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Bring It Back: How a Favor Turned Into a Banger

Some records are planned… and then some just happen. Bring It Back is one of those songs that came together off pure energy, timing, and good people. It actually started with me just trying to help out a friend. My homegirl XO4Never—also known as XO4Jesus (Shay Finesse Beats at the time)—hit me up with a folder of beats she had been working on. She wanted another ear on them, specifically for basslines, because she liked the way I was approaching bass at the time.
So I’m going through the folder, just vibing, and I come across this one loop—super atmospheric, laid back, but with these snappy, shiny drums that just cut through perfectly. Instantly, it stood out. You could tell it was inspired by that Jhene Aiko / SZA type of soundscape—real moody, real floaty, but still grounded. It was already one of my favorite beats in the pack before I even touched it.



Naturally, I loaded it up and went to work. I pulled up my go-to synth bass in Logic—the one I call ULTRA SUB—and started laying ideas down. As soon as that bassline hit, it was a wrap. The whole record just locked in. That’s one of those moments as a producer where you just know you got something. At that point, I wasn’t thinking about helping anymore—I needed that beat (laughs). I hit Shayna like, “Yo… I’m not even gonna lie, I need this one.” And being the real one she is, she let me have it. I recorded Bring It Back a day or two later.

Now the concept of the song? That’s where I had fun with it. Bring It Back is basically a tongue-in-cheek metaphor about teaching a girl how to drive stick shift—but it’s layered with double meanings and entendres all the way through. I leaned into that older school style of writing where you don’t spell everything out—you suggest it. Let the listener catch it if they catch it. It’s playful, it’s slick, and it keeps you engaged because there’s always something to pick up on.

What makes this record special to me is that it was one of my first times really stepping fully into an R&B lane. The vocals? I’ll be honest—they weren’t my strongest at the time. But the writing still had that hip-hop edge. The grit is still there. It’s dark, it’s moody, and it sets the tone perfectly for that lusty, flirty energy the song carries.

Shout out to Shayna for that one. Real talk, without that moment of just trying to help a friend, Bring It Back probably doesn’t exist. And now it’s one of those records in my catalog that just feels like a vibe from start to finish. Another banger, just off good energy and good collaboration.

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