Jason Lee Epperson (born August 13, 1978), known professionally as Jay E, is an American record producer, entrepreneur and DJ. He is a co-founder of the production team Basement Beats. Jay E rose to fame as the producer of rapper
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...
's multi-platinum 2000 album ''
Country Grammar
''Country Grammar'' is the debut studio album by American rapper and singer Nelly. It was released on June 27, 2000, by Universal Records. The production on the album was handled by Jason "Jay E" Epperson, with additional production by C-Love, ...
'' which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. He has produced songs for
Murphy Lee
Torhi Harper (born December 18 1979), better known by his stage name Murphy Lee, is an American rapper, best known as a member of the hip hop group St. Lunatics. His debut album, '' Murphy's Law'', peaked at number 8 on the ''Billboard'' 200 mu ...
,
St. Lunatics,
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
,
E-40
Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, a ...
,
Cedric the Entertainer
Cedric Antonio Kyles (born April 24, 1964), better known by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He hosted BET's ''ComicView'' during the 1993–1994 season and ''Def Comedy Jam'' in 1995. He is bes ...
,
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
,
Ron Isley
Ronald Isley (; born May 21, 1941) is an American recording artist, songwriter, record producer, and occasional actor. Isley is the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.
Early life
Born in 1941 to Sally ...
,
Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip hop group, they would eventually go on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mys ...
, and
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She began her act ...
. He is credited as one of the producers of St. Louis hip hop, a style characterized by hip hop mixed with soul, rhythm and blues and pop music. ''Billboard'' magazine, in the December 2000 issue, listed Jay E at No. 16 of the Top 100 Producers and No. 19 of the Top 100 R&B/Hip Hop Producers of 2000.
Early life
Jay E was born on August 13, 1978, the first child of three. His mother was a stay-at-home mom. In the early '90s, he attended St. Charles West High School. He first took an interest in musical instruments at the age of 14, learning piano and light guitar. Having had an interest in becoming a
DJ, he purchased his first
turntable
A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
at the age of 15. It was an off-brand turntable and his first record was by
KRS-One
Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from New York City. He rose to prominence as part of ...
. He would go on to work and perfect his craft as a DJ. Some of his early influences were DJs such as
Kid Capri
David Anthony Love Jr. (born February 7, 1967) is an American DJ and rapper better known by his stage name Kid Capri.
Early life
Kid Capri's humble roots can be traced back to his parents' home in the Bronx, where ten year old David Antho ...
and
Jam Master Jay
Jason William Mizell (January 21, 1965 – October 30, 2002), better known by his stage name Jam Master Jay, was an American musician and DJ. He was the DJ of the influential hip hop group Run-DMC. During the 1980s, Run-DMC became one of the big ...
. Thereafter, he focused on his social life and entertainment for the remainder of his high school years. Jay would DJ for local house parties and would later land a job at a local St. Louis roller skating rink. His first shot at production was in Saints Studio in 1996; this is where he met future
St. Lunatics member Ali who introduced him to the St. Lunatics.
Music career
1998: First release: ''Who's the Boss'' EP
The first release by the
St. Lunatics was the EP ''Who's the Boss'' with production by Jay E. Its lead single, "Gimme What U Got", was the group's first local hit. The independent release brought forth a huge buzz which pushed Jay to work even harder on his production style and another EP with the St. Lunatics. This album was not released under Universal Music but was released by the owner of the original music.
2000: ''Country Grammar'', ''Bait'' and ''The Original Kings of Comedy'' soundtracks, Rasheeda
While working at the roller rink as a DJ and with the St. Lunatics, Jay began to develop a unique style of production. His first major placement was on St. Lunatic's member Nelly's first solo album, ''Country Grammar''. It was released on June 27, 2000, by
Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
. The
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
on the album was handled by
Jason "Jay E" Epperson
Jason Lee Epperson (born August 13, 1978), known professionally as Jay E, is an American record producer, entrepreneur and DJ. He is a co-founder of the production team Basement Beats. Jay E rose to fame as the producer of rapper Nelly's multi-pl ...
, with additional production by C-Love, Kevin Law,
City Spud
Lavell Webb (born August 31, 1975) known by his stage name City Spud, is an American rapper and record producer. He was a member of Hip hop music, hip hop group St. Lunatics. He was featured on fellow St. Lunatic member Nelly's hit single "Ride ...
