Warren "Oak" Felder (born November 9, 1980)Dale Kawashima

Songwriter Universe, September 7, 2017. is a Turkish-born American songwriter and record producer based in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. He is known for his work as part of the production duo

Pop & Oak Pop & Oak is a songwriting and production duo consisting of Andrew "Pop" Wansel and Warren "Oak" Felder. Wansel is the son of Dexter Wansel, staff songwriter, producer and session musician of Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia International Records ...

, and was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in 2015.

Early life

Felder was born and raised in

Istanbul, Turkey Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

.DeVon Hyman
"Pop and Oak – Get Familiar With the Production Duo,"
''Parle'', April 29, 2012. He studied network technologies and artificial intelligence at

Istanbul Technical University Istanbul Technical University ( tr, İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, commonly referred to as ITU or The Technical University) is an international technical university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the world's third-oldest technical university ...

, and then moved to the United States in 2001 to attend

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

. His nickname comes from his Turkish name,

Okay ''OK'' (spelling variations include ''okay'', ''O.K.'', ''ok'' and ''Ok'') is an English word (originating in American English) denoting approval, acceptance, agreement, assent, acknowledgment, or a sign of indifference. ''OK'' is frequently ...

Career

While at Georgia Tech, Felder recorded a demo with the singer/songwriter

Sterling Simms Sterling Lauren Simms (born July 7, 1982), is an American R&B singer-songwriter. His debut album, '' Yours, Mine & The Truth'' was released on December 23, 2008, by Def Jam Records. Biography and career Sterling recorded his first song with ...

, which led to a meeting with

L.A. Reid Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer. He is the founder and served as co-chairman of Hitco Entertainment. He also previously served as the chairman and CEO of Ep ...

and resulted in Felder writing and producing a track on a Mariah Carey album in 2005. Around 2009, Felder became production partners with

Pop Wansel Andrew "Pop" Wansel (born April 27, 1988) is an American record producer, musician and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As the son of Philadelphia soul musician Dexter Wansel, Pop grew up in the music industry and began writing and pr ...

as the production duo

."Producer Duo Pop and Oak Talk Sparkle, Elle Varner and Alicia Keys,"
Singersroom, February 1, 2012. Their first big hit was " Your Love", the lead single on

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

's 2010 debut studio album ''

Pink Friday ''Pink Friday'' is the debut studio album by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on November 22, 2010, by Young Money, Cash Money and Universal Motown. After signing a recording contract with Young Money Entertainment in 2009, Minaj began plann ...

''. Other notable songs they have written and produced include six tracks on

Elle Varner Gabrielle Serene Varner (born February 12, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Born into a musical family in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Los Angeles, Varner studied at New York University's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music. In ...

's 2012 album ''

Perfectly Imperfect ''Perfectly Imperfect'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Elle Varner. It was released on August 7, 2012, under RCA and MBK Entertainment. Recording sessions for the album took place at Jungle City Studios in New York City, ...

'', including the singles " Only Wanna Give It to You" and " I Don't Care"; nine songs on

Kehlani Kehlani Ashley Parrish (born April 24, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Kehlani is originally from Oakland, California, and achieved initial fame as a member of the teen group Poplyfe in 2011. In 2014, Kehlani released thei ...

's debut album ''

SweetSexySavage ''SweetSexySavage'' is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Kehlani. The album was released on January 27, 2017, by Atlantic Records. Kehlani started work on the album shortly after the release of their mixtape '' You Should Be ...

''; and six tracks on

Alessia Cara Alessia Caracciolo (born July 11, 1996), known professionally as Alessia Cara (), is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Born in Mississauga, Ontario, to Italian Canadian parents, she began posting covers of songs on YouTube at age 13. After uploadi ...

's 2015 debut album ''

Know-It-All ''Know-It-All'' is the debut studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Alessia Cara. It was released on November 13, 2015 through Def Jam Recordings. The album followed the release of her debut extended play (EP) ''Four Pink Walls'' (2015), w ...

'', including the singles "

Here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Television * Here TV (formerly "here!"), a TV ...

" and "

Scars to Your Beautiful "Scars to Your Beautiful" is a song recorded by Canadian singer and songwriter Alessia Cara. Def Jam Recordings and Universal Music Group serviced it to contemporary hit radio on July 26, 2016, as the third single from her debut studio album ''Kno ...

",Nolan Feeney
"Britney Spears' 'Glory': Inside the making of her ninth album,"
''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'', August 11, 2016. which both went to number 1 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 ...

