There have always been particular occupations and responsibilities that cater to specific genders. Women are seldom involved in the creative process in the music industry, but Brianna Roberts, AKA VIIbez, vowed to not be at the mercy of anybody while pursuing a career in music. She’s the owner of LSD Music Production Studios in Chicago, where she connects the dots and oversees the operations of the facility.
“I am determined, charismatic, a people person, a little shy but a whole vibe,” VIIbez said in a recent interview. “I am a kind hearted person and I am always looking to balance the scales. I pride myself on doing good business.”
VIIbez began her career as an engineer and was well-known across Chicago. Her inability to break into the fold for one reason or another, however, forced her to change course.
“I used to go around to open mics and concerts to get clients to come to my studio,” VIIbez said. “As I grew, I started hiring the best of the best of engineers. Now I no longer engineer, and I just run the business side of the studio.”
She applied to a number of studios but was turned down because she was a woman. She didn’t wait for a miracle, so she got a job as a driver for Uber, a prominent ride-hailing service, and saved up enough money to create her own studio. She then took it a step further by designing and creating her own studio space from the ground up. Lil Zay Osama, Polo G, Kid Laroi, G Herbo, Calboy, Lil Reese, Lil Bibby, DJ L, JTk, and others have all performed at LSD Music Production Studios since it began for business.
“In this industry I feel like majority of the time all you hear are no’s,” she said. “But that tenacity is what gets you through and if you have that, you can succeed at anything.”
VIIbez’s career has been nothing short of inspiring as one of the few women who own and operate a full-fledged music studio in Chicago and the United States. Her tenacity, charm, and business savvy were all assets that helped her maintain her composure in an otherwise frightening field. VIIbez oversees the day-to-day operations of LSD Music Production Studios, while the engineers she has employed handle all of the studio’s creative endeavors. The studio has been home to numerous underground, aspiring, and signed musicians from Chicago for the past four years.
One of the everyday problems VIIbez has is overcoming the scrutiny that comes with being a woman in business, but she stays unfazed and committed to her goals. “Everyone tried to persuade me out of opening my own studio, but now I’m running a six-figure operation. Even now, I receive a lot of criticism from men and women about how I do things, but I manage to improve year after year,” she confessed.
VIIbez envisions herself giving back to her community and becoming a well-known philanthropist in the coming years. One of her goals is to establish a scholarship for Chicago’s young creatives to keep them away from the city’s dangerous streets. “I aim to provide the same mentorship and healing via music that I got as a child to the young. “I also aim to give tools that will allow a lot of unknown talent to get their thoughts and songs heard,” she said. One of her long-term ambitions is to grow to other locations and make LSD the place where musical aspirations come true.
VIIbez feels that her determination and never-say-never attitude have gotten her this far, and she wants everyone who reads or hears her tale to emulate those traits.
On the official website, you can learn more about Brianna Roberts, AKA VIIbez, and her work at LSD Studios.