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sound bites from bmi's top songwrtiers and producers of 2007
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Keri Hilson
Hometown: Atlanta
That Work: "Take Me as I Am," Mary J. Blige; "Like a Boy," Ciara; "Ice Box," Omarion
Making It Write: "I grew up listening to all types of music, so that has helped me to relate to different styles. It's important for me to stay true to my art and always improve on my craft. You can never think you're too good; you always have to get better." |
J.R. Rotem
Hometown: Beverly Hills
That Work: "S.O.S. (Rescue Me)," Rihanna; "Beautiful Girls," Sean Kingston; "Push It to the Limit," Rick Ross
Making It Write: "I don't just give the artist a beat so that they can have the J.R. Rotem sound. I try to mold what I do around the artist and then put my touch on what they're already good at. This helps me to heighten the artist's strength so that we can make good music."
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Shannon "Slam" Lawrence
Hometown: Los Angeles
That Work: "Last Night," Diddy feat. Keyshia Cole; "Tell Me," Christina Aguilera
Making It Write: "Writing and producing a good song can depend on the vibe. Sometimes the melodies just come quick and other times it takes awhile. But when the moment comes, it's magic when you're able to capture it."
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Rodney Jerkins
Hometown: New Jersey
That Work: "Be With Me," J. Holiday; "Shoulda Let You Go," Keyshia Cole
Making It Write: "I have a crib in Orlando and I call it my secret place. Whenever I'm not in the right zone, I go down there to get away. This helps me to stay focused. If you look at music, most producers or songwriters only last for three to four years. I've been here for 13 years, so it's important to stay ahead of the times."
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Sean Garrett
Hometown: Atlanta
That Work: "Yeah," Usher; "Check On It," Beyoncé; "Run It," Chris Brown
Making It Write: "It's important for me to do my homework. I try to [be sure of] where we need to go with the artist, musically. It's not about just making money. We have to keep the music alive. Producers and songwriters have the responsibility of keeping the music alive."
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Tony Love
Hometown: Los Angeles
That Work: "Don't Matter," Akon; "U Don't Know Me," T.I.; "Thug Motivation 101," Young Jeezy
Making It Write: "When you write a song, you have to stay in the zone and let God work. I used to try to think about songs and what I [was] going to write. God gives us the music; it's up to us to give it to the world."
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Mr. ColliPark
Hometown: Atlanta
That Work: "Ms. New Booty," Bubba Sparks; "Wait," Ying Yang Twins
Making It Write: "A couple of people were telling me about Soulja Boy. It's my job to see what the next big thing is. I understand the type of music that Soulja Boy does, so I took him seriously when other people thought it was just a gimmick. Now, he has the No. 1 song in the nation and is selling out shows."
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DJ Toomp
Hometown: Atlanta
That Work: "Good Life," Kanye West; "What You Know," T.I.
Making It Write: "Kanye [West] and I came together and made it happen for his new album, Graduation. A lot of people wondered how two producers could get together. But we both walked into the studio without any egos. We respect each other's work and that helps us to have good chemistry when it comes to music."
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