Grammy-award winning producer and songwriter, Bryan-Michael Cox is half man, half amazing. Responsible for decades of some of the greatest R&B tunes that have blessed sound waves everywhere, with a pen game equivalent of Thor's hammer, Bryan-Michael Cox, if you aren't celebrated enough, we'd like to simply give you your flowers while you can still smell them.
Photo from Bryan-Michael Cox Instagram (@bryanmichaelcox)
When the producer tag, "Another B. Cox joint," resonates through the sounds of my speakers, I know I'm in for a true banger written or produced by none other than Mr. Bryan-Michael Cox. Whether it's with his pen, his production or just his guidance, his fingerprints are all over some of the genre's most memorable moments in the modern era. In his two decades of working in the music industry, he's written and produced for a who's who of R&B royalty such as Boyz II Men, Usher, Beyoncé, Destiny's Child, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Mariah Carey, Jagged Edge, Mary J. Blige, and Ronald Isley to name a few.
With nine Grammy wins, over 35 million singles sold and a Guinness World Record for having a song on the Hot 100 Chart for five years straight, it is quite necessary to place Cox in the conversation of greatest R&B producers of all time with the like of Smokey Robinson, Babyface, Gamble & Huff, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
Here are a few personal favorites from one of R&B's unsung heroes.
Best songs B. Cox had a hand in.
10. Day26, "Since You've Been Gone"
Released as the second single from Day26’s criminally underrated self-titled debut album, Cox along with Adonis Shropshire provided a piano-laden backdrop for the quintet content to plead for one last chance to make things right with that special someone. Though the song found little chart success, the combination of strong lyrics and highly emotive vocal performances from the Making the Band 4 products make this song one of Cox’s strongest compositions.
9. Bryson Tiller, "Don't"
As surprising as this may come to many of you to see this chart-topping debut single from the self-proclaimed "Pen Griffey Jr.," Mr. Bryson Tiller, make this list and be this low, it's simply because the actual production was from producer, Epikh Pro. The single contains an interpolation of "Shake It Off" by Mariah Carey, written by none other than Mr. B. Cox earning him a writing credit in the song. When this song originally was released in 2014 on Bryson Tiller's SoundCloud, it took the internet and much of social media by storm, which earned Tiller his first top-twenty single on the chart and later went on to become certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
8. Ginuwine, "Stingy"
Originally included on the Barbershop soundtrack, it made such waves Ginuwine had to include it on his fourth album The Senior. The song entails someone who is just so infatuated, possibly even in love to the point of selfishness and wanting to be stingy with wanting to keep all of their love & attention to themselves. Written and produced alongside Johntá Austin and Jason Perry, Stingy peaked at No. 33 on the Hot 100.
7. Trey Songz, "Last Time"
“I wanna thank Bryan-Michael Cox for helping me illustrate my feelings.” These words were spoken by Trey Songz on the third single from his sophomore album Trey Day. Co-written alongside Dru Hill’s Nokio, Songz lives a double life with two different women and decides to let his side chick go because the heat has become too much. But before he lets her go for good, he wants one last round.
6. Jagged Edge, "Walked Outta Heaven"
By 2003, Jagged Edge had left the watchful eyes of Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def label, however the Jagged Edge train kept rolling, despite JD’s absence. The second single from the groups fourth album Hard peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100 and kept the quartet at the top of the R&B charts.
5. Jagged Edge, "He Can't Love You"
This was one of Cox’s first collaborations with the Atlanta quartet in 1999 on Jagged’s sophomore album J.E. Heartbreak. “He Can’t Love U” helped propel Cox from a Noontime Records intern to one of Jermaine Dupri’s go-to guys. Lyrically, this song is a player-haters anthem to the umpteenth degree and is in some ways a predecessor to Drake’s “Marvins Room.” However, Jagged Edge, with Cox’s help, made hating on your ex’s new man and telling her how he doesn’t compare to you feel acceptable.
4. Jagged Edge, "Where The Party At"
Jagged Edge is one of R&B greatest groups of the modern era, but what sets them apart from groups like Jodeci and Boyz II Men is their versatility – sounding just as comfortable crooning as they were taking it to the club. This was evidenced on “Where the Party At,” the lead single from the quartet’s third album Jagged Little Thrill. Co-produced alongside Jermaine Dupri and topped off with a 16-bar verse from Nelly, this classic will get it cracking no matter if the occasion: a birthday party, divorce party or the Tom Joyner Cruise, this song is a must-have in any DJ’s playlist.
3. Lil' Mo, "4Ever"
Not one of B. Cox's highest chart-topping singles but certainly one of many criminally underrated hits. There are just a few number of dynamic duos that can do no-wrong and never cease to amaze me musically when they come together to make magic, names such as Mary J. Blige & Method Man, Drake & Rick Ross, Alex Isley & Jack Dine, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, even Neyo and Jeezy, but along this list are songstress, Lil' Mo, and rapper, F-A-BO-LO-U-S, himself. With these vocals, a fire verse from one of Hip-Hop's most underrated emcees, and Mr. Bryan-Michael Cox coming together to form this "uptempo wedding ode", it was only destined to be magical. "B. Cox, you crazy for this one!"
2. Usher, "Confessions Part I & II"
After years of making hits quietly, Cox finally hit the jackpot with his work on Usher’s classic album Confessions. Producing this smash alongside Jermaine Dupri, “Confessions Part II” shot to pole position on the Hot 100. Thematically the song details Usher admitting infidelities and impregnating his woman on the side, which caused the dissolution of his relationship. Part of the song’s allure was his recent breakup TLC’s Chilli and fans and critics alike assumed this was simply art imitating life. All of the gossip and innuendo aside, this was the third of three number one hits on Confessions and was an instrumental reason the album went diamond and is THE R&B album of the 2000s.
Mary J. Blige, "Be Without You"
By 2005 after the success of Confessions, Cox was entering a Michael Jordan-esque mid 90’s level of dominance over the music industry which continued with this slow burner found on Blige’s The Breakthrough. Co-written and produced alongside Johnta Austin, and Ron Fair, this became the biggest hit the Queen of Hip Hop Soul’s career peaking at number three on the Hot 100, winning two Grammy’s and according to Billboard becoming the most successful hip hop/r&b song of all time.
Honorable mentions that didn't make the list:
Toni Braxton, "Just Be A Man About It"
Ideal, "Get Gone"
Chris Brown, "Winner"
Nivea, "Don't Mess With My Man"
Mariah Carey, "Shake It Off" "Don't Forget About Us" (don't debate with me on why these didn't make MY list. Although great singles, they're not PERSONAL favorites unlike those that were already hard to rank & put on the list.)
Joe, "We Need To Roll"
Joe, "My Love"
Usher, "Don't Waste My Time"
Comments