ThankGod4Cody

Last updated
ThankGod4Cody
Birth nameCody Jordan Fayne
Also known asCody of Nazareth [1]
Born Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres
OccupationsProducer, songwriter, artist
LabelsThankGod Records / BMI

Cody Jordan "ThankGod4Cody" Fayne is an American producer, songwriter, and musician, most known for his production work on SZA's acclaimed albums Ctrl and SOS, as well as his 2019 debut album Cody of Nazareth. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Life and career

Early life and career beginnings

Born in Memphis in the 1990s, Fayne had a Southern, Christian upbringing, and was not allowed to listen to much secular music. It was not until his older sister began secretly burning CDs that he would listen to his first album: Kanye West's 2004 album The College Dropout . [6] After a period of study at Middle Tennessee State University, Fayne moved first to Atlanta and then Los Angeles to enter the music industry at the behest of friend and Top Dawg Entertainment producer Tyran "Scum" Donaldson, hoping to work with fellow Tennessean Isaiah Rashad who Fayne knew through mutual friends. He worked at The Home Depot in the meantime to make ends meet, descending into a brief period of depression when his efforts to produce or write on various iterations of Rashad's future album The Sun's Tirade proved unfruitful. [7] Fayne continued to refine his productions, encountering Rashad's TDE labelmate Solana "SZA" Rowe at an impromptu LA studio meeting. [8] Rowe overheard Fayne's production from an adjacent room and immediately knew she wanted the track for herself, which evolved into her 2014 single "Sobriety". [9] She subsequently asked Fayne to attend her 2016 writing camp held at producer Carter Lang's Michigan lake house, where he crafted notable Ctrl records "Love Galore" (with Lang) and "Broken Clocks", among other contributions. [10] [11] [12] [13]

2018-2023: Protest arrest, Ctrl Deluxe and SOS

Post-Ctrl, Fayne did not accept any production or songwriting session requests from other artists, and instead began to work on his own music, releasing debut album Cody Of Nazareth in 2019. [14] In 2020, Fayne was arrested in the midst of the George Floyd protests in Los Angeles County, California, which inspired him to release single "Light My Way", asking a "higher power to light [his] way out [of this dark world]". [15] [16] In 2022, "2AM", a record that Fayne worked on for the original "Ctrl" sessions in Michigan (interpolating "Come and See Me" by PartyNextDoor and Drake), as well as co-written outtakes "Percolator", "Tread Carefully", and an alternate version of "Love Galore", appeared alongside several other tracks on a deluxe version of Ctrl released for its fifth anniversary. Fayne also contributed to 7 songs on SZA's sophomore album SOS , including Billboard top-ten single "I Hate U"and "Conceited". [17] [18] He next co-produced "Pray It Away" from Chloe Bailey's 2023 debut solo album In Pieces . [19]

Discography

Studio projects

Production and songwriting credits

Credits are courtesy of Discogs, Tidal, Apple Music, and AllMusic.

TitleYearArtistAlbum
"Sobriety"2014 SZA Non-album single
"Easy Bake" (Featuring Kendrick Lamar & SZA)2015 Jay Rock 90059
"Frendz"201620NVRNon-album single
"Looking For God"Loose VoltageVoltage 2: Voice of Love Truth and Good Energy
"My Gun"
"Praying" (Featuring Willie Hyn)
"Love Galore" (Featuring Travis Scott)2017 SZA Ctrl
"The Weekend"
"Broken Clocks"
"Wavy (Interlude)" (Featuring James Fauntleroy)
"Looking For Love" Cyhi the Prynce No Dope on Sundays
"Sleep Walking Challenge" (Featuring Tha Landlord) Starlito Insomnia Addict 2
"Cuffing Season" DC the Don Non-album single
"Closer"2019Free P2Live4U
"I Hate U" 2021 SZA SOS
"Love Galore (ALT Version)" 2022 Ctrl (Deluxe)
"2AM"
"Percolator"
"Tread Carefully"
"Seek & Destroy" SOS
"Love Language"
"Notice Me"
"Gone Girl"
"Conceited"
"Too Late"
"Pray It Away"2023 Chlöe In Pieces

Guest appearances

List of guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
TitleYearOther performer(s)Album
"Wolf River" [21] 2017Don LiftedNon-album single