,
Steve "Blast" Wills and Basement Beats. This album brought forth a Saint Louis Midwest swing never before heard in production. It supported four very successful
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
s: "
Country Grammar (Hot Shit)
"Country Grammar (Hot Shit)" (also known as "Country Grammar (Hot...)") is the debut single of American rapper Nelly. The song was written by Nelly and Jason "Jay E" Epperson, who also produced the track. Released on February 29, 2000, as the lea ...
", "
E.I.", "
Ride wit Me
"Ride wit Me" is a song by American rapper Nelly featuring City Spud. It was released on February 13, 2001, as the third single from Nelly's debut studio album, ''Country Grammar'' (2000). "Ride wit Me" peaked at number three on the ''Billboar ...
" and "
Batter Up
"Batter Up" is a song by American hip hop group St. Lunatics, with member Nelly credited as a featured artist. The track was produced by Steve "Blast" Wills and first appeared on Nelly's debut solo album, ''Country Grammar'' (2000). It was late ...
". The lead single, "
Country Grammar (Hot Shit)
"Country Grammar (Hot Shit)" (also known as "Country Grammar (Hot...)") is the debut single of American rapper Nelly. The song was written by Nelly and Jason "Jay E" Epperson, who also produced the track. Released on February 29, 2000, as the lea ...
", peaked at number 7 on both the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. "E.I." charted at number 16, number 12 and number 11 on the Hot 100, UK Singles Chart and
ARIA Singles Chart, respectively. "Ride wit Me" peaked within the top five on the Hot 100, ARIA Singles Chart,
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...
and UK Singles Chart.
''Country Grammar'' received positive reviews for the album's production. It was at the top of the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart for five consecutive weeks and the US
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...
chart for six consecutive weeks. It also peaked in the top five on the
New Zealand Albums Chart
The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
and
Australian Albums Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
as well as the top ten on the
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...
and
Dutch Albums Chart
The Dutch Album Top 100 or Album Top 100 is a weekly hit list of music albums, compiled by Dutch Charts. List shows the 100 best-selling music albums of the moment in the Netherlands. The list has passed through various name changes and has expande ...
. The album was certified three times platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...
(RIANZ) and
Music Canada
Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It a ...
(MC), denoting shipments of 45,000 and 300,000 copies.
In 2016, it became the ninth hip hop album to be certified diamond by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA),
denoting shipment of 10 million copies in the US. The success of this album made Jay E one of the hottest new producers. After its release, it would go on to sell over 10 million copies. The song "
Ride with Me" would go on to receive Grammy nominations. The song "Country Grammar" would receive nominations for best rap performance and the album received a nomination for best rap album of the year. The success of this album opened the door for other projects.
The song "Icey" featuring
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...
and the
St. Lunatics was featured on the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
to ''
Bait'', a 2000 action-comedy film. It was released on September 12, 2000, by
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
and featured a blend of hip hop and R&B music. The soundtrack reached #49 on the
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...
.
The song "Summer in the City" features the St. Lunatics and Nelly on the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
to the 2000 film ''
The Original Kings of Comedy
''The Original Kings of Comedy'' is a 2000 American stand-up comedy film directed by Spike Lee and featuring the comedy routines of Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac. Filmed in front of a live audience at the Char ...
'', released on August 22, 2000, through
Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
. It mainly consisted of performances by the film's four stars,
Steve Harvey
Broderick Stephen Harvey Sr. Also aired August 16, 2015. (born January 17, 1957) is an American television host, producer, actor, and comedian. He hosts ''The Steve Harvey Morning Show'', ''Family Feud'', '' Celebrity Family Feud,'' the Miss U ...
,
Bernie Mac
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough (October 5, 1957 – August 9, 2008), better known by his stage name Bernie Mac, was an American comedian and actor. Born and raised on Chicago's South Side, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined fell ...
