Jae5

Last updated

Jae5
Born
Jonathan Kweku Awote-Mensah

(1992-03-27) 27 March 1992 (age 32)
Relatives
Musical career
Genres
Occupations
Years active2015–present
Labels Black Butter Records

Jonathan Kweku Awote-Mensah (born 27 March 1992), professionally known as Jae5 is a British-Ghanaian record producer and mixing engineer from Plaistow, East London. He is a Grammy Award-winning producer and is signed to Black Butter Records.

Contents

Early life

Jonathan Mensah grew up in London as a child and moved to Ghana from age 9 to age 12 with his brothers. He is the older brother of NSG members Kruddz and OGD. [1] When he moved back to London, he did courses at the program APE Media, where he developed production and engineering skills. His older brother also had a DJ program where he learned how to use Fruity Loops and other software tools. [2]

Career

Jae5 was part of a production company called JOAT Music Group, started by his uncle Blemish and artist Randy Valentine. [2] He began working with J Hus with JOAT in 2015 and produced the mixtape The 15th Day to widespread acclaim. [3] He later began producing for other British artists such as MoStack and Dave. In 2017, he executive produced the album Common Sense by J Hus, spawning the successful single "Did You See". [4] Following that success, he worked with Burna Boy on the songs "Sekkle Down" and "Calm Down". Also in 2018, he worked with Geko, Shakka, Mr Eazi, Rudimental, and Young T & Bugsey, as well as producing NSG's most successful single "Options". In 2019, he produced the multi platinum single "Location" and "Disaster" by Dave. His producing credits earned him accolades such as the GRM Rated Awards and MOBO Awards for Best Producer. [5] [6]

In 2021, Jae5 released his debut single as a lead artist called "Dimension" featuring Skepta and Rema. [7] [8]

Artistry

Jae5 was credited by many publications as a producer for pioneering the fusion genre of afroswing. [2] His sound is described as a fusion between grime, afrobeats, bashment, and dancehall. [9]

Discography

Singles

As lead artist

TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
UK
[10]
IRE
[11]
NZ
Hot

[12]
"Dimension"
(featuring Skepta and Rema)
202158TBA
"Propeller"
(featuring Dave and BNXN fka Buju)
2022385928
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
[10]
"Who's True"
(Tion Wayne featuring Davido & Jae5)
202150 Green With Envy
"Back In Uni"
(Blaqbonez & Jae5)
2022Young Preacher
"Devil's Enemy"
(Zakhar & Jae5)

Production discography

2015

J HusThe 15th Day
MostackSo Paranoid – Single

2016

J Hus – Playing Sports

2017

Dave & J Hus – Samantha – Single
J Hus – Common Sense
NSGYo Darlin' – Single
French MontanaUnforgettable (J Hus Remix) – Single

2018

Burna Boy Outside
J Hus – Big Spang
Geko6:30 – Single
NSG – Natural Disaster – Single
Shakka – Tribe Tuesday – Season 2
Jess Glynne Always in Between
RudimentalToast to Our Differences
Mr EaziLife Is Eazi, Vol. 2 – Lagos to London
Young T & BugseyLiving Gravy – Single

2019

Dave – Psychodrama
Mark Ronson Late Night Feelings
Ransom FA – Be Somebody – Single

2020

J Hus – Big Conspiracy
Dyo – Dyologue
NSG – ROOTS
Burna Boy – Twice as Tall
Young T & BugseyPlead the 5th

2021

Octavian – ALPHA
JAE5 - Dimension – Single
Dave – We're All Alone in This Together
SkeptaAll In
Not3s3 Th3 Album
Headie OneToo Loyal for my Own Good
NSG – Petite – Single
NSG – Headliner

2022

KoffeeGifted
King Promise – 5 Star
M HunchoChasing Euphoria
Burna Boy - Love, Damini
JAE5 - Propeller – Single
Zakhar - Scars On My Mind
D-Block Europe - Lap 5
Black Sherif - The Villain I Never Was
Blaqbonez - Young Preacher
Zakhar & JAE5 - Devil's Enemy - Single
BNXN fka Buju - Omo Elewa - Single

2023

Libianca - People - Single

2024

Unknown T - Blood Diamond

Awards and nominations

YearEventPrizeRecipientResultRef
2020Rated AwardsBest ProducerHimselfWon [5]
MOBO Awards Producer of the YearHimselfWon [6]
2021 Grammy Awards Best Global Music Album Twice as Tall Won [14]
MOBO AwardsBest ProducerHimselfWon [15]
2023A&R AwardsProducer Of The YearHimselfNominated [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skepta</span> British rapper and record producer (born 1982)

Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr., known professionally as Skepta, is a British grime MC, rapper, record producer and DJ. Alongside his younger brother Jme, he briefly joined Roll Deep before they became founding members of Boy Better Know in 2005. With Boy Better Know, Skepta clashed with fellow MC Devilman for the video release Lord of the Mics 2, in what is remembered as one of the biggest clashes in grime history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burna Boy</span> Nigerian singer-songwriter (born 1991)

Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu , who is known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He rose to stardom in 2012 after releasing "Like to Party", the lead single from his debut studio album L.I.F.E (2013). In 2017, Burna Boy signed with Atlantic Records in the United States to release his third studio album, Outside (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr Eazi</span> Nigerian singer (born 1991)

Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, better known by his stage name Mr Eazi, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record executive. He is the pioneer of Banku music, a fusion of sound he describes as a mixture of Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian chord progressions and patterns. Mr Eazi relocated to Kumasi in 2008 and enrolled at KNUST, where he began booking artists to perform at college parties. He showed interest in music after recording a guest verse on "My Life", a song that gained traction and became a popular record at KNUST. Mr Eazi released his debut mixtape About to Blow in 2013. He gained an international audience following the release of the Efya-assisted single "Skin Tight". His second mixtape, titled Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1 – Accra To Lagos, was released in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave (rapper)</span> British rapper (born 1998)

David Orobosa Michael Omoregie, known professionally as Dave or Santan Dave, is a British rapper and actor. He is known for his socially conscious lyricism and wordplay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J Hus</span> British rapper (born 1995)

Momodou Lamin Jallow, known professionally as J Hus, is a British rapper and singer who has been credited with pioneering the genre Afroswing. He is currently signed to Black Butter Records. He gained popularity in 2015 following the release of his song "Dem Boy Paigon".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steel Banglez</span> British producer and solo artist

Pahuldip Singh Sandhu, known by his stage name Steel Banglez, is a British record producer and musician of Indian Punjabi descent. He is currently signed to Warner Bros. Records. Best known for his production work with artists including Mist, MoStack, J Hus and Wiley, Steel Banglez achieved his first chart hit as a lead artist when his track "Bad" reached the top 30 on the UK Singles Chart in February 2018. His highest-charting single on the UK Singles Chart is "Fashion Week" featuring British rappers AJ Tracey and MoStack which peaked at number 7.

<i>Outside</i> (Burna Boy album) 2018 studio album by Burna Boy

Outside is the third studio album by Nigerian singer Burna Boy. It was released on January 26, 2018, through Spaceship Entertainment, Bad Habit and Atlantic Records. The album is the follow-up to his debut extended play Redemption (2016). Described by the singer as a mixtape, Outside consists mostly of Afrobeats, dancehall, reggae and road rap. It features guest vocals from English musicians J Hus, Lily Allen and Mabel. Outside was supported by six singles: "Rock Your Body", "Streets of Africa", "Koni Baje", "Sekkle Down", "Heaven's Gate" and "Ye". Its production was handled by various producers, including Juls, Leriq, P2J, Jae 5, FRED and Phantom.

"Location" is a song recorded by British rapper Dave featuring Nigerian singer Burna Boy, released as the third single from Dave's debut studio album Psychodrama. The song was written by Dave, Burna Boy and Jonathan Mensah, and produced by Fraser T. Smith, Jae5 and Dave. The song has a sample from Final Fantasy XIII

Afrobeats, not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing, is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Nigeria and Ghana in the early 2000s. Afrobeats is less of a style per se, and more of a descriptor for the fusion of sounds flowing majorly out of Nigeria. Genres such as hiplife, jùjú music, highlife, azonto music, and naija beats, among others, were amalgamated under the "Afrobeats" umbrella.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juls</span> Ghanaian-British Producer

Julian Nii Ayitey Adjin Nicco-Annan, better known by his stage name Juls, is a British-Ghanaian record producer, disc jockey, and musician. He is known for his music contributions, particularly in Afrobeats circles, and for the production of songs such as: "Bankulize" and "Skin Tight" by Mr Eazi; "Feel Alright" by Show Dem Camp; Rudebwoi Love by Stonebwoy; and Gwarn by Burna Boy. He has collaborated with the label BBnz Live, and has worked on A&R for Mr.Eazi's Life is Eazi album.

