Allan Peter Grigg,[1] better known by his stage name Kool Kojak and stylized as "KoOoLkOjAk", is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, composer, and artist notable for music in Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse,[2] co-writing and co-producing Flo Rida's #1 Billboard[3] hit single "Right Round", Doja Cat's hit single "Cyber Sex", Nicki Minaj's hit single "Va Va Voom", The Boss Baby Theme, and Ke$ha's top 10 single "Blow".[4] Kool Kojak has written and produced for artists such as Sean Paul, Yelle, DMX, Waka Flocka Flame, Onyx, Travis Barker, Kim Petras, Ed Helms, Britney Spears, Jesse and Joy, Andy Milonakis, Icona Pop, Matisyahu, comedian Chelsea Peretti, N.A.S.A.,[5] Dirt Nasty,[6] Lordz of Brooklyn, Ursula 1000,[7] Phil Greiss and Warren G. Kool Kojak has created original music for many major motion pictures. He was a featured producer on the Simon Cowell TV program X Factor and has appeared as himself on the Nickelodeon show Victorious. He has won two ASCAP Pop Awards and one ASCAP Urban Award, a WormTown Sound Award, and has been awarded the Key to the City of Worcester, Massachusetts.
Kool Kojak | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Allan Peter Grigg |
| Born | July 31, 1972 Worcester, Massachusetts, United States |
| Origin | Cubatão, São Paulo, Brazil |
| Genres | Latin, hip hop, samba, reggae fusion, funk, bossa nova, electro, zouk, charanga, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, record producer, composer, artist |
| Labels | TRIZM, KojakTrax, IYF Productions |
| Website | www |
Early life and music career edit
Kool Kojak was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he created the 1980's underground cassette legends IYF Productions. After studying under Archie Shepp at The University of Massachusetts, Kojak began professionally creating music in 1995, DJing, playing in bands, and producing hip-hop records in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Harlem. His first commercial success was as composer and producer of the Brazilian multi platinum selling #1 Supla album O Charada Brasileiro.[8] This album sold 16 million copies on the Brazilian bootleg street market.
Kojak served as musical director and performer for the live Supla show, which took the stage at Rock in Rio 3, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2001.
Select production discography edit
| Year | Artist | Song | Album | Role | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | In Your Face Productions | Music From The Plaid Gnu | Rapper/Producer/Engineer | ||||||
| 1996 | Average White Boys | "Billy Dee Williams Butter Sculpture" | Knuckle Sandwich | Co-Writer/Producer | |||||
| 1997 | Rump Rangers featuring Heather Hunter and Kool Keith | "Toot Toot Beep Beep" | Remixer | ||||||
| 1998 | Binger The Voyager | "Sweet Taste of Nothing" | Co-Producer | ||||||
| 1998 | Supla Zoo | "Bossa Furiosa" | Album | Co-Producer/ Composer / Rapper | |||||
| 1999 | Ursula 1000 | "Arrastao" | Co-Writer/Producer with Ursula 1000 and Dr. Luke | ||||||
| 2000 | Supla | "O Charada Brasileiro" | #1 Album | Co-Writer/Producer | |||||
| 2002 | Holly Tree | "Greatest Shits" | album | Co-Producer | |||||
| 2002 | Average White Boys | "Knuckle Sandwich" | album | Producer | |||||
| 2004 | Average White Boys | "Keg Pahty" | House Of Booze | Co-Writer/Producer | 2007 | George of the Jungle (TV show) | Theme song | Producer and performed with J-Radical | |
| 2005 | Being Bobby Brown (TV show) | Music producer | |||||||
| 2009 | Ursula 1000 | "Zombies" | Mystics | Co-Writer/Rapper | |||||
| 2010 | Miranda Cosgrove | "There Will Be Tears" | Sparks Fly | Co-Writer/Co-Producer with Ammo | |||||
| 2010 | Miranda Cosgrove | "Kissin' U" | Sparks Fly | Co-Producer with Ammo | |||||
| 2007 | Urban Legend | Tranquilidad Cubana | Co-Writer/Producer | ||||||
| Three 6 Mafia featuring Tech N9ne | "Shots" | Laws of Power | Backing Vocals | ||||||
| 2009 | Shwayze | "Maneatrr" | Let It Beat | Co-writer/Producer | |||||
| 2011 | Hitomi featuring Rivers Cuomo | "Rollin Wit Da Homies" | Spirit | Producer/Co-writer | |||||