,
Cedric the Entertainer
Cedric Antonio Kyles (born April 24, 1964), better known by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He hosted BET's ''ComicView'' during the 1993–1994 season and ''Def Comedy Jam'' in 1995. He is bes ...
and
D.L. Hughley
Darryl Lynn Hughley (; born March 6, 1963) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Hughley is best known as the original host of BET's ''ComicView'' from 1992 to 1993, the eponymous character on the ABC/ UPN sitcom ''The Hughleys'', and as ...
, but five original music tracks also appeared. The soundtrack peaked at 50 on the
''Billboard'' 200 and 15 on the
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...
.
''Dirty South'' is the debut solo album by
Rasheeda
Rasheeda Buckner-Frost (often stylized RaSheeda) is an American rapper, television personality, and businesswoman.
Music career Music beginnings
Rasheeda started her music career as a member of the female hip hop trio Da Kaperz, which made a n ...
. The album was released in late March 2001 and peaked at number 77 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...
chart. The track titled "ATL NO 2" was produced by Jay E.
2001: ''Osmosis Jones'' soundtrack and ''Free City''
''
Osmosis Jones: Music from the Motion Picture'' is the soundtrack to the 2001 film released on August 7, 2001, through Atlantic Records consisting of hip hop and contemporary R&B. Jay E produced the track "Summer in the City".
Jay E co-produced ''
Free City'', an album which was dedicated for the release of St. Lunatics member, City. The album would debut at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and was certified platinum by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
a month later. The album would open up many doors for his new style of production.
2002: O-Town, ''Nellyville'', ''Heavy Starch''
''O2'' is the second studio album by American boy band
O-Town
O-Town (also known as OTWN or OTOWN) is an American boy band formed from the first season of the reality television series ''Making the Band'' in 2000. As of 2015, the group consists of Erik-Michael Estrada, Trevor Penick, Jacob Underwood, and ...
, following the success of their triple-platinum self-titled debut album. ''O2'' peaked at #28 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The song "Favorite Girl" was produced by Jay E. The album charted on the U.S.
''Billboard'' 200.
[" Chart History">US Billboard and Canadian charts > Chart History. ''billboard.com'' Retrieved 2010-05-10]
With the success of the first two albums, Jay E would begin working on Nelly's second solo album, ''
Nellyville
''Nellyville'' is the second studio album by American rapper and singer Nelly. It was released on June 25, 2002, by Universal Records and Fo' Reel Entertainment. The album's production was handled by Waiel Yaghnam, the Neptunes, Jay E, Trackboy ...
''. It was released on June 25, 2002, by
Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
and the indie
label
A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed dir ...
Fo' Reel. The album includes production by Jay E, while additional production was provided by
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are an American songwriting and production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos, ...
and
Just Blaze
Justin Gregory Smith (born January 8, 1978), known professionally as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop record producer and DJ. Born in Paterson, New Jersey, Blaze attended Rutgers University for three years before dropping out to pursue his mu ...
. ''Nellyville'' peaked at number one on the US
''Billboard'' 200 selling 715,000 copies in its opening week. The album stayed atop the chart for four non-consecutive weeks and became certified six-times platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for shipments of over six million copies, making this Jay E's second number-one album, second multi-platinum album, and second top ten in the United States. Internationally, ''Nellyville'' peaked at number 2 in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. As of March 16, 2011, the album had sold 6,488,000 copies in the United States, and it became the fourteenth best-selling rap album of all time.
''Nellyville ''received generally positive reviews from music critics. At
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an
average
In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
score of 70, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews.” The album was nominated for
Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Hip/Hop/R&B Album and was ranked third on the ''Billboard'' 200 and the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts.
The album debuted at #1 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 715,000 copies and outperforming ''
Country Grammar
''Country Grammar'' is the debut studio album by American rapper and singer Nelly. It was released on June 27, 2000, by Universal Records. The production on the album was handled by Jason "Jay E" Epperson, with additional production by C-Love, ...
'' (2000), which debuted at number 3 selling 235,000 copies. Within two weeks of its release, ''Nellyville'' remained atop the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 450,000 and 340,000 copies, respectively. The album surpassed 1.5 million copies in sales in its third week. In its fourth week, ''Nellyville'' was replaced atop the chart by
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...
's ''
Busted Stuff''. The former album was positioned at #2 on the ''Billboard'' 200, with its sales decreasing to 305,000 copies. In the fifth week, it sold 271,000 copies, dropping from #2 to #3. On March 16, 2011, the album had sold 6,488,000 copies in the United States, becoming the fourteenth best-selling rap album of all time.
