Elite (record producer) explained

Elite
Birth Name:Anthony Parrino
Birth Date:4 January 1983
Genre:Hip-Hop, R&B
Occupation:Record producer, artist
Years Active:2002–present
Label:Dreamville Records
Associated Acts:J. Cole, Omen, Bas, Ari Lennox, EarthGang, JID, Sean McVerry
Website:www.elitethatsme.com

Anthony Parrino (born January 4, 1983), better known by his stage name Elite, is an American hip-hop and R&B record producer and recording artist best known for his work with J. Cole, Dreamville Records, and the Ruff Ryders recording label in the early 2000s.[1] Elite is from Byram, Connecticut and resides in Brooklyn, New York.

Career

In mid 2000, Elite started working as an intern for Ruff Ryders Entertainment[2] and eventually caught the ear of rapper Drag-On, placing his first produced song on the Cradle 2 the Grave soundtrack in 2002. Working as an in-house producer for Ruff Ryders, Elite went on to produce "Shoot Outs" for Jadakiss featuring Styles P from Kiss of Death as well as the "Why Remix" featuring Anthony Hamilton, Styles P, Common, and Nas. In 2004 Elite graduated cum laude from SUNY Purchase music conservatory studying Studio Production. In 2006 Elite produced "Wrong or Right (I'm Tired)" for DMX from the album Year of the Dog... Again.

In 2009, Elite began working with longtime friend and Roc Nation recording artist J. Cole on his mixtape The Warm Up. Elite produced "Heartache"[3] and a good portion of the mixtape was recorded at his home studio in New York. In 2010, Elite released his first mixtape entitled "The Groundwork"[4] which was a collection of all of his production work up to that point. The mixtape featured an unreleased J. Cole song titled "Playground".[5] Elite also produced "See World"[6] for J. Cole off of his third mixtape, Friday Night Lights. Elite co-produced J. Cole's first single "Who Dat"[7] which was featured as an iTunes bonus on .

In 2011, Elite released his first project as an artist entitled "Awaken"[8] which featured J. Cole, Omen, Voli and Sean McVerry.

Elite worked on multiple songs on J. Cole's second album Born Sinner,[9] co-producing the title track "Born Sinner", and adding additional production to "Run Away". Cole sampled the song "Do She Got a Friend Tho?" from Elite's mixtape "Level Up" on the standout "Let Nas Down".[10] In June 2013, J. Cole released his second single from Born Sinner titled "Crooked Smile" which was co-produced by Elite and features TLC.

Elite worked together with J. Cole once more on the song "Folgers Crystals" from the 2015 work Revenge Of The Dreamers II, he also produced the song "48 Laws" by Omen feat. Donnie Trumpet from the same album.

In December 2016, J. Cole released his fourth studio album 4 Your Eyez Only, which was co-executive produced by Elite.

In April 2018, J. Cole released his fifth studio album KOD, which featured co-production from Elite on a majority of the album.

In May 2019, Ari Lennox released her debut studio album Shea Butter Baby, executive produced by Elite. Two of the album's lead singles (released in 2018) were produced by Elite; Whipped Cream and the title track Shea Butter Baby (feat. J. Cole), first appearing on the Creed II Soundtrack.

Discography

Mixtapes

Production discography

List of songs as producer or co-producer, with performing artists and other credited producers, showing year released and album name.