| 2011 | Dirt Nasty featuring Too Short and Warren G | "Milk, Milk, Lemonade" | Nasty as I Wanna Be | Writer/Producer (leaked) | |||||
| 2012 | Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande | "L.A.Boyz" | Victorious 3.0 | Co-Writer/Co-Producer | |||||
| 2012 | Victoria Justice | "Faster Than Boys" | Victorious 3.0 | Co-Writer/Producer | |||||
| 2012 | Leon Thomas III | "365 Days" | Victorious 3.0 (Deluxe version) | Co-writer/Producer | |||||
| 2012 | Leon Thomas III | "Countdown" | Victorious 2.0 | Co-writer/Producer | |||||
| 2011 | Victoria Justice | "Best Friend's Brother | Victorious: Music from the Hit TV Show | Co-Writer/Producer | |||||
| 2010 | Nneka (singer) | "Heartbeat (KooLkOjAk remix)" | Single | Remixer | |||||
| 2011 | Kumi Koda | "4 Times" | Single | Producer | |||||
| 2009 | Andy Milonakis | "Let Me Twitter Dat" | Single | Co-writer/Producer | |||||
| 2011 | Dirt Nasty featuring Too $hort, Warren G, Andy Milonakis and Benji Hughes | "As Nasty As I Wanna Be" | Nasty as I Wanna Be | Co-Writer/Producer | |||||
| 2011 | Dirt Nasty featuring Kesha | "Boombox" | Nasty as I Wanna Be | Co-Writer/Producer | |||||
| 2009 | *N.A.S.A. featuring Kanye West, Lykke Li, and Santo Gold | "Gifted" | The Spirit of Apollo | Co-writer/Co-Producer | |||||
| 2009 | N.A.S.A. featuring Kool Kojak | "O Pato" | The Spirit of Apollo | Co-writer/Performer | |||||
| 2010 | Matisyahu | "Miracle" | Single | Co-Writer/Producer | |||||
| 2011 | Travis Barker | "Can A Drumma Get Some KoOoLkOjAk SuRfPuNk mEgAmIx" | Single | Remixer | |||||
| 2011 | Travis Barker featuring Bun B and Tech N9ne | "Raw Shit" | Give the Drummer Some | Co-Writer/Co-Producer with Travis Barker | |||||
| 2011 | Travis Barker featuring Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, E-40 and Dev | "Knockin'" | Give the Drummer Some | Co-Writer/Co-Producer with Travis Barker | |||||
| 2009 | Flo Rida | "Right Round" | R.O.O.T.S. | Co-Writer/Co-Producer with Dr. Luke | |||||
| 2010 | Kesha | "Blow" | Cannibal | Co-Writer/Co-Producer with Dr. Luke and Max Martin | |||||
| 2010 | Lights Over Paris | "Fallin'" | Single | Co-Writer/Producer with J Kash & Robb Mahweenie | |||||
| Roberto Carlos | "Jesus Cristo (Zegon Kojeazy Official Remix)" | Single | Producer with DJ Zegon of N.A.S.A. | ||||||
| 2012 | Ariana Grande | "Voodoo Love" | Single | Co-writer/Producer | |||||
| David Choe | Dirty Hands (DVD) | Producer Kojak Beatz | |||||||
| 2012 | Shyne | Gangland Mixtape | Producer | ||||||
| 2012 | Michel Telo featuring Becky G | "Ai Se Eu Te Pego" | Single – UK Remix | Producer | |||||
| 2012 | Matisyahu | "Sunshine"
"Crossroads" featuring J Ralph and Adrien Brody – "Searchin" "Buffalo Soldier" featuring Shyne "Breathe Easily" "I Believe In Love" "Fire Of Freedom" "Desert Eagle" "Bal Chemptov" "King Crown Of Judah" featuring Shyne "Shine On You" |
Spark Seeker LP | Producer/Co-writer | |||||
| 2012 | Owl City | "Take It All Away" | The Midsummer Station | Co-Writer/Co-Producer | |||||
| 2012 | Chelsea Peretti | "Coffee Crankin Thru My Sys" | Single | Producer | |||||
| 2012 | Ed Helms | "How Bad Can I Be" | Dr. Seuss' The Lorax: Original Songs from the Motion Picture | Co-Writer/Co-Producer with John Powell | |||||
| 2012 | Kesha | "Gold Trans Am" | Warrior (Deluxe version) | Co-Writer/Producer | |||||
| 2012 | Kesha | "Wonderland" | Warrior | Co-Writer/Producer | |||||
| Jean-Michel Basquiat | "SAMO" (film) featuring Fab Five Freddy, Money Mark, N.A.S.A. & Kool Kojak – | Co-Writer/Co-Producer for MOMA Films | |||||||
| 2012 | One Direction | "Rock Me" | Take Me Home | Co-Writer/Co-Producer with Peter Svensson and Sam Hollander | |||||
| 2012 | Nicki Minaj | "Va Va Voom" | Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded | Co-Writer/Co-Producer with Dr. Luke, Cirkut and Max Martin | |||||
| 2012 | Matisyahu | "Happy Hanukkah" | Single | Co-Writer/Producer | |||||
| 2013 | Emblem3 | "Chloe (You're the One I Want)" | Nothing to Lose | Co-Writer/Co-Producer with Peter Svensson | |||||