Awards and nominations

YearWorkAwardResultRef
2018BMI 35 Most Performed R&B/Hip-Hop Songs"Love Galore"Won [22]
Soul Train Music Award for The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award "Broken Clocks"Nominated [23]
2023 BMI Most-Performed R&B/Hip-Hop Songs "I Hate U"Won [24]
2024 Grammy Award for Album of the Year SOS Nominated [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Top Dawg Entertainment</span> American record label

Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) is an American independent record label. Specializing in hip hop and R&B artists, TDE is based in Carson, California. The label was founded in 2004 by record producer Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, who is the chief executive officer. His son, Anthony "Moosa" Tiffith Jr., and Terrence "Punch" Henderson are the presidents of the label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SZA</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1989)

Solána Imani Rowe, known professionally as SZA, is an American singer and songwriter. She first gained recognition through her self-released extended plays (EPs), See.SZA.Run (2012) and S (2013), which helped her become the first female artist to sign with Top Dawg Entertainment. Her third EP, Z (2014), was her first project to be released to digital retailers and reached the top-ten on the US Independent Albums chart.

<i>Ctrl</i> (SZA album) 2017 studio album by SZA

Ctrl is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter SZA. It was released through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records on June 9, 2017. The album features guest appearances from Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, James Fauntleroy, and Isaiah Rashad. Production was handled by Craig Balmoris, Frank Dukes, Carter Lang, Scum, and ThankGod4Cody, among others. The album was supported by five singles: "Drew Barrymore", "Love Galore", "The Weekend", "Broken Clocks", and "Garden ", all of which are certified Platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Galore</span> 2017 single by SZA featuring Travis Scott

"Love Galore" is a song by American singer SZA featuring American rapper Travis Scott. It was released through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records as the second single from her debut studio album, Ctrl, on April 28, 2017. SZA the artists wrote the song alongside TDE President Punch and producers Scum, Lang, and ThankGod4Cody. "Love Galore" received widespread acclaim from music critics and a Grammy nomination at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. An alternate version of the song was included on the deluxe edition of Ctrl, released on the fifth anniversary of the album's release on June 9, 2022, which features an additional verse from SZA that replaces Scott's verse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SZA discography</span>

American singer-songwriter SZA has released two studio albums, three extended plays (EPs), one live album, and 44 singles. SZA debuted with her self-released EP See.SZA.Run in 2012, followed by the 2013 EP S, gaining the attention of the independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment. She signed to Top Dawg as the label's first woman artist in 2013 and released her third EP, Z, a year later. After Z, she began work on her debut studio album, Ctrl (2017), which debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200, peaked at number two on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and has charted for more than five subsequent years. The album, alongside its Billboard Hot 100 top-40 singles "Love Galore" and "The Weekend", earned her three of her first five Grammy nominations, in 2018. All singles from Ctrl have been certified platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America.

"Broken Clocks" is a song by the American singer SZA. The song was originally released as the first promotional single on June 2, 2017, from her debut studio album, Ctrl. It was later sent to urban contemporary radio as the album's fourth single on January 9, 2018. "Broken Clocks" was written by SZA and producer ThankGod4Cody. It samples "West", which was written by River Tiber, Frank Dukes, and Daniel Caesar and performed by the former. SZA performed the song at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Weekend (SZA song)</span> 2017 single by SZA

"The Weekend" is a song by American singer SZA from her debut studio album, Ctrl (2017). It was written by SZA and its producer ThankGod4Cody. The song samples "Set the Mood (Prelude)" from FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), written by Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Danja, who also received writing credits for "The Weekend". "The Weekend" is an R&B and neo soul record that uses a synth-line, hi-hats, drums, a high-pitched vocal sample and clocking key thumps. SZA sings about knowingly being her partner's mistress, comparing herself to the weekend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirt (song)</span> 2022 single by SZA

"Shirt" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA and the third single from her second studio album, SOS (2022). It was released through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records on October 28, 2022, and teased two years beforehand; its previewed snippets spawned a viral dance challenge on TikTok, a video-sharing application. Originally untitled, the song was given two names by fans: the official title and the alternative "Bloodstain". "Shirt" is a song that combines R&B with elements of trap music, incorporating glitchy hi-hat drums and Roland TR-808 beats. In the lyrics, SZA sings of a former toxic relationship to which she is enticed to return.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TwoAM</span> 2016 single by SZA

