"I cried this morning,"—Founder Zach Brandon reacts as Malibu Studio, where Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat recorded albums, burns down in Palisades wildfire

Malibu's Harbor Studios founder Zach Brandon took to Instagram on January 8, 2025, to announce that the Palisades wildfire had burned the studio down. The Harbor Studio is referred to as one of Malibu's iconic locations as stars like Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat have recorded songs there in the past.

The Palisades wildfire broke out in Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, causing widespread damage to life and property. In a heartfelt post, shared on Wednesday, Zach Brandon revealed that the casualties also include Malibu's iconic Harbor Studios. Alongside a photo of the burned remains of the building, he wrote a lengthy message expressing his grief and revealing his plans for its future.

“I cried this morning, but not because Harbor burned down. I cried because it settled in with me that Harbor was taken from so many artists who cared so deeply about Harbor. It was a place of musical freedom… a sanctuary in the most literal sense of the word. I loved it,” he wrote.

According to a report by BBC, the wildfire was initially confined to an area of just 20 acres but spread to over ten times the area in just 20 minutes. At present, the Palisades wildfire has spread to over 2000 acres, forcing more than 70,000 people to evacuate.

The Palisades wildfire has destroyed many multi-million dollar properties, including residences of high-profile celebrities and government buildings. The celebrities whose houses and properties were burned down include Eugene Levy, Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, Paris Hilton, Anthony Hopkins, and Mandy Moore, among others.

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Zach Brandon revealed his plans to rebuild Malibu Studio after it was burned down in the Palisades wildfire

Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles Area - Source: Getty

In his post, Zach Brandon explained that he would rebuild Harbor Studio utilizing the experience he has amassed from running the studio for so many years. He noted that it was "not the end of Harbor" as they were "restarting from scratch," stating it was nothing they hadn't done before. In the caption, Brandon said that he and the original studio builder had "already begun planning" what the new studio would look like.

"Not only that, but I have gained so much knowledge and experience from Harbor 1 that I will be implementing into the rebuild," he wrote.

Brandon also provided a brief history of Harbor Studios in his Instagram post. He wrote that Harbor has been one of the mainstays in the music industry since the 1990s. After its inception, it was used as a recording studio by the Jazz Fusion group The Weather Report.

In 2008, film composer Paul Dinletir took shelter in the studio while creating music for record-setting films like Avatar, and Avengers, among others. According to Zach's post, the studio became Harbor Studios in 2021, noting that it was something he "started from the ground." He said that after the studio officially opened in 2022, it grew into something he "never could have even tried to conceptualize.

" have had the luxury of working with the world’s best and brightest artists, managers, and label execs, plus the best assistants, day to day managers, and other support staff," wrote Zach.

He continued to say that he had been "fortunate to make enough great memories for a coffee table book." In the caption, he added that the studio gave him "the most fulfilling relationships and friendships that he has had "both from a career standpoint and a personal one."

Two of the biggest artists to have worked in Harbor Studios since its inception in 2022 have been Doja Cat and Nicki Minaj. The entirety of Nicki's Pink Friday 2 album was recorded in Harbor Studio. It is worth noting that the album debuted atop the Billboard 200 charts and made Minaj the first female rapper to have three number-one albums.

Doja Cat used the Harbor Studio to record Scarlet, her fourth studio album. It peaked at number four on the United States Billboard 200, marking Doja Cat's third top-ten entry into the chart.

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In addition to the studio, the Palisades wildfire has affected many government buildings like the Palisades Charter High School and the Getty Villa. It has also affected the houses and properties of several celebrities.

Premiers of films like Better Man, Wolfman, and Unstoppable have also been postponed because of the fire, which started on Tuesday.