Di Genius Explained

Stephen "Di Genius" McGregor
Birth Name:Stephen McGregor
Origin:Kingston, Jamaica
Years Active:1995–present

Stephen McGregor, known professionally as Di Genius, is a Jamaican record producer, singer, and songwriter. Di Genius comes from a musical family—his father is legendary veteran reggae artist Freddie McGregor and his siblings, Daniel "Chino" McGregor and Yeshemabeth "Shema" McGregor, are also singers. While Di Genius was primarily known for producing riddims out of his "Big Ship" recording studio, he has gone on to produce and write songs for international artists such as Sean Paul, Drake, Nelly Furtado, Lianne La Havas, Shakira, John Legend among others.[1] [2] [3] The New York Times named him a "Reggae Veteran At The Age of 18."

In 2017, Billboard.com listed Di Genius as one of the producers who brought dancehall back to the mainstream, noting his work on Drake's hit song "Controlla" off the multi-platinum selling album Views.

His work is also featured on multiple Grammy Awards nominated albums.

Biography

Stephen McGregor is the son of legendary reggae singer Freddie McGregor.[4] The year before, his father had passed up a record deal from Arista Records, choosing instead to create his own record label, which he named Big Ship after his 1982 hit single from the album of the same name.[5] When he renovated the family home in 1995, Freddie McGregor had a small but high-tech recording studio built to produce music for the label, and Stephen took a shine to the studio at an early age. His father recalls of the period: "If we saw the door was open, we’d know Stephen was in there. He was just so short you couldn’t see him over the mixing desk."[1] His father nurtured his interest in music by bringing him along on tour, and the young McGregor would often watch his father's performances from the side of the stage.[5]

Stephen McGregor wrote and recorded his first song at the age of five, a dancehall track titled "School Done Rule" which was featured on the compilation "Reggae For Kids."[6] However, the young McGregor soon gravitated more towards the production end of songwriting, and by the age of seven he had taught himself to play bass, guitar, keyboards, and violin by mimicking the songs he heard on the radio.[7] McGregor began his production career at the age of twelve, contributing to local production studios such as Outlaw. His first hit riddim came in 2004, while still attending Ardenne High School.[1] McGregor and his brother Chino approached dancehall artist Elephant Man at his nearby Havendale home to ask him to deejay on the whimsical "Cartoon" riddim, and the artist accepted, the first of fifteen artists to vocalize on the track. In a radio interview, a local DJ gave McGregor the nickname "Di Genius," as his musical talent came at such a young age.[1] [2]

What MTV described as Di Genius's "defining moment" came in 2006, when up-and-coming artist Mavado recorded the song "Weh Dem a Do" on his "Red Bull & Guinness" riddim. The riddim was co-produced with Delly Ranx the previous year, when Di Genius was fifteen years old.[8] The single was a huge success in Jamaica and even made a mark internationally, placing on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the United States.[2] The same year, he also released the successful "Power Cut" riddim and produced singles for several artists, including Bounty Killer, Da'Ville, and Big Ship labelmates Laden and Chino. He also began a project with Mavado's rival, the controversial deejay Vybz Kartel. The record The Teacher's Back was released two years later to a primarily Japanese market and featured eighteen original tracks, all produced by Di Genius.[7]

In addition to his riddim productions and solo work, Di Genius also produced the entirety of his brother Chino's eponymous album in 2011 and the majority of Sean Paul's 2009 album Imperial Blaze and Mavado's Mr. Brooks...A Better Tomorrow, also from 2009. He also wrote and produced several songs for international artists, including Hasidic reggae artist Matisyahu, J-pop singer Mika Nakashima, R&B singers Ne-Yo and Estelle, Drake and pop star Nelly Furtado, whose Di Genius produced song "Don't Leave Me" appeared on her 2012 album The Spirit Indestructible.[9] [10]

In 2017, Billboard.com listed Di Genius as one of the producers who brought dancehall back to the mainstream, noting his work on Drake's hit song "Controlla" off the multi-platinum selling album Views.

