San Antonio offers a wide range of diverse Black-owned businesses. Choosing to support a Black-owned business is a simple yet impactful way to contribute to the current fight for racial equality. So, in honor of Black History Month, we are highlighting the successes of a Black-owned business in the city. 

Jarrett Gadison is the proud owner of Stop Playing Studios, a music studio on Babcock Road. Stop Playing Studios offers aspiring artists an authentic and positive environment to create music. Gadison’s studio has produced a variety of music genres from Rap, Neosoul, R&B, Gospel, Trap, Swahili and, more recently, Bollywood music. Gadison is truly devoted to providing his clients with a meaningful and attentive process in creating their music. He feels that his business’s authenticity allows it to stand out compared to others. 

“I studied quite a few other studios when I was opening the business, just so I could get an idea of what everybody else was bringing to the table,” Gadison stated. “Some sessions [I] worked with some great [music] engineers, [and] some not so great. I realized that it wasn’t personal; it didn’t feel like they cared about my music. They were just trying to record me, get it done, and if I asked for any changes, it just didn’t seem like they were creatively in the process of doing the job.” 

At Stop Playing Studios, Gadison cares about his clients and works to ensure each artist feels heard and valued. 

“I like to work with artists and create something new or pinpoint that sound they hear in their head and really make it their own,” Gadison added. He truly strives to bring each artist’s creative vision to life while working in his studio. 

Stop Playing Studios was established in 2020, but for Gadison, the dream and purpose behind his business contributed to the making. His journey began when he was just five years old, playing instruments in the comfort of his own home. As the son of a preacher, he grew up involved in the church and its processes. As a result, Gadison’s love for music and singing eventually led to him actively singing for his church. “Once I did that, of course, they put me in choir, band, orchestra, symphony — anything that had to do with music.” 

For Gadison, this was just the start of how music began to influence his life and aspirations. 

“I’d make beats for all of my friends in high school, and we’d all rap to it and stuff like that,” Gadison said. “And I was literally just trying to find a way to make it a living.” 

Though, at the time, making music a career seemed nearly impossible for Gadison. 

“I’m from Rockdale, Texas. It’s just on the other side of Austin. [It’s] a very small town, so everything is an hour away. When you’re from a town like that, there [are] no opportunities.”

Though, Gadison did not let this stop him from reaching his goals. He proceeded to join the military, where he served as a medic. In his free time, he continued to work towards establishing his career as a music producer.

“I’ve been recording people ever since that was a thing I knew you could do, but I was in the military, so I just really recorded people for free for a long time so that I could learn how to do it,” Gadison said. 

By the time he was out of the military, he already had about fifteen years of experience with music and producing. So, he began doing it professionally, leading to the establishment of Stop Playing Studios. 

When asked what Black History Month meant to him as a Black business owner, Gadison once again reflected on his upbringing in Rockdale and how it shaped him. He explained that he grew up directly across the street from what used to be a segregated high school that his grandmother’s sister attended. 

“That kind of represented where we came from to me as a child,” said Gadison.

He added that he never let the past affect him negatively but instead used it as motivation in his endeavors as a music producer. 

For the future, Gadison wants Stop Playing Studios to expand. 

“In the next five years, I see us on tours,” Gadison said. “I see us having multiple studios in multiple states.” 

He added that he also hopes to one day collaborate with esteemed rapper Rick Ross, whom he feels changed the course of hip hop. 

Located at 2450 Babcock Rd Ste 150, Stop Playing Studios truly offers aspiring artists a welcoming and devoted environment to explore their creative processes. They are open from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 12 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Saturdays. For more information, visit their website at https://www.stopplaying.net.