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

charts. Felder was nominated for a 2015

Grammy Award for Best R&B Song The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (sometimes known as the R&B Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1969. From 1969 to 2000, it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Beyoncé has won it a record four times, while Bab ...

for writing

Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** Fiel ...

's single "

Good Kisser "Good Kisser" is a song by American singer Usher. The single was released on May 5, 2014, by RCA Records. The accompanying music video debuted the same day. The song was written by Andrew "Pop" Wansel, Bobby Bloom, Jeff Barry, Ronald "Flippa" Co ...

";"Warren 'Oak' Felder,"
grammy.com. Accessed October 20, 2017. produced two songs on the

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

album '' Girl on Fire'', which won the 2014

Grammy Award for Best R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the R&B music genre. Honors ...

;Gail Mitchell
"Producer Oak Felder Talks Kelly Clarkson, Khalid and More: 'I Love That I Can Fly Under the Radar',"
''Billboard'', May 23, 2017. wrote and produced "

Invincible Invincible may refer to: Film and television * ''Invincible'' (2001 drama film), a drama by Werner Herzog about Jewish cabaret during the rise of Nazism * ''Invincible'' (2001 TV film), a fantasy / martial arts TV movie starring Billy Zane ...

", the lead single from

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...

's 2015 album '' Piece by Piece''; wrote and produced " Clumsy", the second single from the 2016

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

album '' Glory''; and wrote and produced five tracks on

Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for pl ...

's 2017 album '' Tell Me You Love Me'', including the lead single " Sorry Not Sorry", winning a 2019 BMI Pop Award for the single. He has also written and produced songs for artists including

Trey Songz Tremaine Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984), known professionally as Trey Songz, is an American R&B singer and rapper. His debut album, '' I Gotta Make It'', was released in 2005 through Atlantic Records. His follow-up album, ''Trey Day'', ...

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

, Miguel,

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...

Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...

Tamia Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill (born May 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Tamia performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In 1994, after signing a development dea ...

ZZ Ward Zsuzsanna Eva Ward (born June 2, 1986) known professionally as ZZ Ward, is an American singer-songwriter. Ward released her debut EP, ''Criminal'', on May 8, 2012. Her debut album, '' Til the Casket Drops'', was released on October 16, 2012. "P ...

, and

Sabrina Carpenter Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter (born May 11, 1999) is an American singer and actress. Carpenter made her acting debut with an appearance in the television crime show ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' and had a recurring role on Fox Broadcasting ...

. He was named as a top producer by BMI in 2012 and 2013, and won a 2017 BMI Pop Award for co-writing Alessia Cara's "Here","Barry Manilow Honored as BMI Icon at 65th Annual BMI Pop Awards,"
BMI, May 10, 2017. and a 2018 BMI Pop Award for co-writing her single "

". He also wrote and produced three tracks on

Lizzo Melissa Viviane Jefferson (born April 27, 1988), known professionally as Lizzo, is an American singer, rapper, and flutist. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she moved to Houston, Houston, Texas with her family when she was 10 years old. After col ...

's 2019 major label debut ''

Cuz I Love You ''Cuz I Love You'' is the third studio album and major label debut studio album by American singer and rapper Lizzo. It was released through Nice Life and Atlantic Records on April 19, 2019. The album features guest appearances from American rapp ...

'', wrote and produced the top 40 single "

Who Do You Love Who Do You Love? may refer to: * ''Who Do You Love?'' (film), a 2008 film biopic of American record producer Leonard Chess * ''Who Do You Love?'' (album), by King Adora Songs * "Who Do You Love?" (Bo Diddley song), 1956 * "Who Do You Love" (Be ...

" by

The Chainsmokers The Chainsmokers are an American electronic DJ and production duo consisting of Alexander "Alex" Pall and Andrew "Drew" Taggart. They started out by releasing remixes of songs by indie artists. The EDM- pop duo achieved a breakthrough with the ...

featuring 5 Seconds of Summer, and is working on new music with Kehlani, Demi Lovato, and Alessia Cara in 2019. Felder is published by

Reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

, and managed by

Lucas Keller Lucas Keller (born 1984) is an American music executive and manager. He is the president and founder of Milk & Honey Management which represents a number of prominent songwriters, producers, and artists. He was included in the 2018 ''Billboard'' 4 ...

and Peter Coquillard at Milk & Honey. He is on the board of directors of the Mechanical Licensing Collective, which works to increase the royalty money from streaming companies to songwriters.

Personal life

Felder is married and lives in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, and has a studio in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

Awards

Discography

Writing and producing credits

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Felder, Oak Living people 1980 births Turkish emigrants to the United States American record producers American male songwriters Musicians from Atlanta Georgia Tech alumni Istanbul Technical University alumni