Inside Track: Rogét Chahayed

Photo: Matt Ty

Virtuoso pianist Rogét Chahayed has found a unique niche as a classically trained hip‑hop producer.

“There are videos on YouTube of me playing piano pieces by Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Chopin and so on, and someone commented, ‘How did this guy go from this to “Broccoli?”’ I spent years of my life studying the rich, respected, sophisticated art form of classical piano, and to then get away with making smash hit songs with just two chords is a relief in many ways, because sometimes the best things are simple. And today I’m really happy that my discography reflects the many different kinds of music that I love, from R&B to hip‑hop to jazz to classical.”

Rogét Chahayed has worked with household names like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, Bruno Mars, Jennifer Lopez and many others. The most recent major hit that he was involved in is ‘APT.’ by Bruno Mars and Rosé, which was the biggest song worldwide of the end of 2024. Chahayed has also received nine Grammy nominations, including for Producer Of The Year, Non‑Classical, in 2022.

As one of the world’s top pop writers and producers, Chahayed’s unique selling point is his classical music background, which comes with serious keyboard chops, an abundance of chordal and melodic imagination, and a knowledge of orchestral arrangement. This classical background comes to the fore on projects like Jennifer Lopez’ This Is Me… Now [2024], but is much less apparent in many other cases, like his two‑chord breakout hit ‘Broccoli’ by DRAM in 2016, and the simple Korean pop‑rock of ‘APT.’

Crossing Borders

Chahayed was born in 1988 in Los Angeles to a father from Damascus, Syria, who grew up in Lebanon, and a mother from Argentina. “He sings in Arabic and plays the darbouka, and my mother listened to a lot of music. When I was seven, my dad enrolled me and my sister, who was four at the time, in piano lessons. I didn’t really have a choice, so I played piano as a kid, but did not really have a passion for it.

“This changed when I was 15 or 16, and saw the movie The Pianist and heard Adrien Brody’s character play Chopin’s Ballade No 1 in G minor. I said to myself, ‘I really want to learn this.’ I took studying and practising the piano much more seriously, and got deeper into classical music and discovered jazz and Bill Evans. I saw how French impressionism, like Debussy, and jazz related to each other, and got into the stylistic and theoretical aspects of music. I decided I wanted to do this full‑time, and went to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where I studied Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Chopin, Prokofiev and many other great composers. I was extracting the little moments that made their compositions special harmonically and melodically. That became the foundation of my approach to pop and hip‑hop.

“I’ve always loved hip‑hop, but wasn’t really allowed to listen to it as a kid because my parents were pretty strict, and many rap CDs had these parental advisory stickers. So in secret friends of mine burnt me CDs with music by Eminem, Cypress Hill, Dr Dre and so on. When I was in conservatory I had friends who were opera singers, and who loved listening to rap and pop music. I wondered who was playing these sounds and chord progressions and riffs, and discovered Scott Storch, the Neptunes and other producers who inspired me sonically.”

Learning From The Masters

A chance meeting then changed the course of Chahayed’s career. “While studying, I would come back to LA for my Summer breaks and started playing in bands, and was a hired gun for anybody who needed keyboards on a track. I also got together with a group of friends to write songs. Those were my beginning stages. After I graduated I moved back to LA, and I was doing jazz gigs and teaching piano to support myself, and I’d go to the studio at night and make beats. I had a friend who owned a studio, and he gave me my own setup and taught me how to use Logic. I was fascinated by the fact that I could write a four‑chord progression and then add tons of instruments to it.

Rogét Chahayed’s Virtuoso Studio.

“My real journey started in 2013, when I was introduced to producer Mel‑Man, who had been a key contributor to Dr Dre’s album 2001 [1999] and Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP [2000]. Mel‑Man trained Scott Storch and Mike Elizondo. I worked with Mel‑Man for about a year, and one day he brought me over to Dr Dre’s Aftermath Studio. Dre immediately put me on the spot and asked me to add keys to a track. A few months later he hired me as his in‑house keyboard player, which I was for most of 2014. It was very demanding, but also an incredible learning experience.

“These two incredible mentors, Mel‑Man and Dr Dre, showed me the ropes and helped me channel my classical knowledge and expand my knowledge of sounds, and realise how powerful an accidental thing you play can be. I learned many elements of making music that I to this day take into every session I walk into. A lot of my time with Dr Dre was spent trying to find sounds, with people hovering over my shoulder, and that was very nerve‑racking at times, with a lot of anxiety. People pull up a drum beat with no music, so as a musician there’s a lot of pressure, because you have to provide the chords that the hook will be written to, using the right sounds.

