Rockwilder

By Malcolm Venable

Aug 2 2005

Producer Rockwilder earned his initial entrée into the music industry in the late 1990s by working with pal Redman. On discs like Muddy Waters and Busta Rhymes‘s When Disaster Strikes , Rockwilder showed a penchant for creating terrifically dark, slightly rock-influenced beats that perfectly complemented hardcore hip-hop’s somber themes.

The dawn of the new millennium saw Rockwilder venturing out of his musical comfort zone. He lightened his tone considerably by working on Janet Jackson‘s All For You and with the help of Missy Elliott, he turned the remake of LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade” (by Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya and L'il Kim) into a saucy hit. That song, from the soundtrack to the film Moulin Rouge , got him in the business of creating top-notch movie soundtracks; he went on to make a veritable cottage industry of producing music for films, including Legally Blond, Scooby-Doo 2,Training Day and Friday After Next .

He has continued to diversify his repertoire since his original rap days. Now, his impressive series of collaborations includes r&b artists like Maxwell, Kelis, Me’Shell NdegeOcello and Destiny’s Child, who tapped him for a smooth, tingly re-mix of their hit “Bootylicious.” He’s even created beats for crossover sensations like JC Chasez and Pink.

Rockwilder, born Dana Stinson, has strayed from the hip-hop artist’s traditional trajectory. Urban enough to produce for Mobb Deep but upbeat enough to make Mya’s pop tunes, Rockwilder is proving to be an adept, versatile and creative musician who keeps breaking the mold.