Joseph Johnson (born March 31, 1975), known by his stage name N.O. Joe, is an American musician, hip hop record producer and songwriter. N.O. Joe was a pioneer of the Southern Hip Hop sound during the 1990s. He operates a production company named Gumbo Funk, which is also a name given to his melange of musical styles

History

Johnson was born in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. While in high school (in New Orleans), he began providing beats to local performers in Jackson Square. He was later encouraged to move to New York, where he began an affiliation with

Universal Music Group 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 ...

as a producer. Then known as Joe Kool, Johnson collaborated with

Devante Swing Donald Earle DeGrate Jr. (born September 29, 1969), better known by his stage name DeVanté Swing, is an American record producer, singer, rapper and songwriter. He is the older brother of fellow Jodeci member Dalvin DeGrate. Career In his ear ...

, and the production group Da Bassment with that he contributed to

Jodeci Jodeci ( ) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Dalvin DeGrate, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci (singer), K-Ci, and K-Ci and JoJo, JoJo. Formed in 1989 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci's members began their mu ...

's first album, ''

Forever My Lady ''Forever My Lady'' is the debut studio album by American R&B quartet Jodeci, released May 28, 1991, by Uptown Records and MCA Records. Background The album's production and composition was largely attributed to DeVante Swing, who worked along ...

''. Johnson went on to work with

Brian McKnight Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range and melisma. McKnight is known for h ...

, R&B artist Joe and D'Angelo before moving into the rap genre.

Southern hip-hop contributions

N.O. Joe contributed to the following albums (All album contributions not listed): * Scarface, '' The Diary'' *Scarface, '' The Last of a Dying Breed'' * Scarface, '' The Untouchable'' *

Geto Boys Geto Boys (originally spelled Ghetto Boys) was an American hip-hop group originally formed in Houston, Texas. The Geto Boys enjoyed success in the 1990s with the group's classic lineup consisting of Bushwick Bill, Scarface and Willie D, earning ...

, ''

The Resurrection Resurrection refers to the coming back to life of the dead. Resurrection or The Resurrection may also refer to: Supernatural * Resurrection of Jesus * Universal resurrection, often referred to by the term of art "resurrection of the dead", the ...

'' *

UGK UGK (short for Underground Kingz) was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas, formed in 1987, by Chad "Pimp C" Butler and Bernard "Bun B" Freeman. They released their first major-label album, ''Too Hard to Swallow'', in 1992, followe ...

, ''

Ridin' Dirty ''Ridin' Dirty'' is the third studio album by American hip hop duo UGK. It was released on July 30, 1996 by Jive Records. Despite no music videos or official singles being released, it is their best selling album with over 850,000 copies sold to ...

'' *UGK, ''

Underground Kingz ''Underground Kingz'' is the fifth studio album by American hip hop duo UGK. The album was released on August 7, 2007, by Jive Records. The album includes collaborations with Z-RO, T.I., Talib Kweli, Rick Ross, Jazze Pha, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy ...

'' and individual songs from various UGK albums: "Hi Life", "Murder", "Diamonds and Wood" *

Odd Squad ''Odd Squad'' (stylized as ''ODD SQUAD'') is a children's live action educational television series that premiered on TVOKids in Canada and PBS Kids in the United States on November 26, 2014. Similar to ''Cyberchase'' and ''Peg + Cat'', other ma ...

, ''

Fadanuf Fa Erybody!! ''Fadanuf Fa Erybody!!'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop trio Odd Squad (now known as the Coughee Brothaz), consists of Devin the Dude, Jugg Mugg and Rob Quest. It was released on February 1, 1994 through Rap-A-Lot Records with distr ...

Artist roster

N.O. Joe has also contributed as producer to various labels such as

(1990–2003), and Rap-A-Lot as an independent production entity. N.O. Joe has worked on several platinum songs and albums, including a number 1 single "Pushin Weight", to

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...

's album '' War & Peace Vol. 1'',

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...

's Grammy-nominated '' The DEFinition'' and has worked with: * AZ **In 1995, AZ's album ''Do or Die'' peaked on the Billboard as the No. 1 R&B/Hip-Hop Album with chart topping hits such as the title track, produced by N.O. Joe, "Doe or Die" which reached the top twenties on the Billboard chart. *

Bahamadia Antonia D. Reed (born April 22, 1966), known professionally as Bahamadia, is an American hip-hop artist and singer. Bahamadia released her debut album, '' Kollage'', in 1996, followed by the independently released EP ''BB Queen'' in 2000. She ...