In December 2019, Warner Chappell Music announced that they signed a new writing deal with Di Genius.[11] [12]

Production Style

Di Genius has said in interviews that he admires songwriters such as Stevie Wonder for his arrangements and instrumentation. He also stated that he draws inspiration from producers such as Timbaland and The Neptunes for their instantly recognizable production styles.[6] [9] Vivien Goldman described his productions in The New York Times as having "a challenging sound that combines playfulness, the spatial drama of a movie soundtrack and orchestral brio" characterized by "sparse, punching jabs of sound and lush snatches of melody." She also wrote that while his tense urban riddims are well suited for American hip hop audiences, he displays a great amount of versatility, with productions ranging from lovers rock to reggae fusion.[1]

Equipment-wise, Di Genius stated that he started out producing with a single drum machine MPC, but has since moved on to multiple MPCs, keyboards, and a variety of audio editing programs, including Pro Tools, Reason, Logic Pro, and REAPER.[2]

Discography

As producer/composer/writer :

Mavado – "Weh Dem A Do" (Producer/Writer)

John Legend – "Bigger Love" (Producer)

Shenseea – "Run Run" (Writer/Producer)

Khea Julia Michaels Becky G – "Only One" ft Di Genius (Producer/Writer)

John Legend - "Don't Walk Away" ft Koffee (Producer/Writer)

John Legend – "I Want You To Know" (Producer/Writer)

John Legend – "Speak In Tongues" ft Jada Kingdom (Producer/Writer)

Raye - "Flip A Switch" (Producer/Writer)

Raye - "Flip A Switch Remix" ft Coi Leray (Producer/Writer)

Myke Towers – "Flow Jamaican" (Producer/Writer)

Myke Towers – "En Nadie" (Producer/Writer)

Becky G - "Rotate" ft Burna Boy (Producer/Writer)

Becky G - "My Man" (Producer/Writer)

Nelly Furtado – "Don't Leave Me (Producer/Writer)

French Montana - "Writing On The Wall" ft Post Malone Cardi B (Producer/Writer)

Rvssian - "IDKW" ft Shenseea Swae Lee Young Thug (Producer/Writer)

Paloma Mami - "RDMDA" (Producer/Writer)

Drake"Controlla" (Producer/Writer)

Will.i.am – "it's my birthday" (Writer)

Shakira - "Amarillo" (Producer)

Shenseea - "Blessed" ft. Tyga (Producer/Writer)

Neyo Shenseea - "Major Moves" (from the movie "Sprinter") (Producer/Writer)

Teamarrr – "Cool Enough" (HBO Insecure) (Producer/Writer)

Damian Marley - Upholstery (Producer/Writer)

Damian Marley - Slave Mill (Producer/Writer)

Lianne La Havas – "Midnight" (Producer/Writer)

Lianne La Havas – "Fairytale" (Writer)

Sean Paul "Imperial Blaze" : "So Fine" (Producer/Writer)

"Lace it" (Producer/Writer)

"Press it up" (Producer/Writer)

"Now That i've got your love" (Producer/Writer)

"Birthday Suit" (Producer/Writer)

"Evening Ride" (Producer/Writer)

"Daddy's Home" (Producer/Writer)

" Don't Tease Me" (Producer/Writer)

"She Wanna Be Down" (Producer/Writer)

"Lately" (Producer/Writer)

"She Want Me" (Producer/Writer)

"Watch Dem Roll" (Producer/Writer)

Michael FrantiSoulRocker (Album) (Producer/Writer)

FuseODG – "Dangerous Love" (Producer/Writer)

Kalash – "Taken" (Producer/Writer)

Mali music – "One" (Producer/Writer)

Matisyahu – "Motivate"

Matisyahu – "Smash Lies"

Matisyahu – "Struggla"

Nicky Jam – "Me Enamoras" (Writer)

Wretch 32 – "Alright With Me" ft Anne Marie & prgrshn (Producer)

Maverick Sabre – Emotion (Producer/Writer)

Collie Buddz - " i got you" (Producer/Writer)

Collie Buddz - "Defend your own" (Producer/Writer)

Lali Esposito - Sin Querer Queriendo (feat. Mau y Ricky) (Producer/Writer)

Burna Boy - "Destiny" (Writer)

Paloma Mami - "RDMDA" (Producer/Writer)

