IN 2014 when Jamaican producer and beat maker J.L.L. created a beat in his room, little did he know that seven years later international hip hop artiste Drake would be using that beat for his work Champagne Poetry — the lead-off track for his latest album.

The excitement is palpable when J.L.L., whose given name is Jean-Andre Lowell Lawrence, described the journey from his computer to a single on the album of one of the world’s top musical acts.

The beat was inspired by Emily, a track by the jazz vocal group Singers Unlimited. It is a cover of The Beatles song of the same name. J.L.L. recalled the moment he first heard the song and thought how cool it would be to sample a particular part of the track, as he was so taken by the arrangement and chord progressions and just couldn’t get them out of his head.

“I took the part I needed and worked it to create the beat. I did not have any immediate plans for it so I saved it to Soundcloud. An artiste I was working with — Royal Blu — heard it, loved it and recorded the first song on the beat, a track called How Can I. It was a great song. About two years later, singer Masego heard it and recorded a song called Navajo. He sent it to me while it was still in the draft stages and I just thought it was pretty cool, even though it wasn’t done. He dropped it on line and it raked in about 50 million views on Colors.”

Then late last week came word that Drake sampled the beat and it has made his latest album Certified Lover Boy.

“It is a clear sample. Same tempo and key, and the beauty is that you can hear it as he [Drake] allows the music to play for a few seconds well before he comes in. So, it is such a joy to hear it. Sampling shows such an appreciation of your work. It is the same way I felt about Singers Unlimited — when I heard it, it was just a beautiful moment in time when a part of the track just speaks to you and you just have to loop it and do whatever it takes to emphasise that part which means so much to you. I guess this part was impactful enough for Drake to choose to use it in this way. Whatever the reason, I am pleased,” he told the Jamaica Observer during a telephone interview.

J.L.L. is no stranger to working with popular acts. He has helped in developing the careers of Jaz Elise, Sevana, Royal Blu, Chris Malachi, Indie Allen, Jane MacGuizmo and Masego. He recalled two moments in his career thus far in which an artiste just fell in love with a beat he had created.

“ Della Move by Chronixx is one of those. I created the rhythm and made arrangements to link Chronixx to make him listen. He fell in love with it immediately and in no time he presented me with a song. It was the same with Govana and Likkle Bit a Money. I was up at the Habitat… Protoje’s studio up in the hills. I was just playing the rhythm and Govana was there, heard it an said, ‘Play da part deh again.’ ” I kept playing it. He asked for a copy and within hours he sent me the completed song. It’s just like that sometimes; you hear the beat and it just comes to you.”

Now that J.L.L. has Drake under his belt he is leaving the gates open to any other local and international acts who require his services. His wish list includes Kendrick Lamar and JCole, but maintains that he is prepared for anyone who fits in with what he is doing.