“It made me realise the importance of having a massive library of sounds. I learned about Native Instruments’ Kontakt, and the many different kinds of synths. I was obsessively studying what sounds and keyboards and patches people like Dre and Pharrell and Scott Storch were using on songs. So I really learned about equipment, and then got into analogue synths. And I learned that when you use a sound, if you play or phrase it differently, or maybe put an effect on it, you won’t even recognise it as the same sound. It’s not necessarily about what are you playing and what sound are you using, but also about how you’re using it and in what context.”

Switching Modes

Chahayed’s next big moment occurred in 2016, when he co‑wrote and co‑produced the aforementioned hit ‘Broccoli’ by American rapper DRAM, which went on to go quintuple platinum in the US and receive a Grammy nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The song is based on an ultra‑simple piano part that in no way reflects Chahayed’s advanced musical skills, but gave Chahayed his “first recognition. It was my first placement. Many people discovered who I was through that song.”

More placements soon followed, with tracks by artists like Travis Scott, Miguel (‘Sky Walker’), Kesha, Halsey (‘Bad At Love’), Calvin Harris, G‑Easy and more. Chahayed’s next big moment arrived in 2018 with ‘Sicko Mode’ from Travis Scott’s Astroworld album, a track on which his classical music background is very much in evidence. Chahayed and Hit‑Boy were responsible for only the first minute of ‘Sicko Mode’. Hit‑Boy gave his version of events in our 2024 July issue (www.soundonsound.com/techniques/inside-track-hit-boy).

“For me,” says Chahayed, “the most harmonically pleasing composers for piano are Rachmaninoff, who really evokes romanticism and big cinematic moments, and uses almost jazzy Gershwin‑like chords, and Scriabin, who is all about mysticism. These guys are such big influences on me, because they have normal tonal chord progressions, and then there’s always one or two notes that stick out, and once they resolve, it gives you this sense of relief. I was thinking about these two composers when I was playing the ‘Sicko Mode’ chords. I was experimenting in the studio with Hit‑Boy and happened to come across that organ sound. I played the part, and he flipped and chopped it.

It was his work on Travis Scott’s hit ‘Sicko Mode’ that brought Rogét Chahayed to the attention of many within the music world.

“It’s interesting that that song ended up so big. For me that was a win for people who are really musical and into music theory. I was like, ‘Wow, amazing that something as crazy and experimental as that song could go to number one!’ But I had no idea that the song was coming out. One day Hit‑Boy texted me saying that we had an intro or something on Astroworld, but he did not know what. So I’m listening to the album the night it comes out [August 3rd, 2018], and when I clicked on ‘Sicko’ and I heard the organ, I was like, ‘OMG, they used 25 seconds of just me playing, and then Drake comes in, this is insane.’ Then I realised that the song is made up of three different beats. That song became one of the biggest rap songs of all time and opened many doors for me.”

Executive Suites

Since ‘Sicko Mode’, Chahayed has co‑written and co‑produced songs by the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen, Doja Cat, Kali Uchis, Drake, Big Sean, Nas, 21 Savage, Mary J Blige, John Legend, Lil Wayne and the Kid Laroi. Recent big projects include executive production on albums by Jack Harlow (Come Home The Kids Miss You, 2022) and Jennifer Lopez (This Is Me... Now, 2024), and his work on the mega‑hit ‘APT.’

Chahayed has co‑written and co‑produced songs by the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen, Doja Cat, Kali Uchis, Drake, Big Sean, Nas, 21 Savage, Mary J Blige, John Legend, Lil Wayne and the Kid Laroi.

“When executive producing, I’m not just playing and writing in the room. Sometimes I wasn’t at the actual sessions, but listened to songs afterwards, seeing what they need, arranging strings, outros, intros, things like that, making sure the verses and the hooks were better. J.Lo really trusted me to be in charge of everything, which was a big responsibility. In addition to writing and playing, I spent a lot of time on phone calls and planning and stuff.

“But I was also very hands‑on, for example in the title song and opening track, I did the harps and the flutes and the strings and everything. Obviously, a lot of that album was about her and Ben Affleck and their long relationship history, and she said, ‘I want to write something for Ben.’ I was like, ‘Why don’t we start with the B chord for Ben?’, and started playing a B chord, and literally, just in the moment from having that conversation with her, I played that harp part on the spot and started adding things to it, and that became the intro.

“That’s a really good example of being on the keyboard, where all great composers and all great symphonies and orchestral pieces, any really great ensemble piece is going to start, because of the range the piano has. It also shows how much I love to be an orchestra; I love harps, strings, flutes, pizzicatos, all kinds of things. I studied orchestration at the conservatory, and I know where to add the flute, I know where to add the cello, I know where to add the high strings, the tremolo, whatever. It’s years and years of exposure and listening that becomes part of you. So I’m very grateful for that.

