P2J

Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong (born 11 July 1987), professionally known as P2J is a Nigerian-British producer from London, England. He is best known for his work with the likes of Beyoncé, Wizkid, Stormzy, FKA Twigs, Burna Boy, Tems, Doja Cat & many more.

P2J
Background information
Birth nameRichard Olowaranti Mbu Isong
Also known asPro2Jay
Born (1987-07-11) 11 July 1987
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Record producer
  • songwriter
Years active2007–present
LabelsWarner Chappell • BMG

Career

P2J started to solidify his production career at age 14, when an instructor recommended he transfer to music courses.[1] His career kickstarted in 2007 on the television station, Channel U under the name P2J Project with the grime song "Hands in the Air".[2] He formerly produced songs under the name Pro2Jay, for the likes of Tiwa Savage, Krept and Konan and Lily Allen.[3] In 2017, he produced the song "Covered in You" for Chris Brown's album Heartbreak on a Full Moon.[4]

In 2019, he became one of the go-to afrobeats producers, working with artists such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, GoldLink, WSTRN, Doja Cat, Davido and more.[5] His largest collaboration in 2019 was with Beyoncé on the soundtrack album The Lion King: The Gift producing 6 tracks, earning him a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album.[6] In 2020, he won his first Grammy award for Best Global Music Album, on Burna Boy's album Twice as Tall.[7] P2J was the primary producer on Wizkid's album Made in Lagos, which was nominated for a Grammy and included the song "Essence".[8][9] The song became the first Nigerian song in history to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200 in 2021, and a remix featuring Justin Bieber was later released.[10][11]

In 2022, he produced for FKA Twigs on the song "Jealousy" from her mixtape Caprisongs.[12] He has also produced 5 songs on Young T & Bugsey's mixtape Truth Be Told[13] and "Fallen Angel" on Ella Mai's latest album "Heart on my Sleeve".

Artistry

P2J spoke on his production style in interview saying, "Wizkid and I were on the same path in terms of musicality when we met, in terms of merging different genres together, like merging reggae with the Afro, R&B with the Afro. He's been trying to get towards that through Soundman Vol. 1. We just eased into it with Made in Lagos. If you listen to the album, there's like a specific bass line that I've done that's quite memorable."[14] He also said that his goal to "infuse African music in anything I do. Whether it's African music like afro and R&B, afro and house, afro and pop, or afro and rap. I've always tried to infuse it in any way."[5]

Production discography

2013
Nathan - Dark Room - single
  • 00. "Dark Room"

2015
Krept and Konan - The Long Way Home
  • 07. "I Don't Know" (featuring Rebecca Garton) (produced with Crumz)
  • 17. "So Easy" (produced with Big Mike)
Tiwa Savage - R.E.D

2017
Stormzy - Gang Signs & Prayers
Tiwa Savage - Sugarcane
  • 02. "Get It Now"
  • 04. "Hold Me Down"
Star.One - Okay (P2J Remix) - Single
  • 00. Okay (P2J Remix) (featuring Maleek Berry & Seyi Shay)
Gyyps - Killafornia
  • 08. "Workout"
Yungen - All Night - Single
  • 00. "All Night" (featuring Mr Eazi)
Reblah - Back to Glory
  • 04. "Wabamilo" (featuring P2J)
Chris Brown - Heartbreak on a Full Moon
  • 07. "Covered in You" (produced with Ayo & Keyz)

2018
Burna Boy - Outside
  • 03. "Koni Baje"
  • 11. "Devil in California"
Lily Allen - No Shame
  • 04. "Your Choice" (featuring Burna Boy)
  • 08. "Higher"
Rebecca Garton - The Intent 2: The Come Up (soundtrack)
  • 18. "Always"
Mario - Dancing Shadows