| 2013 | Kesha: My Crazy Beautiful Life (TV Show) | Music producer | |||||||
| 2013 | Icona Pop | "On A Roll" | This Is... Icona Pop | Co-producer with Shellback | |||||
| 2013 | Scott & Rivers | "はじける" | Scott & Rivers | Co-writer with Rivers Cuomo / Producer | |||||
| 2013 | Los Barkers (featuring Lando, Bama and Travis Barker) | "We Like Vegetables" | Songs for a Healthier America | Co-Writer/Producer | |||||
| 2013 | Matisyahu, Ariana Grande, Travis Barker, Kool Kojak and Salad Bar | "U R What U Eat" | Songs for a Healthier America | Co-Writer/Producer | |||||
| TropKillaz featuring Kool Kojak and Lloyd Pop | "Klap Ur A$$" | Writer/Producer | |||||||
| 2013 | Kool Kojak | "B-Boyin' Freak Freakin'" | Battle of the Year Official Soundtrack | Writer/Producer | |||||
| 2013 | Britney Spears | "Hold on Tight" | Britney Jean (deluxe version) | Co-Producer with A.C. | |||||
| 2014 | Brooke Candy | "Bed Squeak" | Opulence EP | Co-Writer with Brooke Candy & Jesse Saint John / Co-Producer with A.C | |||||
| 2014 | Aries Onasis | "7even" | album | Composer / Producer | |||||
| 2014 | Matt Hunter | "Minha Mina Ta Loca" | Single | Co-Writer with AJ Junior & Bilal Hajji | |||||
| 2014 | Yelle | "Florence en Italie" | Complètement Fou | Co-Writer with Yelle Dr. Luke & Cirkut| | |||||
| 2014 | Jesse & Joy | "Live Life" | The Book of Life Soundtrack | Co-Writer with Jesse Joy and Nate Campany | |||||
| 2014 | Sophia Black | "Vibration" | Single | Co-Writer / Producer with Aaron Joseph and Sophia Black | |||||
| 2014 | Chelsea Peretti | "One of the Greats" | Netflix Comedy Special | Composer | |||||
| 2015 | The Wedding Ringer | "Party & Bullshit featuring Affion Crockett" | The Wedding Ringer Soundtrack | Producer / Mixer | |||||
| 2015 | N.A.S.A. | "Hands Up Don't Shoot!"
featuring Sean Paul & Lizzo" |
Single | Producer / Mixer | |||||
| 2015 | Yelle | "ThE KoOoL kOjAk A.D.D. Ba$$iN MeGaMiX" | French Radio Hot Track Single | Remixer | |||||
| 2015 | Waka Flocka Flame featuring Good Charlotte | "Game On" | Pixels Movie | Composer/Producer/Mixer with RAS | |||||
| 2015 | TimeFlies | "Burn It Down" | Single | Composer/Producer with TimeFlies | |||||
| 2015 | N.A.S.A. | "Iko" | Single | Composer/Synths | |||||
| 2015 | N.A.S.A. featuring KRS-One | "Jihad Love Squad" | Single | Composer/Synthesizer Master | |||||
| 2015 | N.A.S.A. featuring DMX and Priyanka Chopra | "Meltdown" | Single | Composer/Synthesizer Master/DMX Rap Coach | |||||
| 2015 | Sean Paul | "Bust It" | Single / Soundtrack "The Perfect Guy" | Composer / Producer | |||||
| 2016 | Diego Boneta | "UR Love" | Single | Composer / Producer | |||||
| 2016 | KoOoLkOjAk | "!!!Holla Deck StackEmUp!!!" | Original Film Score "Passengers" | Composer / Producer / Artiste | |||||
| 2017 | Allie X | "Casanova" | Composer | ||||||
| 2017 | Boss Baby TV Program | "Boss Baby I'm The Boss Boss Baby Boss Boss" | TV show Theme Song | Composer / Producer / Rapper | |||||
| 2017 | Onyx | "Problem Child" | as featured on Silicon Valley | Composer / Producer | |||||
| 2017 | Kim Petras | "Slow It Down" | single | Composer / Producer | |||||
| 2017 | Randy Liedtke | "Off & On" Podcast Theme | theme song | Composer / Producer | |||||
| 2018 | Randy Liedtke | "Now U R Hi" | Soundtrack single | Composer / Producer | |||||
| 2018 | Jahsh Banks | "Nite Life" | single | Composer / Producer | |||||
| 2018 | Tropkillaz feat Aloe Blacc | "Milk N Honey" | single | Composer / Producer | |||||
| 2018 | Sophia Black featuring Kyle (musician) | "Real Shit" | single | Composer / Producer with Shea Taylor | |||||
| 2018 | The Fever | "Hunting Season" featuring Travis Barker | single | Composer | |||||
| 2018 | Eric Nam | "FLOAT" | original song for Hotel Transylvania 3 | Composer / Producer | |||||
| 2018 | Mely Mel feat. Mozart La Para | "No One" | single | Composer / Producer | |||||
| 2018 | Teen Titans | "GO! Battle Remix" | single | Composer / Producer | |||||
| 2018 | Weezer | "Can't Knock The Hustle" | single | Additional Production / Mariachi stuff | |||||
