is management? 

Extremely important. Management can be the sole thing that causes you to be a superstar or the thing that causes you to be a nobody—no matter how talented you are. Management is supposed to be the person that gets your talent to the masses. So, it don’t matter if you can rap better than Jay-Z. If your management can’t put you in front of somebody who can recognize that, then you’ll always just be the hottest n—a on the block. 

In terms of creating songs, when you’re collaborating, how does each contributor’s personality factor into the creation of a song?

It’s hard sometimes to write records with people when you have different processes. So what you do is…you both abandon your processes—separately—and try to find a common ground. For instance…like I said, I don’t like to write with paper and I don’t like to write with the music on. But if I work with somebody who likes to do both of those then what we would do is, I would go in the booth and get behind the mic, they would sit in the control room, and whatever I say they’ll write it down and then we’ll record it immediately. So then that way we both feel comfortable about the way that we’re working. I don’t feel like I’m having to write lyrics down and slow up, and they don’t feel like they’re having to move too fast. You just find a common ground that works for the song, because the important thing is the song—it’s not the people. Any two people can write a song. The important thing is the song. You never want to lose that that’s the reason why you’re there. 

What should songwriters do to ensure they’re financially compensated appropriately for their contribution to a song? 

That comes from your management. It’s crazy ‘cause labels and management of other artists would do whatever they need to do to make sure that their client’s career goes as well as possible. And the object of labels is to spend as little money as possible and make as much as possible. So if they can get you to do something for them for free, they’re gonna do it. They’re gonna ask for little to no money. They’re gonna ask that because…especially the state of the industry right now, they not trying to spend no paper that they don’t have to spend—like no excess paper. So, you have to make sure that your management is in pocket and that they demand certain things from you, and if the label really wants to work with you or wants work from you, they’ll do whatever they feel like they need to do to make sure that you’re taken care of so that they can get what they need from you.

How has the landscape changed for songwriters now that everything is going digital? Does that change anything?

Nah, nah. Media is media. The only thing that changes is the way we make money. Not necessarily how much money we make, just the way that we make money. I think good music will always prevail—whether they’re making CDs or whether they’re making digital iPods or whether they’re making…whatever, you know…phonographic ends. Good music will always prevail. We’ve gotten so…to where we think “ah man, the industry’s messed up. Records ain’t selling like they used to.” Yeah, ‘cause records ain’t good like they used to be! We had classic joints back in the day like “Diary of a Mad Band,” Boy II Men’s “II.” Them joints came out in like the same year, almost. You know what I’m sayin’. How you got two classic albums like that come out in the same spot by rival groups? ‘Cause they were taking their time making records. Like, we [music industry] weren’t just trying to hurry up and get a song on the radio—and trying to get ringtones. I believe that’s what messed us up. We started thinking all this fast money is quick. But then we lost track…we lost sight of the long money and that’s why we’re suffering.

 Adonis is currently in the studio working with his new girl group “Melrose,” and has already received records from A-list producers Danjahandz, Rodney Jerkins, Swizz Beats, and Brian-Michael Cox.