Cool & Dre met and became friends in high school in the early ’90s, and soon became part of a four-man singing group called Basic Unity. Although the group faded, their friendship and strong interest in music stayed intact. They began writing and producing hooks and beats — with Cool, the technical enforcer producing the beats, and Dre, co-writing and singing the hooks — that caught the attention of rapper Fat Joe, who soon sought out Cool & Dre to write and produce for both himself and the Terror Squad.

By 2004, the duo began gaining attention with such hits as Terror Squad’s “Take Me Home” and Ja Rule’s “New York.” On the list of BMI’s 2005 Top 10 Urban Producers, Cool & Dre have written and produced tracks for Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, Juvenile, Christina Milian and Busta Rhymes, among others. They are also the production team behind one of the hottest tracks of 2005, “Hate It or Love It,” by the Game featuring 50 Cent, earning them a Billboard #1 Award at BMI’s 2005 Urban Awards and their first Grammy nomination.

Cool & Dre have finally arrived. They formed their own record label, Epidemic Music, through Jive Records, and are set to release Dre’s solo album, The Trunk, featuring the hit single “Chevy Ridin’ High,” this fall. They are also working with upcoming artists in Miami through their label and hope to continue to create good music and produce more No. 1 hits in the years to come.]]> 2006-10-15T18:00:01-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334843 Artists, Beal, Teron, Bilal, Brown, Mary, Duplessis, Jerry 'Wonder', Milian, Christina, RedOne, Shakira RedOne's smash hit "Bamboo" has been named "Official Melody" for the 2006 World Cup, which kicked off June 9 in Germany. Selected from over a thousand submissions, RedOne's song is receiving extensive exposure as the audio accompaniment to all programming used for the branding and promotion of the event during television broadcasts and advertising campaigns, in branded cross-promotions, and as a part of the World Cup Official Music Program.

In March of 2006, RedOne produced a "mash-up" of Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" featuring Wyclef Jean and RedOne/Bilal's "Bamboo, " working with Jean, Jerry Duplessis, and Shakira. The resulting mix will be performed by Shakira and Jean at the Cup's Final in Berlin to an estimated worldwide television audience of more than 1.2 billion. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was so impressed with RedOne's talent that he was made the main producer and songwriter for the 2006 World Cup Official Music Program.

Three variations of the Official Melody are featured exclusively on the VOICES from the FIFA World Cup album; it is also available worldwide as a ringtone.

RedOne has written and produced for prominent artists such as Christina Milian, 3LW, A-Teens and Tiffany Evans, and has worked alongside writers and producers such as Gordon Chambers, Teron Beal, Mary Brown and Desmond Child. He has received acclaim in Canada for the hits "I Wish" and "Little Mama," recorded by Juno nominee Carl Henry, as well as in his home country, where has won both a Swedish Grammy and Scandinavian Song of the Year award for "Step Up," working with frequent co-writer Bilal Hajji.

"Bamboo" has helped establish RedOne as a top producer in the global marketplace. He is currently in the studio, working on productions for both American and European artists.

WE BELONG TOGETHER
Darnell Bristol
Mariah Carey
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
Sid "Uncle Jamz" Johnson
Patrick L. Moten
Sandra Sully
Bobby Womack
ABKCO Music, Inc.
Ballads By Design Publishing
Hip Chic Music
Mister Johnson's Jams Music
Rye Songs
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Mariah Carey
Island Records

YOU AND ME
Jude Cole
Jason Wade
Dimensional Songs of the Knoll
G-Chills Music
Jude Cole Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Lifehouse
Geffen Records

He also co-wrote the Usher smash "Yeah!", which was named BMI's 2005 Urban Song of the Year, and received additional BMI Urban Awards for Ciara's "Goodies" and the Destiny's Child hit "Lose My Breath" at the same ceremony.

BMI's Catherine Brewton and songwriter Sean Garrett

Garrett has lent his songwriting expertise to a number of BMI-sponsored events, including last year's Songwriter101.com panel at the DIY Convention and the 2005 Kauai Music Festival.

A soulful r&b vocalist, Garrett inked his first recording contract with Ariola/BMG at the age of 17 while living in Europe. He was in the process of signing a deal with Warner Bros. when he returned to the States a few years later, but the velvety-voiced prodigy never released an album.

After taking a few years off to attend college, the 27-year-old landed a job as a mortgage broker but quickly realized that his heart wasn't in it. He cites losing his mother as a pivotal moment in his career, when he finally decided to turn his passion for songwriting into his profession.

Having a knack for writing outstanding hits that appeal to a wide fan base, Garrett has established himself as the go-to man for a surefire hit. He has worked with a dazzling array of A-list talent, from Kanye West, Jennifer Lopez, Ciara, Fantasia, Bon Jovi and Janet Jackson, to Destiny's Child, 112, Mario Winans, Donnell Jones and Christina Milian.]]> 2006-01-29T17:00:00-05:00