Before GloRilla was touring the country or had a single hit, producer/engineer/artist Aaron “thank Aaron” Bolton was locked in the studio with the petite powerhouse MC helping her find her sound. Almost every major GloRilla hit was recorded by him, even the moments when the rising star was stretching her talents beyond what she thought she was capable of.

“She wants to get better with her singing. There was a feature she did for somebody. It was really good; I really liked the singing on it,” Bolton told REVOLT. “I won't say which song it is. We sat there until she got it right. She's not a fan of her singing.”

In this installment of “Studio Sessions,” the “TGIF” lyricist’s longtime engineer discussed Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla’s chemistry on wax, how he translates Glo’s thoughts into music, and how no rapper can out-smoke her. Get into the exclusive interview below.

How did you first connect with GloRilla?

We connected about five or six years ago at Track Nation Studios. It was so funny because the first time I met her, she was so little (laughs). She was very powerful when she came in there with her style and what she was saying. It was unforgettable. She’s definitely more comfortable with what she's saying and her swag now after all those years.

How have you helped her understand the nuances of recording?

By helping her be patient and walking her through it together. A lot of times, artists don't understand the terminology. I helped show her some things in a way she can remember. A lot of times artists will ask, “Can you make it sound like this right here?” I already know what they’re talking about. She wanted me to take off some reverb on a song, so she asked, “What's this noise?” I told her it was a reverb, and she said, “Oh, take that off (laughs).”

What’s a typical session like with Glo?

Most of the time, it starts off with just the vibe of things. We brainstorm on some stuff. We might come in already knowing what we want to do, but we start off catching a vibe by listening to a song or smoking. She may say, “I got this verse I want to record,” and we record that until she’s happy. I wouldn't say it's a very fast-paced recording environment, but it’s very constant. I have to be able to not drop the ball. Whether it’s a bar or a few lines, we keep going until we get it right.

Every moment is funny in the studio with her (laughs). Every single moment with her and her friends is funny. They are a delight to be around. If she has something that she wants her friends to hear, they always have her best interests at heart. They’re going to give her an actual answer and not just be like, “Yeah, you sound good.”

Are there any examples of what you two work on until you get it right?

She wants to get better with her singing. There was a feature she did for somebody. It was really good; I really liked the singing on it. I won't say which song it is. We sat there until she got it right. She's not a fan of her singing. I kinda like her singing, but she wants to get better at it.

No rapper had a summer of hits like GloRilla had this year with “TGIF,” “Wanna Be,” and “Yeah Glo!” Prior to that run, critics were claiming her popularity was cooling off. Did that motivate her when she was making those songs?

I ain't gonna lie -- we did have a period where people were doubting, but we were just working. There never was a period where we were down and out. We were working. We just had to figure out what worked. It definitely made her stronger.

What is Megan and Glo’s chemistry like in the studio?

It was a lot of big energy, bro. It was very dope. It was amazing. Meg is a dope artist. She’s a dope person.

How do you balance your own music career with recording other artists?

Man, it is exhausting (laughs). Originally, I started making music. So, to actually be engineering other people, it was never a hassle or trouble. It was just like, “Oh, okay. I'm just doing what I've been doing for myself.” Along the way, releasing and creating my music is always fun. The process of watching it grow is always hard for me. Any moment I get to work on my own stuff, I will.

What can people expect from you musically?

New videos, new music, a whole new vibe. They can expect something that's a little more outside of the original Memphis sound. This whole sound that we got is very grimy and hard. I want to be able to just deliver nice vibes.

Of her biggest hits, which ones did Glo record the quickest?

The quickest was probably “Wanna Be.” I think we did “Wanna Be” on the same day.

Kaliii said in an interview she smoked too much in the studio with Glo. How big of a smoker is Glo?

Find your best smoker and put your money up. I’m putting my money on Glo (laughs). She’s going to smoke your favorite rapper out.

Now Glo is riding the wave of her new song, “Hollon.” How did that come about?

Man, that’s her. Sometimes she just do s**t (laughs). She be wanting to rap and I'm like, “Let's go. Let's do it.” We got in there and did that. The beat’s by FNZ, SkipOndaBeat, and DJ Montay. She heard the beat, we got in there, she liked it, and we went with it. We recorded it a few months ago.

What do you have planned for the rest of 2024?

Man, nothing but smashes whether it's the music, the art, or whatever. We’re going to keep pushing with that. Hopefully, we’ll get a bunch more plaques, bro.