| 2018 | Kool Kojak feat. Destani Wolf | "Can I B Ur Air" | original song for Goosebumps 2 | Composer / Producer / Mixer | |||||
| 2018 | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | "Spidey BugOut MegaMix " | MegaMiX for Miles and Uncle Aaron bombin graffiti in tha subway tunnels" | Producer / MegaMixer | |||||
| 2018 | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | "Spidey Bells " | Original Song for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | Producer | |||||
| 2018 | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | "Joy To The Spidey " | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Holiday Album | Producer | |||||
| 2019 | The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part | "Gotham City Guys " | Original Song for Lego Movie 2 | Producer | |||||
| 2019 | The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part | "Not Evil" | Original Song for Lego Movie 2 | Producer | |||||
| 2019 | Doja Cat | "Cyber Sex" | Single | Producer w/ tizhimself | |||||
| 2019 | Call Chelsea Peretti | "CESSPOD" | Podcast | Super Producer | |||||
| 2019 | Emily Alyn Lind | "Castles" | Single | Producer w/tizhimself | |||||
| 2020 | Jahsh Banks | "Drunk Anthem" | Single | Producer w/ tizhimself | |||||
| 2020 | Chelsea Peretti | "OatMilk" feat. Reggie Watts | Single | Producer w/ Ruffsound | |||||
| 2020 | Chelsea Peretti | "Late" | Single | Composer / Producer / Performer | |||||
| 2020 | Chelsea Peretti | "Chore" feat. Chika | Single | Composer / Producer / Performer | |||||
| 2020 | Chelsea Peretti | "Soundproof Bathroom" | Single | Composer / Producer / Performer | |||||
| 2020 | Chelsea Peretti | "Dad" featuring Will Schwartz | Single | Composer / Producer / Performer | |||||
| 2020 | Chelsea Peretti | "BDR" featuring Kathleen Hanna | Single | Composer / Producer with Money Mark | |||||
| 2020 | Chelsea Peretti | "Green Tea" featuring Wale | Single | Composer / Producer | |||||
| 2020 | Chelsea Peretti | "Expresso" featuring Nick Kroll + Kid Mero | Single | Composer / Producer with Billboard | |||||
| 2020 | Allan Kingdom | "Blessed" | Single | Producer with tizhimself | |||||
| 2020 | Kim Petras | "Malibu" | Single | co-Composer / co-Producer | |||||
| 2020 | Bright & Guilty | "Soft Age featuring Tim Lefev" | KoOoLkOjAK remix | remixer | |||||
| 2020 | Zpextre | "Laidback Air" | single | producer with Brian Bender and Zpextre | |||||
| 2020 | Zpextre | "Electrify" | single | producer with Zpextre | |||||
| 2020 | Zpextre | "Souvenir" | single | producer with Zpextre | |||||
| 2020 | Jesse & Joy | "Love (Es Nuestra Idioma) " | Single | Composer with Julie Frost, Jesse y Joy | |||||
| 2020 | Jesse & Joy | "Fuego" | Single | Composer with Marty James, Jesse y Joy | |||||
| 2020 | Emily Alyn Lind | "Spotless Mind" | Single | Producer | |||||
| 2020 | Porsh Bet$ | "Apple Eyes" | Single | producer,composer | |||||
| 2020 | Porsh Bet$ | "Handle" | Single | Producer with SoundBySol | |||||
| 2020 | Poolfire | "Radio Man" | Single | arranger with Phil Greiss fr | |||||
| 2022 | Sean Paul featuring Gwen Stefani and Shenseea | "Light My Fire" | Single | Producer Composer with AC |
Art edit
Kool Kojak is also a graffiti artist and sculptor in the US and Brazil. His body of art includes an album cover for Ultramagnetic MCs and New York City murals he painted for 1990's Free Tibet Campaign. In Brazil early 2000's, Kool Kojak provided hiphop and graffiti symposiums for city run youth programs in the Favelas of São Paulo. He has painted murals with Brazilian artists, such as Os Gêmeos, Vitche, and Juneca. In 2013, Kool Kojak auctioned off a graffiti sculpture to benefit the Pete Carroll charity A Better L.A. Kool Kojak's artwork adorns the front doors of The Worcester Historical Museum, in Worcester, Massachusetts. His work is part of the permanent collection of the museum. In 2014, he collaborated with David Choe on a dress. Collectors of KoOoL kOjAk artwork include The Disney Corporation, Sony Pictures, The Worcester Historical Museum, Carly Rae Jepsen, Julia Michaels, Claude Kelly, Martin Johnson, Peter Svensson and Ammo Pro.
