The Power of Two: In Conversation with Composers Mark Batson & Chris Hanebutt
As a record producer, songwriter and arranger, Mark Batson has established himself as a formidable creative force who has helped helm chart-topping albums by artists like Alicia Keys, Eminem, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Maroon 5, Seal, Nas, Sting and many others. Chris Hanebutt, meanwhile, had similarly forged an impressive career as a producer, composer and mixing engineer and has worked with a host of luminaries including Anthony Hamilton, Mary J Blige, Pharoahe Monch, Nipsey Hussle and Wiz Khalifa.
For the last decade, Batson and Hanebutt have been working together as a duo, a fruitful musical partnership that resulted in their collaborative score to the popular STARZ series, Power Book IV: Force. As a testament to the pair’s versatility, their skills were also recently recruited by filmmakers Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman for the score to their gripping HBO documentary, The Alabama Solution.
In the wake of these highly celebrated and critically acclaimed projects, BMI caught up with Batson and Hanebutt to discuss their creative partnership and their process. Here’s what they had to say.
Your latest collaboration was scoring the final season for STARZ’s hugely successful Power series, Power Book IV: Force, and you two have enhanced that action-packed saga since its very beginning. How are you both feeling now that this significant project has ended?
Mark Batson: It was an outstanding experience and a culmination of 20 years of working with 50 Cent. We started working together with Dr. Dre at Aftermath so it’s been full circle to be scoring one of his shows with Chris. It was also my first series to score, so it was also an exciting learning process creating with Gary Lennon and such a brilliant, get it done team. The music turned out dynamic and we’re releasing the best cues as an album in 2026.
What project was it that first brought you two together as a creative partnership? Did you expect that your collaboration would be this fruitful?
Chris Hanebutt: The first project I worked on with Mark was in 2016 when he brought me in to mix and play guitar on an Anthony Hamilton album. Five or six years after that, we had the opportunity to score the first season of Power Book IV: Force together. Honestly, I had no idea our relationship would develop into what it has become today. I’d been a fan of Mark’s work for many years prior to us ever even meeting, so to be able to build what we’re building together is both humbling and immensely rewarding.
As a testament to the breadth of your abilities, you two also recently scored HBO’s documentary, The Alabama Solution, which seems like quite a different challenge than the fast-paced crime drama that is Force. What was your mindset going into this documentary? What were you aspiring to convey with the music for this film?
Batson: Watching the initial footage was shocking and revolting at first but then inspiring learning the stories of Kinetik and Melvyn. We took on the responsibility of creating music that best supported their stories, careful, patient and driven in Americana. The Alabama Solution is not just a prison documentary, it’s a story of problems woven into the fabric of America, that have been unaddressed and allowed to fester. We used arranged string melodies to boost their voices, and percussive and electronic beds to help describe their environment and daily stress.
The Alabama Solution recently won the Critic’s Choice Award for “Best Political Documentary.” How does it feel to receive that honor?
Hanebutt: Winning a Critic’s Choice Award for “Best Political Documentary” is really incredible. Anything that helps get more eyes on the documentary the better. The goal at the end of the day, for me at least, is for as many people to see The Alabama Solution as possible. More visibility will hopefully result in more public outrage which can be directed towards meaningful progress to change the conditions inside our prisons. We, as a country, can and must do better.
You both have worked alongside several iconic music creators, and your own ongoing collaboration continues to push boundaries and earn accolades. What do you consider the most crucial elements in a creative partnership?
Baston: Our most crucial element is that we leave our egos at the door. We collaborate while complementing what the other does best. We excel at different things, and we lean on each other’s expertise to achieve the optimum goal.
What would you say is your partner’s greatest strength?
Hanebutt: Mark’s musicianship and writing are absolutely top tier. That being said, I think his greatest attribute is his ability to relate to artists or directors or other collaborators in a way that makes everyone comfortable and willing to drop any barriers that may be in the way of creating at their highest level. People feel free to take risks and push the envelope when working with him. I think his catalogue is a testament to that.
What advice would you give to aspiring music creators looking to emulate your success?
Batson: I would say to study and listen to as much music as you can. Go to shows, experience cultures, invite friends over to jam. Go to places where creatives are needed and network. Be available to assist with making the dreams of others come true.
If you’re at liberty to discuss it, what’s next for Batson & Hanebutt?
Hanebutt: We’ll be releasing score albums for Power Book IV: Force and The Alabama Solution in the New Year, which is really exciting. As for new projects, we’ve got a couple television shows on the horizon as well as some major artist projects. 2026 is shaping up to be another breakout year for us.
What role has BMI played in your respective journeys?
Batson: BMI has been a beacon of light for me. I first came in and was awarded the Abe Olman scholarship with Cat Jackson. Later, Charlie Feldman became my patron in some ways and a steady support system for me for decades. Now, Tracy McKnight is in the driver’s seat and has been another source of creative inspiration and collaborator on projects, so BMI has been a dream place for me to enhance my creativity, support my visions and make sure I am treated fairly all over the world.
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