21 Savage notched one of his biggest hits with “a lot,” which reached No. 12 on the Hot 100 last year. Now that the track is up for Best Rap Song at the Grammys, Complex took a peak at the making of the smash hit. As it turns out, the beat for “a lot” was made in an hour at a songwriting camp run by Spotify in 2018.

The track was produced by J. White Did It and DJ Dahi—and the latter producer recalled how the Atlanta-based rapper took in their work. “We worked for an hour or so,” he said. “The next day, 21 was going around to different rooms and hearing his music. He came in and I played it. He was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is the intro. This is the intro to the album.’ From there, it was a matter of waiting to figure out when he was going to write the record and put everything together.”

“Me and DJ Dahi together, we’re two totally different people with two totally different sounds,” White added. “For us to come together like we did, is absolutely amazing.”

There’s a sample of the hook from East of Underground’s “I Love You” that loops in the background:

I love you for so many reasons

(Which means)

I love you for all seasons

DJ Dahi envisioned a “classic hip-hop feel,” leading him to use the vocal loop. “I had this idea for an [East of Underground] sample for 21 a while back,” he said. “I played it when we had a session a few months ago. I told him, ‘It would be dope for you to get over a soul sample. On some classic hip-hop feel, but with your pocket in the drums and your energy on that type of vibe.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, I’m with it. That’s the kind of stuff I’ve been looking for.’"

He also touched on White’s contribution to the track. “What J. did, which I really liked, was take it into a very different place that I wouldn’t think about, which is kind of a Three 6 Mafia-influenced type of energy. We had these chopped and screwed vocals, DJ Scratch vibe, on top of the sample, and he played some samples on top of that.”

According to Complex, the songwriting camp took place in Atlanta over three days, where an assemblage of writers and producers worked with 21 Savage and Epic Records. Several tracks created during the event made it onto his sophomore album, i am > i was, which is nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammys.

“Finding out ‘a lot’ was nominated for a Grammy was great,” 21 told the outlet. “This song means a lot to me because I was able to tell a story about everything I’ve been through and everything I’m going through now. To get recognized for that and to have people relate to it is a blessing.”

Read Complex’s story here, and catch up on the lyrics to “a lot” on Genius now.