Alicia Keys made a key point in her acceptance speech for the Global Impact Award at the 2025 Grammys: “It’s strange that we don’t think of women as producers like Quincy [Jones], Dr. Dre or Swizz [Beats], but women producers have always powered the industry,” she shared, shouting out the likes of Patrice Rushen, Grimes and Solange Knowles, as well as citing her own experience trying to earn respect as a producer in her own right.
Ebonie Smith, the founder and president of Gender Amplified, has been working on countering that lack of opportunity and recognition for women and gender-expansive producers since 2007, when she was a senior at Barnard College. “With the support of my senior thesis advisor in the Africana Studies department, I conducted an ethnography on women music producers in the NYC metropolitan area. Through my research, I discovered that many of these women didn’t know each other, despite working in the same field,” Smith tells PAPER. “This realization led me to create the first Gender Amplified conference in the spring of 2007, bringing together the women from my thesis for a groundbreaking event focused on women in hip-hop production. The energy in that room was unforgettable, and after graduating, I continued the work — transforming Gender Amplified into a thriving community and movement.”
Going on to become senior audio engineer and producer at Atlantic Records, Smith has worked on the likes of the Broadway cast album of Hamilton, Janelle Monáe’s Dirty Computer and Cardi B’s Invasion Of Privacy. She’s thus been able to see first-hand “the macro and micro systemic challenges that women and gender-expansive music producers face.” Through Gender Amplified, Smith has helped up-and-coming women and gender-expansive producers connect, grow and break down barriers through community events, recording initiatives and Ctrl Room Series, a songwriting and production camp.
Gender Amplified’s first EP, In Bloom, is a product of the special alchemy that comes from that Series, which has produced long-lasting relationships and creative partnerships, the results of which are blossoming via this sonically rich three-song EP. “I will never forget the first time I heard ‘Future Number,’ a song created in one of our camps in 2022 [and featured on the EP],” Smith says. “I was moved to tears — not just by the lyricism, but by the brilliant concept of a woman calling her younger self from a future number to reassure her that everything will be okay.” Indeed, in each song on the EP, one can hear the confluence of multiple voices and musical backgrounds.
The EP features Olivia Reid, virgogabrielle, Lyd Marie, Dance Arts Center, Caro <3, Kinseli Baricuatro, Ms. Madli and Madeline McQueen/Alice Fraser, and was made possible by the creativity and advocacy of Smith and Natalie Sears, Gender Amplified’s Operations Manager.
PAPER chatted with Smith about her important work, the process behind In Bloom, and what Gender Amplified’s work means in our fraught political moment.
You’ve been able to see so many sides of the industry through your work as a producer, songwriter and artist. How has your experience in the industry shaped Gender Amplified’s work and mission?
One of the things I’m most proud of about Gender Amplified is that our work isn’t just theoretical — it’s rooted in real experiences, not just academic papers or distant discourse. Having spent 12 years working on high-profile projects at the major label level, I’ve had first hand exposure to both the macro and micro systemic challenges that women and gender-expansive music producers face. I’ve lived those challenges myself while navigating the industry, but I’ve also witnessed the incredible progress being made.
In recent years, we’ve seen a surge of new initiatives supporting women in production, and many women are actively breaking barriers — winning awards, earning major nominations and contributing to some of the biggest records in the world. Thanks to my access and experience, I’ve had the unique privilege of seeing both sides: the obstacles that still exist and the victories that deserve to be celebrated. Many of the women leading this charge are not just industry peers but also friends, and that makes this work even more meaningful.
This perspective has directly shaped Gender Amplified’s business model, ensuring that our focus remains on actionable initiatives that genuinely move the needle — rather than performative efforts. By prioritizing tangible opportunities, resources and community-building, we’ve created a platform that goes beyond surface-level advocacy to make a real impact in the industry.
Gender Amplified has been championing women and gender-expansive producers for years, but In Bloom marks the organization’s first official music release. What inspired this evolution, and what impact do you hope it has on the industry?
I’ve always believed that the music created in our Gender Amplified camps should be released into the world for people to hear. So many producers, regardless of background, struggle with having incredible tracks sitting on hard drives, never seeing the light of day. In today’s streaming economy, those tracks could be generating income and providing valuable exposure instead of collecting digital dust.
Our move into music distribution has been a long time coming. Finding the right partner took time, but when I met with Cat Kreidich at Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA), I knew we had found the right fit. Her leadership and the dedication of her team have been instrumental in guiding us through this process. It truly makes a difference to work with people who are excited about the music we’re creating.
Our producers deserve a partnership that offers both the full strength of a major label and the hands-on, thoughtful approach of a dedicated team. This collaboration marks a major step forward for Gender Amplified, ensuring that the incredible work coming out of our camps reaches audiences and makes the impact it was always meant to.
The Ctrl Room Series played a key role in shaping this EP. Can you share what makes these songwriting and production camps unique, and how they foster collaboration among emerging artists and producers?
The Ctrl Room Series is a creative space that began as a panel concept in 2019 and evolved into a full-blown music production camp series. I originally envisioned it as a way to bring together women and gender-expansive producers, and our pilot — done in partnership with NYU’s Clive Davis Institute — set the tone for a community built on sustained collaboration. What makes this space special is my belief in taking a steady, thoughtful and pragmatic approach to incremental growth.
This commitment to long-term relationships is evident in the producers who have stayed with us since 2019. Over six years of camps, we’ve built trust and refined a clear workflow, ensuring that our community continues to grow and thrive. The issues women and gender-expansive producers face are long-standing, and no single organization or effort can solve them quickly. Our focus is on long-term, meaningful impact, and our commitment to building gradual trust and workflow over six years of camps speaks to this. A rigorous application process and a dedicated team, led by Natalie Sears, further cultivate the creative synergy that enables impactful work and elevates the producers we serve.
Was there a particular moment during the creation of this EP that really captured the spirit of what Gender Amplified is all about?
I will never forget the first time I heard “Future Number,” a song created in one of our camps in 2022. I was moved to tears — not just by the lyricism, but by the brilliant concept of a woman calling her younger self from a future number to reassure her that everything will be okay. It’s a beautiful song that captures the angst of adolescence, the uncertainty of youth and the comfort in knowing that, one day, your future self will be grateful for the journey. I’m grateful that Gender Amplified has played a role in sharing this incredible piece of work, and I can’t wait for others to hear it.
We’re in a paradoxical time in the industry. Women and queer people dominated the Grammy’s top categories, but at the same time, we’re in a very fraught, dangerous political moment — especially for women and gender expansive folks. What do you see as the mission of Gender Amplified going forward, given the current state of the world and industry?
Gender Amplified has navigated shifting social climates and multiple presidential administrations for nearly 20 years, and I’m proud of our staying power. Our resilience comes from the fact that our mission has never changed. From the beginning, we set out to support and celebrate women and gender-expansive music producers, and that remains our focus. As long as we stay true to that, we will continue to thrive — regardless of external political factors — and continue advocating for our community and the broader creative industry we indirectly support.
From the beginning, we set out to support and celebrate women and gender-expansive music producers, and that remains our focus.
Photography: Matt Fajardo