James Edward Fauntleroy II (born May 16, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Inglewood, California. He is best known for his songwriting work and guest performances on songs by high-profile artists including Travis Scott, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Drake, J. Cole, Vince Staples, Jhené Aiko, Big Sean, Jay-Z, John Mayer, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Chris Brown, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Justin Timberlake. In 2014 and 2018, Fauntleroy won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.
James Fauntleroy | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | James Edward Fauntleroy II |
| Born | May 16, 1984 |
| Origin | Inglewood, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Reservoir (Publishing)[1] |
| Formerly of | |
Musical career
editIn 2007, Fauntleroy wrote five tracks for Chris Brown's second album Exclusive (2007).[2]
In 2009, James Fauntleroy co-wrote six tracks on Rihanna's fourth album Rated R (2009).[3]
In 2011, Fauntleroy provided vocals for five songs on Common's The Dreamer/The Believer album. He appeared on "Dreamer (feat. Maya Angelou)", "Gold," "Cloth", "Celebrate", and "Windows". In 2012, he contributed vocals to Kanye West's first G.O.O.D. Music collaborative album, Cruel Summer. He appears on "Clique", "Higher", "Sin City", and "The One".[4]
In 2013, Fauntleroy also made high-profile appearances on Drake's "Girls Love Beyonce", Nipsey Hussle's Crenshaw, Travis Scott's Owl Pharaoh, J. Cole's Born Sinner and Big Sean's Hall of Fame.[5][6][7][8][9] He also contributed writing and additional vocals to New Kids on the Block's 10 (2013) and Jay-Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail (2013).[10] Fauntleroy also performed at the 2013 Soul Train Music Awards.[11] On November 15, 2013, Timbaland released "Know Bout Me", the first single from his album Textbook Timbo featuring Fauntleroy, Drake and Jay-Z. However, Timbaland looks to have shelved the project for the time being, instead focusing on his new album Opera Noir.[12][13] He also co-wrote every song on Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience (2013) and twelve further tracks on the follow-up The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 (2013).[3][14]
In 2014, Fauntleroy won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for co-writing "Pusher Love Girl", for Justin Timberlake's highly successful third studio album The 20/20 Experience (2013).[15]
In 2015, Fauntleroy wrote on 4 tracks on Rihanna's eighth studio album Anti and appeared on Kendrick Lamar's album To Pimp a Butterfly, which was nominated for Album of the Year at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.[16]
In 2016, Fauntleroy co-wrote 7 tracks on Bruno Mars' third studio album 24K Magic.
Discography
editAwards
editThe Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry. Considered the highest music honor, the awards were established in 1958. James Fauntleroy has won 4 awards out of 6 nominations.[17]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Pusher Love Girl" (As a songwriter) | Best R&B Song | Won |
| 2015 | BEYONCÉ (featured artist) | Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2016 | To Pimp a Butterfly (featured artist) | Nominated | |
| 2018 | "That's What I Like" (As a songwriter) | Song of the Year | Won |
| Best R&B Song | Won | ||
| "24K Magic" (As a songwriter) | Album of the Year | Won | |
| 2024 | Nova (with Terrace Martin) | Best Progressive R&B Album | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ Roberts, Dave (April 10, 2018). "I just wanted a job, a car and a cell phone". Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ Exclusive - Chris Brown | Credits | AllMusic, retrieved July 1, 2020
- ^ a b "Check The Credits: Songwriter James Fauntleroy II On Writing Hits For Rihanna, Jordin Sparks, Justin Timberlake & More | Life Times". Lifeandtimes.com. June 11, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ^ "G.O.O.D. Music, 'Cruel Summer': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ^ "Drake Releases James Fauntleroy-Assisted, 'Girls Love Beyonce': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ^ "New Song: Drake Featuring James Fauntleroy, 'Girls Love Beyonce' (NSFW)". Buzzworthy.mtv.com. April 16, 2013. Archived from the original on May 26, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ^ ""Born Sinner" f/ James Fauntleroy — 30 Second Reviews: First Impressions of J. Cole's "Born Sinner"". Complex. June 7, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ^ Baker, Soren (October 8, 2013). "Nipsey Hussle "Crenshaw" Release Date, Cover Art, Tracklisting, Stream | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Archived from the original on November 7, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ^ Jamshed, Zahra. "Big Sean – Hall Of Fame (Tracklist)". Hypetrak. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ^ "James Fauntleroy | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- ^ "He Got Soul: James Fauntleroy | Soul Train Awards". BET. October 31, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ^ "Listen: Timbaland Teams Up With Drake, Jay Z and James Fauntleroy on "Know Bout Me" | News". Pitchfork. November 15, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- ^ Helman, Peter (November 15, 2013). "Timbaland – "Know Bout Me" (Feat. Jay Z, Drake & James Fauntleroy)". Stereogum. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- ^ "Terrace Martin, James Fauntleroy, and Robert Glasper Team for Touching 'No Wrong, No Right' | SPIN | SPIN Mix | Premieres". SPIN. August 2, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ^ "Grammys 2014: The complete list of nominees and winners". LA Times. January 26, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- ^ "58th Annual GRAMMY Awards". GRAMMY.com. November 28, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^ "James Fauntleroy". GRAMMY.com. November 28, 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2018.