Wikipedia

Darryl Pearson

Darryl "Day" Pearson is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for writing and producing "It's All About Me", a Mya/Sisqó single that peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, "Part Time Lover" (a Top 10 R&B Hit for group H-Town from the 1994 Above the Rim soundtrack), as well as "Trippin' ", a collaboration between Total and Missy Elliott that climbed to #7 on the Hot 100 in 1998.[1][2][3][4][5] His 1998 contributions to albums from Total, Mya, and others resulted in a top 10 placement on Billboard's "Hot R&B Producers" 1998 Year-End Chart.[6] Pearson has also produced or written songs for Usher, Beyoncé, and Sam Smith, among others.[7]

Darryl Pearson
Also known asDX, DAY, DP SOUNDZ
BornBaltimore, Maryland, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Songwriter
  • producer
  • multi-instrumentalist
  • singer
  • music executive
Labels

Career edit

Music beginnings and Swing Mob edit

Motivated to enter the music industry in the early 1990s, Pearson began producing demos for friends sending music to record labels in hopes of securing deals. This practice developed into a writing and production partnership with R&B group Jodeci.[8] He relocated to both Teaneck, New Jersey and Rochester, New York to work with DeVante Swing's Swing Mob collective, which evolved into R&B/Hip-hop production team and Elektra Records label imprint Da Bassment Cru with the addition of producer Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley. Over the next five years, Pearson would be credited with creating music for various affiliated artists including Missy Elliott (as well as her group Sista), Mary J. Blige, K-Ci & JoJo, Dru Hill, Ginuwine (via an unreleased 1995 debut album for Da Bassment/Elektra), Timbaland & Magoo, and the eponymous debut album of LaFace/Arista Records artist Usher, among others.[9][10][11][12]

Melky & Day, Mya and MCA solo record deal edit

In 1996, Pearson began working closely with ByStorm Entertainment CEO Mark Pitts on the creation and sound formulation of R&B Band Born In August, discussed in-depth in a July 1996 Billboard article.[13] Pearson would produce, arrange vocals, and play all instruments on their debut single "April" released in August 1996, lauded in a Billboard review for his ability to "pair the perfect track to the group's melodic vocal inflections... result[ing in] a light, airy, and exciting track worthy of a hot summer release."[14] Their completed, 15-track debut album Timeless Journey was later shelved indefinitely by parent label Universal Records.

In 1997, Pearson joined forces with singer and songwriter Blandinna Melky Jean from group Melky Sedeck to create R&B duo Melky & Day, and released single "I Got A Love Jones For You" for Columbia Records/Sony on the 1997 Love Jones soundtrack alongside duo Refugee Camp All-Stars. The single was a remake of the hit Brighter Side of Darkness single "Love Jones".[15][16]

In 1998, Pearson co-wrote and produced hit single "Trippin'" from Total album Kima, Keisha, and Pam, and was also a major contributor to Mya's eponymous 1998 debut album for University/Interscope Records, producing and/or writing 7 of the 13 tracks that appeared.[17][18][19][20][21][22][23] These included Top 40 single "Movin On" and Top 10 single "It's All About Me".[24][25][26] Also in 1998, Pearson contributed to Mosley's debut single as an artist, "Here We Come" alongside Elliott, Playa, and Magoo for his solo debut album Tim's Bio: Life from da Bassment, which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the UK and Dutch charts.[27] As discussed in a 1998 Timbaland interview for MTV, "Darryl [and I] were messing around in the studio and he was humming the Spider-Man tune, 'Doomp do doomp, doomp do doomp,' so he was doing that, and I was like, 'Do that again,'... [h]e did it, and I sampled his vocals doing that and I put a beat on top of it, and we just rapped to it."[28] In 1999, Pearson contributed 4 songs to emerging R&B singer Terry Dexter's eponymous debut album, and two songs to Shai album Destiny.[29][30]