“The Jack Harlow album was a lot of work, with lots of trial and error, and collecting ideas from different people, and really seeing it through from start to finish. Jack also took on the role of executive producer, and brought in people. On the music side, he really trusted us to make sure that all the nuts and bolts and things were tied up. We did a lot of post‑production on songs. For example, we spent months producing the song ‘First Class’, trying to nail it and making sure it was perfect, so it would be the major hit that it became.

“For the session of ‘First Class’, I had three keyboards including my Nord Stage 3 hooked up to Logic, and also used a number of VSTs. I would record straight into Logic and then I would AirDrop whatever files or chord progressions or things to Jack’s engineer [Nickie Jon Pabón, covered in our March 2024 issue], and he would blend everything together. Most of my sounds on that song are from the Nord, including the fairytale‑sounding string part, but the Rhodes at the end comes from Logic’s standard electric piano, which I put through Cableguys’ HalfTime plug‑in and the Retro Color RC‑20.”

Pulling Together

‘APT.’ was another hit that came about through collaboration. “In September 2023, I was in a session with Cirkut, Omer Fedi, Theron Thomas and Amy Allen. Rosé was there and we were talking about the vibe she wanted. We started making a track, but it felt a little too soft. We were about to finish the session when Rosé started talking about a drinking game that they have in Korea. So Cirkut pulled up some drums, and Omer suggested we just do something simple, so we started by playing those hits in the beginning. It was very open, there weren’t even any chords.

“I said, ‘We need a pre‑chorus, and some hook chords,’ so I put in the four‑chord progression. I was using very bare‑bones stuff, just the Mellotron, with a brass sound for the stabs and a piano sound for the chords. So there were Cirkut’s drums, Omer played some acoustic guitar, and I think I also added a bass sound from the Korg Kronos 2. Plus there’s of course the hook which is inspired by the ‘apateu’ chant of the drinking game. It was a very skeletal track, I didn’t really know what to make of it, but we knew it was cool.

“I didn’t know that Bruno Mars was going to be on the track until about a week or two before it came out. Rosé and he had been working together. The chords, riffs and drums are the same, but he added more rock elements to it, more guitars, more synths and things like that. I think he also put in that bridge at the end. That really added so much to the song. So you’ve got this Korean drinking game element and Bruno Mars, making it a huge cultural moment. K‑pop is big because they’re taking a lot of elements from American music and pop music and putting their own spin on it, but in this song there’s a Korean element that’s brought into Western pop, and it became a huge smash.

“It’s crazy to think how far our basic idea went. When you write a song, you never know what will happen with it. It was just an incredible moment. About the reference to Tony Basil’s song ‘Mickey’ from 1982, to be honest, I wasn’t thinking about that at all when we were writing. When I heard the song later, I could see some similarities in the pocket of the drums and a little bit the cadence. There are only so many notes you can use, so this is bound to happen, and when it does, the smart thing is to get it cleared.”

No Distractions

When working on ‘APT.’, Chahayed was accompanied by his engineer, Julian Vasquez, Logic and a few of his many keyboards. “Julian is fantastic, and he records what I do, so I can focus on writing, playing and producing. We discovered a new process when working on the J.Lo album. I have doubles of all my favourites, so I have two Nord Stage 3, two Stage 4, two Sequential Prophet X, two Korg Kronos 2 and two Mellotron Mini model D keyboards, and two laptops with Logic. When we get called for a session, Julian brings what we decide we need, and makes sure everything is ready to go.

“I am in Logic, and have been using it since 2009/10. It is home for me, I love the simplicity and cleanliness of the interface, the quality of the audio, and so on. Julian works with Ableton, and I sometimes use it as well to mess with drums and manipulate time. Julian also is comfortable with FL Studio and Pro Tools, so he’s got every DAW under his belt, but all I need are my keyboards and a computer with Logic. I use Logic as a separate keyboard. I may have 40 or 50 sound patches pulled up from libraries I trust and want to mess with in the moment. As soon as I’ve played something, Julian has got it recorded, and then he loops or cuts it or adds fades, or whatever, and sends it to Cirkut or Omer or whoever is driving the session from their computer. AirDrop is a big part of our workflow.

“Some friends tell me I need to get more into engineering, but Julian is great at it, so why should I? Making music is what I do. Having someone else with expertise in recording, organising, mixing and so on is one of the best investments I can make. It’s very distracting when I’m sitting in a room multitasking and spending most of my time looking at a screen. It compromises the magic that could be happening. I’m there to connect with the artist, and to get a song started and finished. I’m there to get the track popping and to make it work. Cirkut is the only producer I know who can connect with an artist while he’s cutting vocals and EQ’ing something and talking to me all at the same time. Watching him work is pretty incredible.”