''Nellyville'' debuted and peaked at #2 on
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
on the week of July 13, 2002, remaining on the chart for 40 weeks. On July 1, 2002, the album was certified double platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI), for shipments of 600,000 copies. On the
Australian Albums Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
, it debuted and peaked at #2 for two weeks, staying within the top 10 for sixteen non-consecutive weeks. The album dropped off the chart after 31 weeks, and was certified triple platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA) for shipments of 210,000 copies. ''Nellyville'' also peaked at #2 on the
New Zealand Albums Chart
The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
,
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...
and
German Albums Chart
The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindust ...
. It remained on the chart in New Zealand for 30 weeks, in Canada for eighteen weeks and in Germany for 33 weeks. It was certified double and quadruple platinum by Recorded Music NZ and Music Canada. The album was certified gold by the
Bundesverband Musikindustrie
The Bundesverband Musikindustrie (English: Federal Music Industry Association), or simply BVMI, represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 280 labels and music industry related enterprises, which ...
(BVMI). ''Nellyville'' also achieved success in several other territories, peaking within the top ten in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. It was certified Gold by
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 19 ...
and certified platinum by IFPI Switzerland for shipments of 15,000 and 40,000 copies, respectively. The album reached number 11 in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
and #25 in Belgium (Wallonia) and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. The
Swedish Recording Industry Association
Grammofonleverantörernas förening (GLF), or the Swedish Recording Industry Association in English, is an organization representing the music recording industry of Sweden. It has compiled and published the official record charts for the Swedish mu ...
(GLF) awarded the album a gold certification, for shipments of over 30,000 copies.
Members of the St. Lunatics would begin to work on solo albums, on which they would utilize the production of their producer, Jay E. The album ''
Heavy Starch
''Heavy Starch'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Ali of St. Lunatics. It was released on April 30, 2002, via Universal Records. The album features guest appearances from fellow St. Lunatics members Kyjuan, Murphy Lee, & Nelly, St. L ...
'' by Ali would peak at #24 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and #7 on the Top Hip Hop/R&B Albums chart.
2003: ''Murphy's Law''
Murphy Lee would release his debut album ''
Murphy's Law'' on September 23, 2003. It peaked at number 8 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and was certified gold on November 17, 2003. It featured the single from the ''Bad Boys II'' soundtrack, "
Shake Your Tailfeather" (with Nelly and
P. Diddy
Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent directo ...
).
2005: ''Coach Carter'' soundtrack and ''Sweat''/''Suit''
''
Coach Carter: Music from the Motion Picture'' is the official soundtrack to the 2005 basketball film ''
Coach Carter
''Coach Carter'' is a 2005 American biographical teen sports drama film starring Samuel L. Jackson and directed by Thomas Carter (no relation). The film is based on the true story of Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter (played by J ...
'', released on January 11, 2005, under Capitol Records. It featured the track "Time", produced by Jay E and performed by St. Lunatics and
Avery Storm.
''
Sweat
Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals.
Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distrib ...
'' is the third album by Nelly, intended to be released on August 17, 2004, before being delayed and released on September 13, 2004, by
Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
. Production was handled by several producers, including Jay E,
Midi Mafia
The MIDI Mafia is a music production duo consisting of American Bruce Waynne (born Waynne Nugent) from Brooklyn, New York and Canadian Dirty Swift (born Kevin Risto) from Ottawa, Ontario. Together as Midi Mafia since 2003, they are most notable for ...
,
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are an American songwriting and production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos, ...
,
Trife,
Jazze Pha
Phalon Anton Alexander, (born April 15, 1974), professionally known as Jazze Pha ( ), is an American record producer, singer, songwriter and rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Sho'nuff Records, to wh ...
, Doe and
The Alchemist
An alchemist is a person who practices alchemy.
Alchemist or Alchemyst may also refer to:
Books and stories
* ''The Alchemist'' (novel), the translated title of a 1988 allegorical novel by Paulo Coelho
* ''The Alchemist'' (play), a play by Be ...