Title Year Performing artist(s) Other producer(s) Album
Fireman 2003 Cradle 2 the Grave OST
Peel Off
Let's Ride Diplomats (feat. Juelz Santana & Jim Jones) AND 1 Mixtape
The Race B-Side Single
Shoot Outs 2004 Jadakiss (feat. Styles P) Kiss of Death
Why Remix Jadakiss (feat. Nas, Common, Styles P, Anthony Hamilton) Single
Fight Muzik 2005 Mood Muzik 1
Gun Ho City Kool G Rap (feat. Canibus) DJ Whoo Kid & Kool G Rap: Dead or Alive Mixtape
Penitentiary Chances Jim Jones (feat. Hell Rell)
Wrong or Right 2006 DMX (feat. Bazaar Royale) Year of the Dog... Again
Shots Fired 2007 Styles P (feat. Jadakiss)
Heartache 2009 The Warm Up Mixtape
Playground 2010 The Groundwork Mixtape
2011 (iTunes Bonus)
See World Friday Night Lights Mixtape
Return of Simba
Visionz of Home 2012
Lookin' Without Seein Undisputed
Fuck U Bitch (Silver Shadow) Undisputed (Deluxe Edition)
Let Nas Down (Sampled) 2013 Born Sinner
Runaway * J. Cole, Ron Gilmore Born Sinner
Born Sinner J. Cole (feat. James Fauntleroy) Born Sinner
Crooked Smile J. Cole (feat. TLC) Born Sinner
The Coming 2014
48 Laws 2015 Omen (feat. Donnie Trumpet) Revenge of the Dreamers II
Folgers Crystals Revenge of the Dreamers II
Natalie 2016 Sean McVerry Sean McVerry Hourglass Switchboard 1
Kerosene Sean McVerry Sean McVerry Hourglass Switchboard 1
Marcy and the Apparition Sean McVerry Sean McVerry Hourglass Switchboard 1
Christina Sean McVerry Sean McVerry Hourglass Switchboard 1
Strangers Sean McVerry Sean McVerry Hourglass Switchboard 2
Tiger Lily Sean McVerry Sean McVerry Hourglass Switchboard 2
Motion Picture Films Sean McVerry Sean McVerry Hourglass Switchboard 2
Christina's Ringtone Sean McVerry Sean McVerry Hourglass Switchboard 2
Willow Tree Spillage Village (feat. JID, Jordxn Bryant, EarthGang) Bears Like Too Much
4 Your Eyez Only (Album) +J. ColeJ. Cole4 Your Eyez Only
Ville Mentality 4 Your Eyez Only
She's Mine Pt. 1 * J. Cole, Deputy, Ron Gilmore, Chargaux 4 Your Eyez Only
Change * J. Cole, Ron Gilmore 4 Your Eyez Only
Neighbors * 4 Your Eyez Only
Foldin Clothes * J. Cole, Ron Gilmore 4 Your Eyez Only
She's Mine Pt. 2 * J. Cole, Deputy, Ron Gilmore, Chargaux 4 Your Eyez Only
4 Your Eyez Only 4 Your Eyez Only
High For Hours 2017 Cam O'bi, Ron Gilmore
Meditate EarthGang (feat. JID) Childish Major Rags - EP
Ambitions Sean McVerry West 1996 Pt. 2
Freaky 45 2018 Ron Gilmore Effected
The Cut Off * J. Cole feat. Kill Edward J. Cole, BLVK KOD
Kevin's Heart * KOD
Brackets * KOD
Once An Addict (Interlude) * J. Cole, Ron Gilmore KOD
Friends * J. Cole feat. Kill Edward KOD
Window Pain (Outro) * KOD
Whipped Cream Ron Gilmore Single
Stuck EarthGang (feat. Arin Ray) Malik, Ron Gilmore Mirrorland
Grampa Single
Shroom Creed II: The Album
Tiiied Ron Gilmore DiCaprio 2
Shea Butter Baby (Album) +2019Ari LennoxShea Butter Baby
Chicago BoyAri LennoxRon GilmoreShea Butter Baby
BMO *Ari LennoxOmenShea Butter Baby
Broke *Ari LennoxChristo, Ron Gilmore, DeputyShea Butter Baby
Speak To MeAri LennoxRon GilmoreShea Butter Baby
New Apartment *Ari LennoxDJ GrumbleShea Butter Baby
StaticAri LennoxShea Butter Baby
1993 Revenge of the Dreamers III
BUSSIT Brilliant Mack, Dijon Stylez Revenge of the Dreamers III

Director's Cut

Tequila EarthGang (featuring T-Pain) Mirrorland
End of Daze (feat. EARTHGANG, JID, Jurdan Bryant, Mereba, and Hollywood JB)2020Spillage VillageChristo, Mike Dean, Jay Card, Nicerec, OluSpilligion
Might Not Make It Single
Chocolate Pomegranate Single
If You Want Me To Stay William Wells Single
Grounded Joe Endozo Single
Rider 2021 KQuick AZEB
* Indicates "Additional Production" credit

+ Indicates "Executive Production" credit

TV Scoring

Network Year Segment
CBS 2003 CSI: Miami, "The Best Defense"
ESPN 2006 NBA On ESPN
ABC 2006 NBA Finals

Notes and References

  1. Web site: KillerHipHop Exclusive – Elite Interview : KillerHipHop.com. killerhiphop.com.
  2. Web site: On the Come Up - August Edition. Ascap.com.
  3. J. Cole and Producer Elite Working on "The Warm Up". February 16, 2009. YouTube.
  4. Web site: Elite – The Groundwork (Mixtape) - 2DOPEBOYZ. 2DOPEBOYZ.
  5. Web site: J. Cole – Playground (prod. Elite) - 2DOPEBOYZ. 2DOPEBOYZ.
  6. Web site: Thewellversed.com. Thewellversed.com.
  7. Web site: J. Cole – "Who Dat" (Prod. By J. Cole & Elite) « KarenCivil.com . www.karencivil.com . 27 January 2022 . https://archive.today/20130620034022/http://www.karencivil.com/2010/04/28/j-cole-who-dat-prod-by-j-cole-elite/ . 20 June 2013 . dead.
  8. Web site: Mixtape: Elite "Awaken". Complex Mag. Complex.
  9. Web site: Archived copy . jcolenation.com . 13 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170323052712/http://jcolenation.com/2012/11/07/elite-confirmed-Producer-born-sinner/ . 23 March 2017 . dead.
  10. Web site: Interview: J. Cole's Producer Elite Discusses "Born Sinner" and Meeting L.A. Reid. Edwin Ortiz. Complex.