TONIGHT. come thru, watch the game, drink something, get some great food, and hookah at @mbaratlanta for #politicsafterdark presented by @xavier_peoples | @heykirsten. (c) @jerrell634 | @cntrcltr_.

A photo posted by bryan. (@bryanmichaelcox) on Oct 15, 2015 at 5:26pm PDT

You were a huge factor involved in the start of Chris Brown’s career. We heard your signature production and drops all over his first debut album. Since then, he’s experimented with more trap beats and even some rapping mixed into R&B. How do you feel about his musical growth today?

Bryan Michael Cox: I met Chris for the first time when he was 15, and I said it on “Winner” [from his first album], that he was the future of R&B. I was supposed to executive produce Exclusive. Some way or another it didn’t happen, but Chris is an amazing talent. He’s gone through a lot of trials and tribulations, but I think on the positive side of that it’s helped him develop this incredible writer. As a young man, if he hadn’t gone through these things, he wouldn’t be able to speak on them. I’ve always believed in him. I still believe in him. I still believe he’s one of the best and one of the greatest artists in the business.

One of the albums that you did heavy work with that people have slept on is Joe’s Ain’t Nothin’ Like Me project. With artists like Joe who still go hard on the R&B front, putting out albums each year with the classic sound, how does it make you feel about the state of R&B as the new sound is becoming more sensational?

B. Cox: Yes! Joe is amazing! Here’s the thing, right. I think we have to listen to the kids. At the end of the day, it’s their culture. As we grow older, we have to continue to support our older artists, though. Joe’s one of my favorite artists in life. I had the opportunity to work with him before that, and we did a few songs on an album previously to that. Ain’t Nothin’ Like Me took me to really dig in, and I have about 7 songs on that record. I wanted to push the envelope on songs like “Go Hard.” Even when I did the remix to “U Should Know Me,” I wanted to push the envelope, because I kind of felt like Joe has always been one of my favorites. I just felt so passionate about Joe that when Mark Pitts gave me the project, I wanted to push it as much as I could.