As reported by Billboard in a February 13, 1999 article, Pearson was scheduled to release his debut solo album (titled Savior's Day) on MCA Records in the summer of 1999, immediately after a May 8 release of lead single "You Should Be With Me" featuring Mya, but the project and single were shelved for undisclosed reasons.[1] Pearson song "How Many Times" was placed on 1999 MCA Records compilation Summer Heat Nineteen Ninety Nine - Volume One, but remains officially unreleased. Another album track, "I'll Give U All I Got" appeared on several MCA Records promotional CD Samplers sent to radio stations at the time, but also remains officially unreleased. His sole release as a solo act remains a rendition of "Silent Night" from 1999's MCA Records Compilation My Christmas Album.[31] MCA executives planned to release Pearson's appearance as a single to various Adult Contemporary radio formats in promotion of the Christmas project.[32]

2000-Present: Later career edit

After early 2000s contributions to projects from Missy Elliott and Dru Hill, Pearson again reunited with Swing Mob producer Mosley in 2006 and entered his Mosley Music Group camp, contributing to Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds (credited for guitar accompaniments to number one hit "SexyBack" and album cut "Sexy Ladies"), Madonna's Hard Candy (guitar credits on "Dance 2Night"), Chris Cornell's 2009 album Scream (various instruments), co-writing "Grown Woman" alongside Mosley for Beyoncé's Pepsi campaign in 2013, and co-writing "Pray" from Sam Smith's 2017 album The Thrill of It All.[33][34][35][36] In 2016, Pearson, alongside greiBO Entertainment co-producer Davis Grei, produced a video using images from Jermaine UniqueEye, Christopher Ervin and others to capture the 2015 Baltimore protests, winning a bronze Telly Award in the "music video" and "social responsibility" categories.[37] In 2022, Pearson co-wrote "Plenty Love", a song performed by Bri Steeves representing Pennsylvania on television series American Song Contest.[38]

Songwriting, instrumental, and production credits edit

Credits are courtesy of Tidal and Discogs.

Title Year Artist Album Label
"This Time" 1991 Georgio Non-album single RCA Records
"I See Love" 1992 CeCe Peniston Finally A&M Records
"I Don't Want to Do Anything" (Featuring K-Ci) Mary J. Blige What's the 411? Uptown Records / MCA Records
"Please, Please, Please" Christopher Williams Changes
"Let's Go Through the Motions" 1993 Jodeci Who's the Man? (soundtrack)
"Can U Get wit It" 1994 Usher Usher LaFace Records / Arista Records
"Whispers"
"Come On Over Tonight" 1-900 One Nine Hundred SOLAR / CD Records
"I've Never Felt"
"How Could You Stay Away"
"Dream Dreams" (Featuring Tornado)
"In Love With You"
"Part Time Lover" H-Town Above the Rim (soundtrack) Death Row / Interscope Records
"Secret Admirer" Sista 4 All the Sistas Around da World Swing Mob / Elektra Records
"No One Else" Mary J. Blige My Life Uptown Records / MCA Records
"Get On Up" 1995 Jodeci The Show, the After Party, the Hotel
"Freek'n You"
"Time & Place"
"Love U 4 Life"
"Slave" Tony Thompson Sexsational Giant Records (Warner)
"Do You Wanna Ride?" Adina Howard Do You Wanna Ride? East West Records
"So Special" 1996 Dru Hill Dru Hill Island Records
"Before I Lay (You Drive Me Crazy)" (With JoJo Hailey) CeCe Peniston I'm Movin' On A&M Records
"April" Born In August Timeless Journey (Shelved) ByStorm / Universal Records
"Sexual Needs" 1997 Adina Howard Welcome to Fantasy Island Rhino / Elektra Records
"What About Us" (Featuring Missy Elliott & Timbaland) Total Soul Food (soundtrack) LaFace Records
"What Cha Say" 1998 Mya Mya University / Interscope Records
"Movin' On"
"Keep On Lovin' Me"
"It's All About Me" (Featuring Sisqó)
"We're Gonna Make Ya Dance"
"Bye Bye" (Featuring Missy Elliott)
"If You Died I Wouldn't Cry Cause You Never Loved Me Anyway"
"Movin' On Remix" (Featuring Silkk the Shocker)
"Trippin'" Total Kima, Keisha, and Pam Bad Boy / Arista Records
"I Tried"
"Move Too Fast"
"Getting Over" Janita Janita (Shelved) 550 Music / Epic Records
"If There's Anything That I Can Do"
"Nice And Easy"
"You'll Never Miss Me ('Til I'm Gone)" 1999 Terry Dexter Terry Dexter Warner Bros. Records
"Anything"
"I Love You"
"Yeah"
"For the First Time" Mya Fear of Flying University / Interscope Records
"Before I Go" Shai Destiny Big Play Records
"You Got Me Twisted"
"Fee Fie Foe Fum" K-Ci & JoJo It's Real MCA Records
"What Am I Gonna Do"
"How Long Must I Cry"
"Light My Fire" Melky Sedeck Sister & Brother (UK Edition) MCA Records
"You Don't Know" (Featuring Lil' Mo) 2000 Missy Elliott Da Real World The Goldmind Inc. / Elektra Records
"Love/Hate" 2002 Dru Hill Dru World Order Def Soul
"Xstacy Jones"
"She Said" (Featuring Chinky of LovHer)
"SexyBack" 2006 Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds Jive Records / Zomba
"Sexy Ladies"
"Intro - The Autobiography" 2007 Digital Black The Autobiography of Benjamin Bush Elite Muzic
"I Want U"
"Window Pane"
"After I"
"Dance 2Night" 2008 Madonna Hard Candy Warner Bros. Records
"Part of Me" 2009 Chris Cornell Scream Mosley Music Group / Suretone Records
"Long Gone"
"Watch Out"
"So Bad" (Unreleased) 2010 Monica Still Standing J Records
"Grown Woman" 2013 Beyoncé Non-album single Parkwood / Columbia Records
"Victim" (With Dru Hill) 2015 Sisqó Last Dragon Massenburg / Dragon Music
"Pray" 2017 Sam Smith The Thrill of It All Capitol Records
"Cubicle" (Featuring 03 Greedo) 2018 Buddy Harlan & Alondra RCA Records
"Big Homie Rules" 2020 Yo Gotti Untrapped CMG / Roc Nation / Epic Records
"Plenty Love" 2022 Bri Steves American Song Contest Atlantic Records
"Should've Wore a Bonnet" (with Brent Faiyaz) 2024 21 Savage American Dream Slaughter Gang / Epic Records