Filmography edit
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2005 | Being Bobby Brown | Score Composer | "The Infamous Chicken Beat" & many others |
| 2009 | The Hangover | Composer - End Credits | "Right Round" |
| 2009 | The Ugly Truth | Composer | "Right Round" |
| 2009 | Couples Retreat | Composer | "Right Round" |
| 2012 | The Lorax | Composer / Vocalist | "How Bad Can I Be" |
| 2012 | 21 Jump Street | Composer / Vocalist | "Boombox" |
| 2012 | Pitch Perfect | Composer | "Yo Mama" |
| 2013 | Battle Of The Year 3D | Composer | "B Boyin Freak Freakin" |
| 2013 | One Direction : This Is Us | Composer | "Rock Me" |
| 2013 | Victorious | Composer / Producer / Actor | "The Bad Roommate" "Best Friend's Brother" "L.A. Boys" |
| 2013 | Walking With Dinosaurs | Composer | "Live Like A Warrior" |
| 2014 | The Book Of Life | Composer/Producer - End Credits | "Live Life" |
| 2015 | The Wedding Ringer | Producer and Additional Programmer | "Party & Bullshit" |
| 2015 | Pixels | Composer/Producer/Mixer | "Game On" |
| 2015 | The Perfect Guy | Composer/Producer/Mixer | "Bust It" Sean Paul |
| 2015 | We Are Blood | Soundtrack | "Meltdown" featuring DMX and Priyanka Chopra |
| 2016 | Passengers | Original song for film | "!!!Holla Deck StackEmUp!!!" |
| 2017 | Boss Baby (TV program) | Theme Song | "Boss Baby I'm The Boss Boss Baby Boss Boss" |
| 2017 | Silicon Valley | Composer / Producer with Onyx | "Problem Child" |
| 2018 | Randy Wants To Try Marijuana | Funny Or Die Documentary | "Now U R Hi" |
| 2018 | Hotel Transylvania 3 | Composer / Producer / Engineer / Mixer | "Float" |
| 2018 | Teen Titans GO! To The Movies | Composer / Producer | "GO! Battle Remix" |
| 2018 | GooseBumps 2 | Composer / Producer | "Can I B Ur Air" feat. Destani Wolf |
| 2018 | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | Composer / Producer | "SpideyBellz" |
| 2018 | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | Producer / Megamixer | "Miles and Uncle Aaron Bomb Graffiti" |
| 2019 | The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part | Producer | "Gotham City Guys" |
| 2019 | The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part | Producer | "Not Evil" |
References edit
- ^ "ultratop.be – Allan Grigg". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
- ^ "How Producer Kool Kojak Used Iris 2 in 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'". Izotope. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ "The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ Flo Rida "Right Round" credits on Rhapsody Archived November 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "N.A.S.A. (4) - The Spirit Of Apollo". Discogs.com. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ "Kojak and Andy Milonakis 'Let Me Twitter Dat' video". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ "Ursula 1000 credits". Archived from the original on August 4, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ "Cliquemusic : Disco : O CHARADA BRASILEIRO". Cliquemusic.com.br. Archived from the original on May 23, 2005. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ "Movie Reviews". NYTimes.com. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
External links edit
- Kool Kojak on IMDb