<i>Twice as Tall</i> 2020 studio album by Burna Boy

Twice as Tall is the fifth studio album by Nigerian singer Burna Boy. It was released on 14 August 2020 by Spaceship Entertainment, Bad Habit, Atlantic Records and Warner Music. Recording sessions took place in 2020, with Burna Boy, American singer and songwriter Diddy and Burna Boy Mother Bose Ogulu serving as the record's executive producers. The album is a mixture of Afrobeats, Afrobeat, dancehall, pop and hip hop. It was produced primarily by Telz, along with production from Rexxie, Timbaland and DJDS, among others. The album features guest appearances from Youssou N'Dour, Naughty by Nature, Sauti Sol, Chris Martin and Stormzy. Its lead single is "Wonderful", released on 26 June 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Director K</span> Nigerian music video director (born 1993)

Aremu Olaiwola Qudus is a Nigerian music video director. He has worked with artists of several musical genres including Wizkid, Skepta, Davido, Burna Boy and many others, winning 2020 The Headies Award for best music video of the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P2J</span> Nigerian-British producer

Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong, known professionally as P2J is a Nigerian-British producer from London, England. He has produced for high-profile pop artists including Beyoncé, Wizkid, Stormzy, FKA Twigs, Burna Boy, Tems, and Doja Cat, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BOJ (musician)</span> English-Nigerian singer, rapper and record producer (born 1994)

Bolaji Odojukan, better known by his stage name BOJ, is an English-Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He is one-third of the musical group DRB LasGidi with TeeZee and Fresh L, and is known as a pioneer of alté.

Daniel Etiese Benson, known professionally as Bnxn and formerly known as Buju, is a Nigerian Afro-fusion singer, songwriter and record producer.

"For My Hand" is a song by Nigerian singer Burna Boy, featuring vocals from English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released through Atlantic Records on 8 July 2022 as the second single from Burna Boy's sixth studio album, Love, Damini, along with the album. Burna Boy and Ed Sheeran wrote the song with producer P2J. It marks the second collaboration between the two artists, as they were both featured on British rapper Stormzy's single, "Own It", from his second studio album, Heavy Is the Head (2019). On 30 June 2022, Sheeran brought Burna Boy out during his performance at Wembley Stadium in his home country of the United Kingdom, in which the two artists performed "For My Hand" for the first time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua Moszi</span> Ghanaian guitarist and composer

Joshua Nkansah popularly called Joshua Moszi is a Ghanaian guitarist and composer. In 2021, he received a certificate from the Grammy Awards in appreciation of his work as a composer on Angelique Kidjo's Mother Nature, which took home the award for best global music album at the 64th Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who Told You</span> 2023 single by J Hus featuring Drake

"Who Told You" is a song by British rapper J Hus featuring Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on 8 June 2023 as the second single from J Hus's third studio album, Beautiful and Brutal Yard. J Hus and Drake wrote the song with producer P2J, alongside Gaetan Judd and EY.

Alexander Uwaifo known professionally as Andre Vibez is a Nigerian music producer and songwriter. He is best known for producing "Rush" from Ayra Starr's album 19 & Dangerous and Rema international hit single “Calm Down” which peaked at number one on the India IMI International chart and also peak no.3 on Billboard Hot 100. In September 2022, he was announced as one of the new signed record producers of the Nigerian record label, Mavin Records.

<i>Sincerely, Benson</i> 2023 Studio album by Bnxn

Sincerely, Benson is the debut studio album of Nigerian singer Bnxn which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard World Albums chart.

References

  1. Rose, Ajay (7 May 2020). "Inside the Unstoppable Rise of NSG: 'The UK's Best Group'". Vice .
  2. 1 2 3 Kochhar, Nazuk (26 April 2017). "Meet Jae5, The East London Genre Blender Behind J Hus's Out Of This World Afrobeats Sound". The Fader .
  3. "Why J Hus Is A Rare Breed Of Sick Rapper and Anthem Factory". Link Up TV. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  4. Mosanya, Lola (18 October 2017). "Meet JAE5, the producer behind J Hus' Common Sense album". BBC.
  5. 1 2 "Wizkid, JAE5 and M1llionz win at the MOBO Awards". Sony Music .
  6. 1 2 "J Hus and JAE5 win at the 2020 GRM Daily Rated Awards". Sony Music .
  7. Kavuma, Jason (19 March 2021). "After Shaping The UK's Afroswing Sound, JAE5 Is Stepping Out Solo". Vice .
  8. Keith, James (19 March 2021). "JAE5 Calls On Skepta, Rema For Feel-Good Debut Single "Dimension"". Complex .
  9. Ababio, Jesse (8 June 2021). "Get Familiar With Ghanaian Producer Jae5 With These Exciting Projects". Kuulpeeps.
  10. 1 2 "Jae5". Official Charts Company. Peak positions for the singles in the UK:
  11. "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association . Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  12. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 8 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  13. "British certifications – Jae5". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 3 August 2024.Type Jae5 in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  14. Shafer, Ellise (14 March 2021). "Grammys 2021 Winners List". Variety . Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  15. "MOBO AWARDS 2021 WINNERS REVEALED!". MOBO Awards . 6 December 2021.
  16. "The A&R Awards 2023: The finalists revealed!". Music Business Worldwide. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.