**"I Confess" and "Biggest Part of Me" *

Brian Mcknight Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range and melisma. McKnight is known for h ...

**In 1992, N.O. Joe teamed up with Brian McKnight to produce "Goodbye My Love" which was his first album release. The entire album went platinum and the single produced by N.O. Joe peaked on the Billboard chart in the Top 50. *

Big Mike Big Mike is a nickname of: People with the nickname * Stormzy (born 1993), British grime artist and rapper * Mike Abrams (criminal) (died 1898), American underworld criminal * Michael Clemente (1908-1987), American mobster * Michael Clarke Dunc ...

D'Angelo Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" ...

**In 1995, N.O. Joe worked with D'Angelo on the UK-released version of "Cruisin". *

De La Soul De La Soul () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative ...

Devin the Dude Devin Copeland (born June 4, 1970), better known by his stage name Devin the Dude, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He is known for his unique rapping style and his 2002 songs "Lacville '79" and "Doobie Ashtray". Early life Devin Cop ...

Ganksta N-I-P Rowdy Lewayne Williams (born August 28, 1969), better known as Ganxsta NIP (pronounced Gangsta Nip), is a rapper from South Park, Houston, Texas and a member of the South Park Coalition, which he co-founded in 1987 with Houston rapper K-Rino. I ...

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

Joe Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...

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), ...

The Luniz Luniz (formerly the LuniTunes) is an American hip hop duo from Oakland, California, formed by Yukmouth and Numskull. They were signed to Virgin Records, Noo Trybe Records, and C-Note Records. They were the flagship act for C-Note Records. The g ...

Master P Percy Robert Miller Sr. (born April 29, 1967), known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record executive, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the record label No Limit Records, which was relaunched as ...

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...

* Scarface * T.I. *

* Travis Scott *

2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (or Tity Boi), is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, al ...

*Spuf don

Albums featuring N.O. Joe

Soundtracks

N.O. Joe's music has also been featured on the following soundtracks: *''

Jason's Lyric ''Jason's Lyric'' is a 1994 American erotic romantic psychological drama film, written by Bobby Smith Jr., directed by Doug McHenry, who co-produced the film with George Jackson and Marilla Lane Ross, and starring Allen Payne, Jada Pinkett, B ...

'', *''

Friday Friday is the day of the week between Thursday and Saturday. In countries that adopt the traditional "Sunday-first" convention, it is the sixth day of the week. In countries adopting the ISO-defined "Monday-first" convention, it is the fifth day ...

'' *''

Office Space ''Office Space'' is a 1999 American black comedy film written and directed by Mike Judge. It satirizes the worklife of a typical 1990s software company, focusing on a handful of individuals weary of their jobs. It stars Ron Livingston, Jennifer ...

'' *''

Tales from the Hood ''Tales from the Hood'' is a 1995 American comedy horror anthology film directed by Rusty Cundieff and executive-produced by Spike Lee. The film presents four short urban-themed horror stories based on problem concepts that affect the African-Am ...

'' *''

Johnson Family Vacation ''Johnson Family Vacation'' is a 2004 American road comedy film directed by Christopher Erskin. It stars Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams, Bow Wow, Gabby Soleil, Shannon Elizabeth, Solange Knowles, and Steve Harvey. The story revolves aro ...

'' *''

Original Gangstas ''Original Gangstas'' is a 1996 action-gangster film filmed and set in urban Gary, Indiana starring Blaxploitation film stars such as Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, Jim Brown, and Richard Roundtree. It is the final film directed by Larry Cohen ...

References

External links

* *
List of production credits
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joe, N.O. African-American drummers African-American guitarists African-American record producers African-American songwriters American hip hop record producers American keyboardists Living people Musicians from New Orleans Southern hip hop musicians Songwriters from Louisiana Guitarists from Louisiana 20th-century American drummers American male drummers American male bass guitarists 21st-century American drummers 21st-century American bass guitarists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians 1975 births 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American musicians American male songwriters