The first thing Latin diva Jennifer Lopez said to him when she swung her ample hips and nestled into an armchair in his Baseclef Recording studio in Queens, New York, was: "Listen here, I am no singer. I dance, I act, but singing is new to me. I need your help."

To this day, he swears he is still surprised at the candid revelation because in one swoop she succeeded in dispelling all the previous rumours he had heard of her being the "ultimate diva" and difficult to work with.

He was the engineer on her debut album, and now months after its release, it's still heating up the charts.

But 49-year-old Trinidadian-born Franklyn Grant, a New York-based record producer/engineer, is no stranger to big name stars like Lopez.

He is accustomed to combining his creative mind and wizardry, with the "cream of the crop" in the music business, with one of the top draw names being none other than Michael Jackson.

He worked on Jackson's single "Remember the Time " with Bobby Brown on "Getaway", Mariah Carey on "Fantasy" and with mega-producer/singer Teddy Riley on several projects.

But how did a young teenager from Tacarigua who migrated to America in the seventies, determined to study art, end up producing and mixing records for some of the biggest names in music? "I guess it was always in my blood," says Grant, as he fidgets with the controls in his studio. "I always loved music. I played with the Tripoli Steelband and while I was in the United States Airforce and stationed in England and Spain I continued to play pan," he discloses.

Grant, who spent some 14 years in the United States Airforce, lived in Connecticut in the early years, where he worked as a commercial artist before joining the airforce. He did his basic training in Texas, and during his stint in the airforce became a staff sergeant and later one of the top New York recruiters. He says that it was during the eight-year-period he spent in New York as a recruiter that he decided to finally attend music engineering school, and give his dream of doing music full-time, a chance.

"I worked as a recruiter during the day, went to the Institute of Audio Research at New York University (NYU) at night to earn my diploma in audio technology and formed a three-member fusion band playing at different clubs in the New York City area."

Now charging as much as US $3,000 just to mix a song, the divorced father of five admits that he worked extremely hard for the success he now enjoys.

"I rarely sleep, my creative juices are running rampant at night and sometimes I spend as much as 16 hours in the studio creating. But it's what I love to do," he adds.

Recalling the days before his name was a household one in American music circles, Grant explains, "I was in my 20s and doing three things at the same tike. I was still recruiting for the airforce, going to school, and playing n the band."

It was also at that time that Grant got involved with Rawlston Charles who would later become the owner of the popular Eighties studio Charlie's Records on Fulton Street, Brooklyn. "When Charlie told me he wanted to build a recording studio, I advised him to build a good one. He did, and signed such calypsonians as Shadow, Sparrow, SuperBlue, (then Blueboy), Duke and Explainer."

Grant says popular American entertainers such as The Fatboys, Curtis Blow, Dougie Fresh, Levert and Jimmy Cliff also recorded at the studio.

"I was cutting my teeth in the business and living it and by 1982, the recording industry was changing from live recordings to computers and drum machines. I was programming and sampling and having a ball working with a variety of artistes."

It was not until 1985, however, that Grant made the transition from the airforce into music full-time and in 1990 met Teddy Riley and his group Guy.

"He was forming his own record company, Soundtrack. I taught him how to engineer and cut vocals and he asked me to work with them at Soundtrack."

Grant says he agreed but kept the option open to do freelance work. "I did the engineering work for the Burning Flames hit "Worky Worky" and "Island Girl" which was used as part of the soundtrack in the comedy Weekend At Bernie's II. I also freelanced as an engineer/producer for Jive Records and Battery Studios both of which was owned by Zombra Publishing Company.

"I was making a name for myself in the New York music circles, working hard and gaining respect in the business but then I got another offer I could not refuse."

According to Grant, Riley informed him that he was building a new studio in Virginia and wanted him on the team. "I knew the opportunities were limitless and did not think twice about accepting the offer."

Hyped now as he continues to reminisce, Grant says it was shortly after moving to Virginia that he got the chance to work with Michael Jackson. "Riley was called to Los Angeles to work with Jackson on the single 'Remember the Time' and I was asked to work as an engineer on the project.

"Describing his first meeting with Jackson as one of the greatest moments in his life, Grant says: "I saw a soft-spoken and extremely talented man."

"It was apparent that when you worked with Jackson you got the best. He had limos available for us, the best hotels, the best food, whatever you wanted you got."

"He is a very quiet individual and would lock himself away in a room and play video games consistently until we were ready for him. He rarely spoke, but when it was time to perform, a different person emerged, a ball of electrifying talent. To this day, he is my favourite artist to work with."

It was also during that period that Grant worked with the likes of Bobby Brown on the Getaway album, with rapper MC Lyte, Dougie Fresh and the R&B group SWV. He also did work with Jackson's nephews, Tito's sons, The Three T's, who he adds, have a new album coming out in the year 2000 on the MJJ label.

He also worked with the group Blackstreet, New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men on "Thank You" and Tevin Campbell.

He spent close to three and half years in Virginia, but in 1994, returned to New York and began working with the vice-president of Crave/Sony Records Mariah Carey's label.

"They asked me to work with her at her private studio in her home in Rockland County. I had heard her recordings before and never believed she was capable of making the high notes that she did, but boy!-was I in for a surprise. When she began to sing I had to eat my words. I realised she was authentic. She is also a perfectionist when it comes to her music and would work on one song for ten hours straight without stopping."

Two years ago in collaboration with Mohan Jaikaran, he built his studio Baseclef and also assisted Jaikaran in setting up the (JMC) Recording Company.

He has now set his sights on soca music and according to him, "I want to do a little magic with it. I worked with Sundar Popo and I would love to team him up with Sparrow."

Grant is also openly excited about another Trini talent, Bunji Garlan, who emerged on the scene last year and who he describes as 'a man with star potential'.

"I would love to put him together with American producer Darrel Braxton and see what happens. I would like to make the soca a little different."

His job, Grant says, as an engineer/producer is 55 percent engineering and 45 percent personality. "Sure, I won't deny it has its perks, but it is not as glorified as some people think. There are slow periods and lots of stress. Also, these stars' sessions call for a lot of endurance. But it is what I wanted to do. The only other profession I could see myself doing other than music is flying planes," he ends.

As I exited his studio he was preparing for a meeting with one of Ricky Martin's back-up singers who had indicated her interest in having him work with her.