2019
KSI and Randolph - New Age
  • 09. "Pull Up" (KSI featuring Jme) (produced with Sammy SoSo)
GoldLink - Diaspora
  • 01. "//error" (produced with Ari PenSmith & GoldLink)
  • 02. "Joke Ting" (featuring Ari PenSmith) (produced with Ari PenSmith)
  • 03. "Maniac" (produced with OBR)
  • 05. "Zulu Screams" (featuring Maleek Berry and Bibi Bourelly)
  • 06. "More" (featuring Lola Rae)
  • 07. "Cokewhite" (featuring Pusha T) (produced with Fwdslxsh, McKenzie, MD$ & Momberger)
  • 09. "Yard" (featuring Haile of WSTRN)
  • 10. "Spanish Song" (featuring WaveIQ)
  • 11. "No Lie" (featuring WizKid) (produced with Ari PenSmith & Deats)
Beyoncé - The Lion King: The Gift
  • 06. "Don't Jealous Me" (Tekno, Lord Afrixana, Yemi Alade and Mr Eazi) (produced with Beyoncé & Dixie)
  • 08. "Ja Ara E" (Burna Boy) (produced with Beyoncé & Dixie)
  • 14. "Water" (Salatiel, Pharrell and Beyoncé) (produced with Beyoncé)
  • 15. "Brown Skin Girl" (Beyoncé, Saint Jhn and Wizkid featuring Blue Ivy Carter) (produced with Beyoncé & Dixie)
  • 17. "Keys to the Kingdom" (Tiwa Savage and Mr Eazi) (produced with Beyoncé, Northboi Oracle, GuiltyBeatz & Dixie)
  • 25. "Scar" (070 Shake and Jessie Reyez) (produced with Beyoncé, Tim Suby, Hamelin, Ari PenSmith, Dixie & Mike Dean)
Burna Boy - African Giant
  • 02. "Anybody"
Mark Ronson - Don't Leave Me Lonely (featuring Yebba)
  • 01. "Don't Leave Me Lonely" (featuring Yebba)
WSTRN - WSTRN Season, Vol. 2
  • 14. "Switch It Up" (produced with AoD & PRGRSHN)
Snoh Aalegra - Situationship - Single
  • 00. "Situationship"
Odunsi (The Engine) - Better Days / Wetin Dey - Single
  • 00. "Better Days" (featuring Wani)
Justine Skye - Bare With Me
  • 02. "Secrets"
  • 03. "Bulletproof"
  • 05. "When You're Ready"
Wretch 32 - 10/10 - Single
  • 00. "10/10" (featuring Giggs)
Krept and Konan - G Love - Single
  • 00. "G Love" (featuring Wizkid)
Doja Cat - Hot Pink
  • 08. "Addiction" (produced with Ari PenSmith)
Jaz Karis - Summer Stories
  • 03. "Bad Memories"
  • 03. "Come Around"
  • 04. "Owe You"
  • 06. "Unwritten Rules"
Davido - A Good Time
  • 07. "Get to You"
Skylar Stecker - Redemption
  • 03. Sleep On"

2020
Starboy - Soundman Vol. 1
  • 01. "Jam" (Wizkid featuring Chronixx)
Skip Marley - Slow Down (P2J Remix) - Single
  • 00. "Slow Down (P2J Remix)" (featuring H.E.R.)
Manny Norté - 4AM - Single
Lilah - Atlantis
  • 01. "Atlantis"
  • 03. "Summer Nights Fling"
  • 04. "Oxymoron"
  • 05. "Tired"
  • 06. "Euphoria"
  • 07. "Lilah's Lullaby"
Wretch 32 - Upon Reflection
  • 04. "10/10" (featuring Giggs)
  • 05. "Burn" (featuring Ghetts & Talay Riley)
Young T & Bugsey - Plead the 5th
  • 06. "Stand Up Man"
Haley Cassidy - Stripped
  • 03. "Beyond the Sun"
  • 04. "Foolish"
  • 07. "Life After You"
  • 09. "So Gone (Interlude)"
  • 10. "Still Stay" (featuring Tiggs Da Author)
  • 11. "Why Didn't You Call?"
Aminé - Limbo
Burna Boy - Twice as Tall
Tiwa Savage - Celia
  • 08. "Us (Interlude)"
Alicia Keys - Alicia
Gorillaz - Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez
Wizkid - Made in Lagos
  • 01. "Reckless"
  • 02. "Ginger" (featuring Burna Boy) (produced with Kel-P)
  • 03. "Longtime" (featuring Skepta) (produced with Sarz)
  • 04. "Mighty Wine"
  • 05. "Blessed" (featuring Damian Marley)
  • 06. "Smile" (featuring H.E.R.)
  • 07. "Piece of Me" (featuring Ella Mai)
  • 08. "No Stress"
  • 10. "Sweet One"
  • 11. "Essence" (featuring Tems) (produced with Legendury Beatz)
  • 14. "Grace"
  • 16. "Mood" (featuring Buju)
  • 17. "Steady"
  • 18. "Essence (Remix)" (featuring Justin Bieber & Tems)
Griff - Say It Again - Single
  • 01. "Say It Again"
Jessie Reyez - Before Love Came To Kill Us
  • 09. "ROOF"
Angel - Blessings (Remix)