A few of Chahayed’s many keyboards. From left, top row: digital Mellotron, Sequential Prophet X, Sequential OB6; middle row: Korg Kronos, Korg Prologue, Nord Stage 3; bottom row: Sequential Prophet 08, Korg SV‑1, Moog One.

On The Arc

Which of his keyboards Chahayed turns to first “depends on the artist or the style of music or the vibe. My go to is the [Nord] Stage 3, because it has literally everything I need covered. It is like what the Yamaha Motif ES8 was to Scott Storch or the Korg Triton to the Neptunes and Timbaland. But if I’m going to a rap session, I’m going to try and use the Prophet X as well, because it has more cinematic things, with darker strings, and so on. If I’m going into a pop session or something upbeat with an electronic vibe, I’ll bring the Kronos because it has so many great organic sounds, guitars, basses, synths, funky things. If I’m going for a more playful pop vibe, I’ll bring the Mellotron.”

Whatever keyboard he plays, Chahayed stresses that speed is of the essence. “The best music is made in seconds. Many of the chord progressions I’ve come up with happened in 10 seconds. So I obviously love presets. If I need a quick piano sound, or a quick synth or a quick Rhodes, I can find them in the blink of an eye on the Kronos or Stage 3. When you buy a good keyboard and a good sound bank, half the work is done. These guys took months to perfect these sounds, and then it’s up to people like us, performers, composers and producers, to play and express them. I also have a guy who upgrades my sounds and helps me with new patches for my synths. And I do my research online to find new sound banks and upgrades for every keyboard that I have.

Rogét Chahayed: In the beginning I wanted to put as many sounds as I could in a track, and create this symphony of sound, but that’s really not important. You have to think about the artist and the listener.

“I’m not much of a sound designer, I prefer to call myself a sound manipulator. You tailor your sounds to who you’re working with: a rapper, a songwriter, a singer. If you have a rapper with a lighter voice texture, you may use smoother sounds, or you have somebody who has a tone that punches through, you can amplify that with more aggressive sounds. You try to give a rapper or singer a good chord progression, a good mattress, a bed we call it, to float on that suits them. Producing is not about you. In the beginning I wanted to put as many sounds as I could in a track, and create this symphony of sound, but that’s really not important. You have to think about the artist and the listener. If you can find a way to make it something you like as well, then you’ve really done your job.

“You also have to let go of trying to be a virtuoso show‑off, which a lot of musicians are. Instead, Mel‑Man and Dr Dre both explained the importance of having an arc to me. When a great composer is writing a piano piece, chamber music, whatever it is, opera, aria, there will be phrases. Hip‑hop is taking one phrase that you really like and looping it over and over. It’s about finding that golden loop. I find so much satisfaction in the perfect two, three, four‑chord progression, or even just a riff, that helps create an arc.

“You really have to limit the amount of notes you play, and put emphasis on the sound, because sometimes all people need is one chord, one sound, one thing. You have to serve the purpose of getting the artist excited. I need to put something into a track that they’ve never had before. Often, I get tired of sitting at the piano and trying to be a riff machine. Instead I may pull up a sample, or something I’ve made at my studio, and I’ll put it through a pedal or half‑time it or speed it up. When you’re experimenting, you have to be open to what you’re not used to doing. In other cases, I sit back and people start something and I try to find something that fits.”

Blank Canvas

Rogét Chahayed also makes beats, either alone or with others. “We may create a sample or a loop or a vibe, and sometimes I run things through a pedal. I use a lot of Strymon pedals, and have the Eventide Space, a Rainbow pedal and the Red Panda Tensor. The latter allows you to change time almost like a vinyl record, slow it down or pitch things up, and so on. You can create three or four samples out of one with these pedals.

Effects pedals as well as keyboards are important sources of inspiration for Rogét Chahayed.

“I also use VSTs. There are a few things that I love in Kontakt. One of my favourite string packs is called Vivace. For a good 808, I love the Ramzoid 808 Cooker. There’s some great pianos in Imagiro Piano that you can tweak. I also really like a plug‑in called the Initial Slice loop slicer, which is fun. It has royalty‑free samples that you can chop and pitch and manipulate into whatever beat you’re making. And I love the Native Instruments Duets plug‑in. It has incredible vocal runs and really cool things that can add a nice texture to a lot of songs.

“In addition, I’ve also been working on my own artist project, which is more ambient in nature, like piano film score. ‘Aurelius’ is my first release. I have just finished my second piece. So I am working on my own music and would like to get into film score eventually. I’m still very much in love with the piano, but classical musicians are very much historians that carry on a tradition of performance from hundreds of years ago. As fun as this is, I don’t want my life and my musical identity to be based off of somebody who died 100 or 200 years ago. I want to compose myself, and producing hip‑hop and pop has been the perfect canvas. And you can do whatever you want nowadays. It’s an exciting and interesting time.”