. Released in conjunction with ''
Suit'', Nelly intended to release a single album before conceptualizing and releasing two albums simultaneously, both which would contrast each other's themes. Nelly characterized ''Sweat'' as "more uptempo" and "energetic" while describing ''Suit'' as more of "a grown-up and sexy vibe
..more melodic".
2007: ''The Real Testament''
''The Real Testament'' is the major-label debut album by rapper
Plies. It was released on August 7, 2007, and the album was well received by music critics. The song "You" featuring Tank, was produced by Jay E.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
editor David Jeffries said that the album had a few "redundant tracks and some potential unreached", but praised both studio and street tracks being supported by capable producers and guest artists throughout. He concluding with, "An energetic artist with little refinement, Plies puts his rough edges to good use on 'The Real Testament', an exciting, sometimes promising, debut."
Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews spoke about the record: "In lesser hands this would have been one of a hundred no-name rap albums that end up in your local store's bargain bin but thanks to good beats and well-chosen singles in 'The Real Testament', Plies makes a favorable impression both on radio and his CD."
''The Real Testament'' sold 96,000 copies in its first week of release, debuting at number two on the
''Billboard'' 200. The following week, the album dropped seven spots to number nine. In its third week, the album sold 27,000 copies, dropping from number 9 to 21. As of June 1, 2008, ''The Real Testament'' had been certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
.
2008: ''Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1'' and ''Greatest Remixes''
Jay E would team up with
Randy Jackson
Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive and television presenter, perhaps best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013.
Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing bas ...
on ''
Music Club, Vol. 1'', on the track "Just Walk on By", featuring
Joss Stone
Joscelyn Eve Stoker (born 11 April 1987), known professionally as Joss Stone, is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to prominence in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, ''The Soul Sessions'', which made the 2004 Merc ...
. This was the debut studio album by Jackson, released on March 11, 2008.
''Greatest Remixes'' is a greatest hits
compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
of dance
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
es of the original songs by
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 2005, the band's lineup has consisted of twin brothers Joel Madden (lead vocals) and Benji Madden (guitar and vocals), Paul Thomas (bass), Billy Martin (g ...
, with co-production by Jay E. The compilation was released on November 25, 2008. The track listing includes songs from all four Good Charlotte studio albums and three unreleased songs, "Anxiety", "Fight Song" (remixed by Jay) and "War".
Discography
;Albums credits
* ''
Country Grammar
''Country Grammar'' is the debut studio album by American rapper and singer Nelly. It was released on June 27, 2000, by Universal Records. The production on the album was handled by Jason "Jay E" Epperson, with additional production by C-Love, ...
'' (2000)
* ''
Nellyville
''Nellyville'' is the second studio album by American rapper and singer Nelly. It was released on June 25, 2002, by Universal Records and Fo' Reel Entertainment. The album's production was handled by Waiel Yaghnam, the Neptunes, Jay E, Trackboy ...
'' (2002)
* ''
Heavy Starch
''Heavy Starch'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Ali of St. Lunatics. It was released on April 30, 2002, via Universal Records. The album features guest appearances from fellow St. Lunatics members Kyjuan, Murphy Lee, & Nelly, St. L ...
'' (2002)
* ''
Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention'' (2003)
* ''
Murphy's Law'' (2003)
* ''
Sweat
Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals.
Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distrib ...
/
Suit'' (2004)
* ''
Who's the Boss'' (2004)
Awards and honors
* Nelly – ''Country Grammar'' 10 million copies sold
* ASCAP Pop 2002 Award – "Ride wit Me"
* ASCAP Pop 2002 Award – "Country Grammar"
* ASCAP Rhythm and Soul 2001 Award – "Country Grammar"
* Grammy nomination - ''Nellyville'', Album of the Year
* Avengened Sevenfold (self–titled) – gold
* Nelly (''Sweat'') – platinum
* Nelly (''Nellyville'') – 8 million
* Nelly (''Da Derrty Versions'') – gold
* Murphy Lee (''Murphy's Law'') – gold
* St. Lunatics (''Free City'') – platinum
* Plies (''The Real Testament'') – gold
* Screenwerks – ''Alive Magazine'', Best Video DJs
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jay E
1978 births
Living people
American DJs
Record producers from Missouri
American hip hop record producers