2021
Dave - Titanium & Mercury - Single
  • 01. "Titanium"
Sinéad Harnett - Ready Is Always Too Late
Snoh Aalegra - Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies
  • 14. "Dying 4 Your Love" (produced with Marco Bernadis, Malik Venner & Jack Nichols-Marcy)
Dave - We're All Alone in This Together
  • 06. "System" (featuring Wizkid) (produced with Kyle Evans, Jae5 & Joe Reeves)
  • 07. "Lazarus" (featuring Boj) (produced with Jae5 & Joe Reeves)
  • 10. "Twenty to One" (produced with Dave & Kyle Evans)
Not3s - 3 Th3 Album
  • 08. "Counting"
WSTRN - Wonder Woman - Single
  • 00. "Wonder Woman"
Tion Wayne - Green with Envy
  • 07. "West End" (featuring D-Block Europe)
  • 12. "Realest One"
  • 13. "Spend a Bag" (featuring 6lack)
  • 15. "Homecoming"
Tamera - Afrodite
  • 01. "Wickedest"
  • 02. "New Hobby"
  • 03. "Strong For Me"
  • 04. "Angel Dust"
  • 05. "Good Love" (featuring Tay Iwar)
Pa Salieu - Afrikan Rebel
  • 01. "Shining" (featuring Tay Iwar & Zlatan)
Burna Boy - B.D'or featuring Wizkid - Single
  • 01. "B.D'or" (featuring Wizkid)
Zhavia Ward - Big Girl$ Don't Cry - Single
  • 01. "Big Girl$ Don't Cry"

2022
FKA Twigs - Caprisongs
Young T & Bugsey - Truth Be Told
  • 02. "Big Bidness"
  • 04. "Caliente" (featuring Aitch)
  • 09. "Nice" (featuring Blxst)
  • 10. "Roberto C" (featuring Unknown T)
  • 11. "Glitter Ain't Gold"
Ella Mai - Heart on My Sleeve
  • "Fallen Angel" (produced with Meko yohannes, Jahaan Sweet, Gaetan Judd, Mustard & Ari PenSmith)
Burna Boy - Love, Damini
  • 02. "Science"
  • 06. "Whiskey"
  • 10. "Dirty Secrets"
  • 12. "For My Hand" (featuring Ed Sheeran)
Omah Lay - Boy Alone
  • 02. "i"
  • 13. "tell everybody" (featuring Tay Iwar)
Beyoncé - Renaissance
Aitch - Close to Home
  • 09. "Cheque"
Santigold - Spirituals
  • 08. "No Paradise"
CKay - Sad Romance
  • 02. "Mmadu" (produced with Ckay)
M.I.A. - MATA
  • 02. "Zoo Girl" (produced with Ckay)
A Boogie wit da Hoodie - Me vs. Myself
  • 03. "Take Shots" (featuring Tory Lanez)
Wizkid - More Love, Less Ego
  • 01. "Money & Love"
  • 03. "Bad to Me"
  • 04. "2 Sugar" (featuring Ayra Starr)
  • 05. "Everyday"
  • 06. "Slip n Slide" (featuring Skillibeng & Shenseea)
  • 07. "Deep"
  • 08. "Flower Pads"
  • 09. "Wow" (featuring Skepta & Naira Marley)
  • 11. "Plenty Loving"
  • 13. "Frames (Who's Gonna Know)"
Stormzy - This Is What I Mean
  • 02. "This Is What I Mean" (featuring Black Sherif, Amaarae & Ms Banks)
  • 05. "Need You" (featuring tendai & Ayra Starr)
  • 06. "Hide & Seek"
  • 10. "Bad Blood" (featuring NAO)
  • 11. "I Got My Smile Back" (featuring India.Arie)