Compilation albums

Riddims

2000s

Year Riddim
2004 Cartoon
Dutch Master
2005Red Bull & Guinness
2006Breaking News
Ghetto Whiskey
Power Cut
Smoke
Stick Up
2007After Dark
Bee Hive
Dark Again
Darker Shadow
12 Gauge
Party Time
Shadow
Tremor
2070s
2008Advocate
Chiney K
Day Break
Day Rave
Forever
Work Out
2009Boasty
Fitness
Outbreak
Summer Bounce
Trippple Bounce

2010s

Year Riddim
2010Bad People
Catalog
Championship
Gun Show
Street Swag
Winnings
2011Bad Acid
Iron Belt
Peppa
Tenement Yard
Wildlife
2012Bassline
Come Round
Face Off
Moving

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated Work Result
2009Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Best Reggae AlbumLet's Get Physical (songwriter & producer)
2010Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Best Reggae AlbumImperial Blaze (songwriter & producer)
2014Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary AlbumMali Is... (songwriter & producer)
2015Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary AlbumBlood (Lianne La Havas album) (songwriter & producer)
2016Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Best Rap AlbumViews (songwriter & producer)
2016Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Album Of The YearViews (songwriter & producer)
2017Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Best Reggae AlbumChronology (songwriter & producer)
2017Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Best Latin Pop AlbumEl Dorado (songwriter & producer)
2017Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Best Reggae AlbumStony Hill (songwriter & producer)
2017ASCAP AwardsBest Rap Song"Controlla" (songwriter & producer)
2017Latin Grammy AwardLatin Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Pop Vocal AlbumEl Dorado (songwriter & producer)
2019Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Best World Music AlbumAfrican Giant (songwriter)
2020Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Best R&B AlbumBigger Love (songwriter & producer)
2021Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Best Reggae Album10 (songwriter & producer)
2022Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Best Reggae AlbumScorcha (Sean Paul) (songwriter & producer)[13]

Notes and References

  1. News: For Him, Reggae Is the Family Business . Vivien . Goldman . Vivien Goldman . . 21 September 2008 . 11 April 2013.
  2. News: Stephen McGregor: The Interview . Joseph . Patterson . https://web.archive.org/web/20150526030301/http://www.mtv.co.uk/music/urban/2871-stephen-mcgregor-the-interview . dead . 26 May 2015 . . 25 July 2011 . 11 April 2013.
  3. News: Super bash for Stephen . Jamaica Star . 8 January 2009 . 30 April 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090319050956/http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/20090108/ent/ent7.html . 19 March 2009 . dead .
  4. Web site: Stephen 'Di Genious' McGregor: About . Facebook. 4 May 2013.
  5. News: Captain Freddie McGregor Guides His Crew . Latoya . Grindley . . 21 June 2010 . 11 April 2013.
  6. News: Centre Stage: Stephen McGregor . Jamaica Star . 14 November 2008 . 11 April 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150710025354/http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20081114/ent/ent2.html . 10 July 2015 . dead .
  7. News: 'Di Genius' at helm of Big Ship . Krista . Henry . Jamaica Gleaner . 20 July 2008 . 11 April 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100416030701/http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080720/ent/ent7.html . 16 April 2010 . dead .
  8. News: Freeload: Assassin, 'Money' (Work Out Riddim) . . 26 May 2008 . 30 April 2013.
  9. News: 10 questions for Stephen . Krista . Henry . Jamaica Star . 5 December 2008 . 11 April 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090428043547/http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/20081205/ent/ent2.html . 28 April 2009 . dead .
  10. News: Di Genius produces for Nelly Furtado . Sadeke . Brooks . Jamaica Star . 26 September 2012 . 11 April 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130602003742/http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20120926/ent/ent1.html . 2 June 2013 . dead .
  11. Web site: Stephen 'Di Genius' McGregor Scores Big With Warner Chappell Music Deal . DancehallMag. 20 December 2019 .
  12. Web site: Warner Chappell Music's announcement: Ending the year big and welcoming @digenius1 . https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/warnerchappellmusic/2202011324261854103_2202011322139518507 . 25 December 2021 . registration. Instagram.
  13. Web site: 2021-03-15. Jamaican Producer Di Genius Celebrates John Legend's Grammy Win For 'Best R&B Album' Which Featured Koffee. 2021-03-16. DancehallMag. en-US.