studio history
Atlanta engineering chapter
GVO SMiTH spent five years audio engineering in Atlanta.
Worked as an audio engineer at Billboard Studios in Atlanta under mentor Big John and built hands-on experience around major artists and sessions.
GVO / THE ARTIST ARCHIVEBALTIMORE ROOTS · ATLANTA CHAPTERS
THE PERSON BEHIND THE SOUND
Before
the record.
The places. The people.
The process that made the music.
From Baltimore roots to Atlanta studio rooms. A look into GVO SMiTH’s own archive, one chapter at a time.
101 RECORDS TO HEAR11 CHAPTERS IN THIS ARCHIVEWRITTEN & RECORDED BY GVO SMiTH
01 / THE CHAPTERS
Same hands.
Different chapters.
The artist. The engineer. The builder.
Start with the chapters behind the work.
life story
Montgomery County turning point
A move out of Baltimore changed the trajectory.
After leaving Baltimore City and County schools, GVO SMiTH moved to Montgomery County in 2006, joined Project Lead The Way STEM, graduated from Watkins Mill High School, and made honor roll in a chapter defined by growth and discipline.
brand story
Self-built creative system
Every part of the work comes from the same source.
GVO SMiTH writes, records, mixes, masters, designs, edits, and builds the website personally, creating a fully self-owned system for music and presentation.
02 / PEOPLE & PLACES
The people.
The rooms.
Follow a name back to its chapter.
Context matters more than a name-drop.
IN THE ARTIST’S ACCOUNTNames in the archive 38
Studio relationships, introductions, and encounters. Open a chapter for the original context.
- Aron Reid
- Benzino
- Big John
- Bink The Humble Producer
- BL$$D
- Bobby V
- Bricksdamane
- Carl Thomas
- Chris Brown
- Chubbie Baby
- Dej Loaf
- DeVaughn Stevens
- Faith Evans
- Filapene
- Future
- Gucci Mane
- J Lack
- Jim Jones
- Joseline Hernandez
- K Wales
- Kaleena
- Kap G
- Low Deezy
- Mase
- Monica
- Polo Da Don
- R. Kelly
- Reginae Carter
- Roscoe Dash
- Rotimi
- Sean Garrett
- Shawty Lo
- Stevie J
- T.I.
- Tokyo Jetz
- We Are Toonz
- Young Booke
- Young Dro
PLACES IN THE ARCHIVE
Where it unfolded.
Locations are listed as recorded, without private addresses.
03 / FROM THE ARCHIVE
There’s more
to the story.
Studio nights, introductions, and moments
that stayed with the artist.
studio historyExpanded studio network
The Atlanta studio years connected GVO SMiTH to a wide creative network.
Sessions and proximity included work around Bink The Humble Producer, Bricksdamane, Kaleena of Diddy Dirty Money, Joseline Hernandez, We Are Toonz, Roscoe Dash, Rotimi, Bobby V, Benzino, Low Deezy, BL$$D, K Wales, Stevie J, J Lack, and Faith Evans.
mentor storyMentorship and high-level rooms
K Wales opened doors into rooms that shaped GVO SMiTH's professional standard.
Mentorship through K Wales led to engineering opportunities at DeVaughn Stevens' house and exposure to artists including Chris Brown, R. Kelly, and Kap G, along with memorable moments that reinforced possibility and ambition.
studio history12 Studios era
Recommendations from mentors led to additional engineering opportunities in Atlanta.
Chubbie Baby recommended GVO SMiTH to Aron Reid at 12 Studios, formerly connected to Polo Da Don, extending the artist's engineering reputation and experience.
origin storyEarly co-signs
Professional validation started early.
Chubbie Baby appeared on GVO SMiTH's first high-school mixtape and later introduced him to Carl Thomas, helping build early confidence and industry access.
industry storyReality TV appearance
GVO SMiTH appeared on T.I.'s VH1 show.
The appearance placed GVO SMiTH around T.I., Monica, Reginae Carter, and Sean Garrett, adding another chapter to the artist's lived industry history.
industry storyFuture encounter
The Atlanta years came with unforgettable moments around larger-than-life artists.
One of many stories from the scene includes spotting Future at Magic City during the 2011 era, a moment remembered less as a flex and more as part of the city's scale and energy.
industry storyChristmas Eve session
Some stories land as pure motivation.
A Christmas Eve recording session with Mase became one of several memories that reinforced the level GVO SMiTH was working toward.
industry storyKansas video set
The history includes moments around Atlanta video shoots and scenes.
GVO SMiTH was present on the set of the Kansas music video near Compound and crossed paths with artists including Gucci Mane, Shawty Lo, and Jim Jones.
A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT
Good questions.
Where does the story begin?
In the artist's account, the story starts in Baltimore and continues through Montgomery County, Maryland, before the Atlanta studio chapters.
What happened in the studio years?
GVO SMiTH describes five years of audio engineering at Billboard Studios in Atlanta, with mentorship from Big John. The chapters above preserve his account of the people and rooms along the way.
Are the names here song credits?
No. Studio history, introductions, shared rooms, and personal encounters are different from track-level production credits. Confirmed song credits appear alongside the records in the catalog.
What can I listen to now?
There are 101 original recordings in the listening room. Explore the catalog or choose a free editorial collection; playback stays with you as you move through the site.
BACK TO THE SOURCE
The story
keeps playing.
101 records. Your next favorite is in there.