Today marks the arrival of a new Between The Lines, which features "Best On Earth" rapper Bia. By now, you've likely caught up with her viral Russ collaboration (which earned itself a co-sign from none other than Rihanna), as it has been close to inescapable on social media. With the single nearing seven million views on YouTube alone, Bia hit the HNHH offices to breakdown the making-of process and more.
"Russ invited me to the studio and we recorded the song together," explains Bia. "We played a couple of beats, and this was the beat we chose. He laid half the hook, I laid half the hook. He did his verse, I did my verse. It was really organic. It took about an hour, I'd say. It was pretty quick. I write naturally quickly and Russ is really quick in the booth." When explaining how it came to be, Bia explains that social media ultimately brought them together. "Me and Russ have been friends following each other on social media for the past year or so," she reveals. "We just met that day in the studio, that was our first time meeting in real life."
Going into the meeting, Bia had the utmost respect for Russ, citing his brilliant analysis of the music industry and the DIY process. "Those are people you can really learn from," she says. "At first I was trying to see what's his process. He was really cool and down to Earth. He became a really close friend." She proceeds to reflect on the reaction the song has been receiving, down to a co-sign from Rihanna. "When they hit like that organically from the universe," she states. "It feels ten times better. Especially Rihanna, my favorite artist. If Rihanna co-signs your song, that's legend."
She proceeds to break down her verse on a line-per-line basis, analyzing her process and appropriate flexing measures. Should you be among one of the many vibing to Russ and Bia's "Best On Earth," be sure to check out Between The Lines right now.