"TwoAM" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA. It is a remix of PartyNextDoor's 2016 single "Come and See Me" featuring Drake, whom SZA briefly dated in 2009. A downtempo song with an R&B instrumental, "TwoAM" is about a dysfunctional couple portrayed in "Come and See Me" and is written from the perspective of the woman in the relationship. She sings about her conflicted feelings for a neglectful boyfriend who values her only for sex; on one hand, she recognizes she must leave him, but on the other, she cannot bring herself to stop being attracted to him.

"Blind" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from her second studio album, SOS (2022). It is a beatless R&B and folk-pop song, featuring an orchestral production that consists of acoustic guitars, violas, and trumpets. SZA's vocal performance combines a rap cadence and slow falsetto vocals, with added vocal runs. In the song, SZA explores the duality of love and muses on a former relationship, as she expresses her disappointment to a toxic past partner while also expressing her continued attraction to him. For the chorus, SZA admits her insecurities in spite of seeking validation through sex, feeling empty and unable to find self-love within herself as a result of a failed romance. "Blind" also incorporates several pop culture references to figures such as Bob Saget and Jesus.

"PSA" is a song by American singer-songwriter reported to be from her third studio album, Lana (2024). The song is backed by vocal harmonies, soft piano, and harps. On it, SZA raps with braggadocio, demanding people call her "number one", telling them to serve her, and angering someone to amuse herself.

<i>SOS</i> (SZA album) 2022 studio album by SZA

SOS is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter SZA. It was released through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records on December 9, 2022. The album features guest appearances from Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. SZA worked with a variety of record producers and songwriters such as Babyface, Jeff Bhasker, Rob Bisel, Benny Blanco, Darkchild, DJ Dahi, Ant Clemons, and Lizzo. It serves as the follow-up to SZA's previous album Ctrl (2017).

Carter Lang is an American producer, songwriter, and musician, best known for his work on SZA's acclaimed 2017 album Ctrl, as well as his contributions to Chicago's burgeoning R&B/Hip-Hop scene. Lang has received several Grammy nominations for work on projects from Post Malone, Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, and SZA, and recently signed a publishing deal renewal with Warner Chappell Music.

"Nobody Gets Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA and the fourth single from her second studio album, SOS (2022). It was sent to Italian radio on January 6, 2023, and US contemporary hit radio four days later. The song peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the Canadian Hot 100, and the Official New Zealand Music Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kill Bill (SZA song)</span> 2023 single by SZA

"Kill Bill" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA and the fifth single from her second studio album, SOS (2022). It is a pop and R&B murder ballad, built around a midtempo, groovy rhythm and a detuned melody. Guitars, a bassline, and a flute that was sampled from a Prophet-6 synthesizer constitute the song's production, which is influenced by the boom bap subgenre of hip hop. Mirroring the plot of the Kill Bill film duology (2003–2004) after which the song is named, the lyrics discuss a fantasy to kill an ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend out of jealousy, and they employ humorous irony alongside violent imagery that contrasts with SZA's soft vocals. "Kill Bill" was sent to US radio on January 10, 2023, after achieving success on streaming services.

"F2F" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from her second studio album, SOS (2022). "F2F" is a rock song that draws influence from genres such as country, pop rock, and grunge. SZA wrote the song with Lizzo, who provides background vocals, and producers Rob Bisel and Carter Lang. The song was one of around five rock-inspired songs SZA created for SOS, out of a desire to experiment with various genres outside of her usual R&B music. The song begins with acoustic guitar strums before transitioning into a chorus backed by drums and power chords from electric guitars. The lyrics talk about having sex with someone to cope with breaking up with a former partner.

"Smoking on My Ex Pack" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from her second studio album, SOS (2022). The second of the album's three rap tracks, it is a boom bap song with a chipmunk soul production style, fusing hard-hitting drum beats with a sped-up sample of Webster Lewis's "Open Up Your Eyes" (1981). Before SOS, SZA had been known as an R&B artist who made "sad girl" music, a narrative she wanted to dispel because she viewed it as reductive. Particularly, she believed her being categorized strictly as R&B was racially insensitive. As such, she wanted to experiment with "aggressive" hip hop music for SOS, leading to the conception of "Smoking on My Ex Pack". Its producer was Jay Versace, to whom SZA credited her first attempts at rap music.

