April 2010 |
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SONGWRITERSole/tanjola Writer Alex Greggs Continues to Bring It With South Rakkas Crew and Busy Writing Schedule
His 350-plus catalog of songs includes tracks from the best-selling ‘N Sync albums No Strings Attached and Celebrity. Both combined to sell close to 25 million with the former topping the Billboard List of Top 100 Albums of the Noughties Decade (2000-2009). His writing credits also include Ricky Martin; Brandy; Paris Hilton; former American Idol finalist Blake Lewis; Love Inc.; rising Canadian Urban Music star Keshia Chanté and former ‘N Sync member JC Chasez. He has collaborated with L.A.-based songwriter Beau Dozier (Beyoncé, Pussycat Dolls, Snoop Dogg) and Hip-Hop duo The Runners (L'il Wayne, Mariah Carey, Ludacris). As a principal member of the reggae/dancehall production entity South Rakkas Crew, Greggs and partner Dennis "Dow Jones" Shaw have also crafted and set the sound standard for the recordings and re-mixes of many of the iconic names of the pop world including Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Pink, Justin Timberlake, Christine Aguilera, Janet Jackson, M.I.A., Shakira, Duran Duran, Beck, Lily Allen, Chris Brown, Fall Out Boy, Jessica Simpson, as well as the JUNO Award nominated Dance Recording of the Year, "Runnin'" (Urban Mix), featuring ole/tanjola artist and songwriter Dru. Things haven't slowed down one iota for Greggs in the interim as he sends word from his home base in Los Angeles that he is currently working on tunes for Flo Rida and Britney Spears with famed dubstep producer Rusko (producer of M.I.A.'s new album). "We are also releasing a single with The Script scheduled for a June release," says Greggs, who has signed to Alan Melina's New Height Management, which currently handles Red One and Adam Anders, among others. "The Script used to be my in-house writers until they moved to the U.K. to pursue their band option. They are already nine-times platinum in Europe." Greggs also notes that remixes of Mr. Greens' "I Need You Tonight," Kelis' "Acapella," Will.i.am & Cheryl Cole's "3 Words" and Beyonce's "Videophone" are all in high rotation in the U.K. and a BBC favorite. On the South Rakkas Crew recording front, the latest album The Stimulus Package, released on Diplo's Mad Decent label, is up to 40,000 downloads and a European tour is underway. Another South Rakkas song scheduled for release is "Robots Revenge," which is already playing on BBC 1 and being released on Adam Freeland's Marine Parade label. Even the mainstream media in the U.S. has made note of Greggs and the South Rakkas Crew. Chris Richards of the Washington Post notes: "The production duo is responsible for the most electrifying dance tracks of the year, blending Caribbean dancehall with cosmic keyboard riffs massive enough to make Timbaland nervous." ole and its music publishing co-venture, tanjola, signed Greggs to a worldwide publishing deal in February of 2009. It was a decision for Greggs that was made easier by the fact at the time of signing, he had known both tanjola Managing Partner Ivan Berry and ole Chairman and CEO Robert Ott for 15 years from his early career days in Toronto and his work with artists like Love Inc. Interesting to note that the Love Inc. connection has endured as Greggs is also a co-founder of Riprock ‘n' Alex G Productions with Brad "Riprock" Daymond, a former member of the group for which he was the producer back in the late ‘90s. His requirement for a music publisher, Greggs declared at the time of the ole/tanjola deal, is that they be both aggressive and personable. Ivan Berry, who originally signed him to tanjola, is an iconic figure in the Canadian music industry. His company the BeatFactory, founded with partner Rupert Gayle, a singer and songwriter in his own right, became one of the centres of development for a long list of Canada's hottest urban artists over the years. During those years and through various other industry affiliations, Berry's name is linked with the development of dozens of world class artists including Keshia Chanté, Michie Mee, The Dream Warriors, Alonzo, Choclair, Jully Black and Kardinal Offishall. "I have known Alex Greggs for over a decade now," says Berry. "He is one of the most creative, groundbreaking, consistent and talented songwriter/producer/re-mixers I have known in my 30 years in the music industry. A bonus for us at tanjola: he also happens to be one of the most humble creators of content. It's surely our pleasure to be involved with this superstar." |
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