2023
Kali Uchis - Red Moon in Venus
  • 06. "Fantasy"
Chlöe - In Pieces
  • 04. "I Don't Mind"
Jorja Smith - falling or flying
  • 03. "Little Things"
Tay Iwar - Summer Breeze
  • 06. "Don't Lie"
Masego - Masego
  • 10. "Say You Want Me" (produced with E.Y. & Dan Foster)
J Hus - Beautiful and Brutal Yard
  • 02. "Massacre"
  • 03. "Who Told You" (featuring Drake)
  • 04. "Militerian" (featuring Naira Marley)
  • 19. "Playing Chess"
Lil Tjay - 222
  • 01. "Nightshift"
Tori Kelly – Tori

Awards and nominations
Year Event Prize Recipient Result Ref
2019 Soul Train Music Award for The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award Record of the Year Brown Skin Girl - Beyoncé ft. Wizkid & Saint Jhn Won [15]
2020 Grammy Awards Best Pop Vocal Album The Lion King: The Gift Nominated [16]
2021 Grammy Awards Best Global Music Album Twice as Tall Won [17]
Soul Train Music Award for The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award Record of the Year Essence (song) - Wizkid ft. Tems Nominated [18]
2021 Rated Awards Producer of the Year Himself Nominated [19]
2022 Grammy Awards Best Global Music Album Made in Lagos Nominated [20]
Best Global Music Performance "Essence"

(featuring Tems)

 Nominated
2023 A&R Awards Producer Of The Year Himself Pending [21]

References
  1. Augustine, Camille (27 August 2019). "Views From The Studio: Producer P2J Discusses 'The Lion King: The Gift' Album". Vibe.
  2. "Stories of All the Best Channel U Memories from Its 15 Years On-Air". Vice.
  3. "Credits - P2J". AllMusic.
  4. "Chris Brown 'Heartbreak On A Full Moon' Album Track List Revealed Feat. 45 Songs". HipHop n More. 14 October 2017.
  5. High, Kemet. "How Afrobeats Is Influencing American Pop Music, According to Producer P2J". Complex.
  6. Alake, Motolani (25 November 2019). "Grammy 2020: Here are the 11 Nigerians nominated". Pulse.
  7. "Here Are The Producers Of The Grammy Award Winning Global Music Album – "Twice As Tall" by Burna Boy". 9jabreed.
  8. "Grammy Contenders 2022: Wizkid on His Breakthrough Year and the Blessing of 'Made in Lagos'". Rolling Stone.
  9. "Wizkid: My producer was sceptical about success of 'Made in Lagos'". The Cable. 13 December 2021.
  10. "Wizkid's 'Essence' Enters Hot 100". Billboard. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  11. "New Around the World: Wizkid & Tems Spotlight Nigeria on Global 200". Billboard. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  12. "FKA twigs Announces New Mixtape Caprisongs". Pitchfork. 6 January 2022.
  13. "Young T & Bugsey Announce 'Truth Be Told' Project With Chronixx Collab "Blessings"". Complex.
  14. "'You Don't Need No Other Body': An Oral History of Wizkid's 'Essence'". Rolling Stone.
  15. "Views from the Studio: Producer P2J Discusses 'The Lion King: The Gift' Album". 27 August 2019.
  16. "Grammy Award Results for Beyoncé Giselle Knowles". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  17. Shafer, Ellise (14 March 2021). "Grammys 2021 Winners List". Variety. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  18. "Rolling Stone Names Wizkid, Tems and P2J's "Essence" Top Song of 2021". 6 December 2021.
  19. "Jorja Smith, Central Cee & More Take Home 2021 GRM Rated Awards: Full Winners List". Billboard.
  20. "Wizkid, Burnaboy, oda Nigerian artists wey dey 2022 Grammy nomination". BBC News Pidgin. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  21. "The A&R Awards 2023: The finalists revealed!". Music Business Worldwide. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
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