"Open Arms" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from her second studio album, SOS (2022), featuring American rapper Travis Scott. It is a ballad backed by an acoustic guitar, conceived as part of an effort to explore soundscapes outside of SZA's usual R&B-leaning music. The lyrics are addressed to a former lover, whom the narrator leaves for the sake of her self-esteem despite her persistent feelings of attachment to him. A tribute to SZA's deceased grandmother, Norma Rowe, begins the song, done in the form of a skit. Rowe's vocals featured prominently on SZA's debut album, Ctrl (2017); "Open Arms" is the only SOS track on which she appears.

Tyran Donaldson II, also known as Scum, Pete Nebula and The Antydote, is an American songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with Rihanna ("Consideration"), SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and Isaiah Rashad, among many others. He is currently an in-house producer for label Top Dawg Entertainment.

References

  1. ↑ "After Being Arrested in LA, Grammy Producer THANKGOD4CODY, Channels Message with His New Single "Light My Way"". 4 June 2020. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  2. ↑ "Producer ThankGod4Cody Talks Going from Memphis to Producing on SZA's Grammy-Nominated Album 'CTRL'". Billboard . Archived from the original on 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  3. ↑ "ThankGod4Cody: The 25-year-old producer behind SZA's biggest tracks". Archived from the original on 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  4. ↑ "ThankGod4Cody | from Producing for SZA to Releasing His Own Music". Archived from the original on 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  5. ↑ "SZA is Trying to Save Herself". Archived from the original on 2023-01-01. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  6. ↑ "ThankGod4Cody | from Producing for SZA to Releasing His Own Music". Archived from the original on 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  7. ↑ "Producer ThankGod4Cody Talks Going from Memphis to Producing on SZA's Grammy-Nominated Album 'CTRL'". Billboard . Archived from the original on 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  8. ↑ "Producer ThankGod4Cody Discusses Working on SZA's 'SOS' and Where He Sees R&B Going in 2023". Archived from the original on 2023-03-03. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  9. ↑ "SZA's 'SOS' is the Biggest R&B Album of 2023; ThankGod4Cody is a Big Reason Why - Okayplayer". 16 February 2023. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  10. ↑ "SZA Talks New Album and Wanting to Have Kids 'Soon'". Archived from the original on 2023-01-24. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  11. ↑ "Beat Break: Cam O'bi Shares the Story Behind His 5 Biggest Songs". Djbooth. Archived from the original on 2018-02-21. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  12. ↑ "SZA's 'CTRL' Collaborator Dropped His Own Cathartic Album". 6 April 2019. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "No, really, thank God for Cody". Archived from the original on 2023-01-24. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  14. ↑ "SZA's 'CTRL' Collaborator Dropped His Own Cathartic Album". 6 April 2019. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "ThankGod4Cody Talks LA Protest Arrest and How That Relates to His Newest Release". 20 June 2020. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  16. ↑ "After Being Arrested in LA, Grammy Producer THANKGOD4CODY, Channels Message with His New Single "Light My Way"". 4 June 2020. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  17. ↑ "Now Playing: SZA "Conceited"". NPR Music . 17 December 2022. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  18. ↑ "SZA "S.O.S." sample guide: All the songs featured on her new album". Newsweek . 9 December 2022. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  19. ↑ "Chlöe Previews Debut Album with Angelic "Pray It Away" Single & Visual". HNHH. 27 January 2023. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  20. ↑ "Super Producer ThankGod4Cody Debuts Solo Career with "Cody of Nazareth"". HNHH. 17 April 2019. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  21. ↑ "Don Lifted & ThankGod4Cody capture magic on "Wolf River"". 27 October 2018. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  22. ↑ "2018 BMI hip hop r&b awards". BMI.com. August 31, 2018. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Bet Announces Official Nominees for the 2018 Soul Train Awards". Archived from the original on 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  24. ↑ "2023 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards". BMI.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  25. ↑ "2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.