Guest appearances edit

List of guest appearances, showing year released and album name
Title Year Other performer(s) Album
"I've Got A Love Jones For You" 1997 Melky Sedeck, Refugee Camp All-Stars Love Jones (Soundtrack)
"Here We Come" 1998 Timbaland & Magoo, Missy Elliott Tim's Bio: Life from da Bassment
"Lady" 1999 Melky Sedeck Sister & Brother
"How Many Times" MCA Presents: Summer Heat Nineteen Ninety Nine - Volume One
"I'll Give U All I Got" VIBE Magazine and Let's Jam Present: Music To Your Hair
"Silent Night" MCA Presents: My Christmas Album

Full Guitar Projects edit

Albums with more than 95% Darryl Pearson Guitar credits, showing year released and album name
Album Artist Year Label
Diary of a Mad Band Jodeci 1993 Uptown / MCA Records
Usher Usher 1994 LaFace / Arista Records
4 All the Sistas Around da World Sista 1994 Swing Mob / Elektra Records

Unreleased Productions edit

° Ginuwine - Untitled Shelved 1995/1996 Debut Album (Da Bassment / Elecktra)

  • "Lady"
  • "Yeah Come On"
  • "Rock"
  • "Feel It"
  • "Come On Baby"
  • "Soaking Wet"
  • "Straight Like That"
  • "One Reason Why"
  • "Come Inside"
  • "I'm Going To Fall In Love"

° Renee Anderson - Untitled Shelved 1997 Debut Album (Da Bassment / EMI Publishing)

  • "Maybe"
  • "Makin Love"

Awards and nominations edit

Year Work Award Result Ref
1994 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards Award-Winning Songs (Part Time Lover / I'm Still In Love With You) Won [39]
1999 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards Award-Winning Songs (Movin' On) Won [40]

References edit

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  3. ^ "Rob Sheffield on the 98 Best Songs of 1998: Pop's Weirdest Year". Rolling Stone. June 4, 2018. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
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  31. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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