P2J

P2J
P2J
Background information
Birth name	Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong
Also known as	Pro2Jay
Born	11 July 1987 (age 37)
Genres	Afrobeats; Pop music; R&B; Hip hop; Afroswing;
Occupation	Record Producer; • Songwriter
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Warner Chappell • BMG

Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong (born 11 July 1987), professionally known as P2J is a Nigerian-British producer from London, England. He is best known for his work with the likes of Beyoncé, Wizkid, Stormzy, FKA Twigs, Burna Boy, Tems (singer), Doja Cat & many more.

Career

P2J started to solidify his production career at age 14, when an instructor recommended he transfer to music courses.^[1] His career kickstarted in 2007 on the television show, Channel U under the name P2J Project with the Grime song "Hands in the Air".^[2] He formerly produced songs under the name Pro2Jay, for the likes of Tiwa Savage, Krept and Konan and Lily Allen.^[3] In 2017, he produced the song "Covered in You" for Chris Brown's album Heartbreak on a Full Moon.^[4]

In 2019, he became one of the go-to afrobeats producers, working with artists such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, GoldLink, WSTRN, Doja Cat, Davido and more.^[5] His largest collaboration in 2019 was with Beyoncé on the soundtrack album The Lion King: The Gift producing 6 tracks, earning him a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album.^[6] In 2020, he won his first Grammy award for Best Global Music Album, on Burna Boy's album Twice as Tall.^[7] P2J was the primary producer on Wizkid's album Made in Lagos, which was nominated for a Grammy and included the song "Essence".^[8]^[9] The song became the first Nigerian song in history to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200 in 2021, and a remix featuring Justin Bieber was later released.^[10]^[11]

In 2022, he produced for FKA Twigs on the song "Jealousy" from her mixtape Caprisongs.^[12] He has also produced 5 songs on Young T & Bugsey's mixtape Truth Be Told^[13] and "Fallen Angel" on Ella Mai's latest album "Heart on my Sleeve".

Artistry

P2J spoke on his production style in interview saying, "Wizkid and I were on the same path in terms of musicality when we met, in terms of merging different genres together, like merging reggae with the Afro, R&B with the Afro. He's been trying to get towards that through Soundman Vol. 1. We just eased into it with Made in Lagos. If you listen to the album, there's like a specific bass line that I've done that's quite memorable."^[14] He also said that his goal to "infuse African music in anything I do. Whether it's African music like afro and R&B, afro and house, afro and pop, or afro and rap. I've always tried to infuse it in any way."^[5]

Production discography

2013

Nathan - Dark Room - Single

00. "Dark Room"

2015

Krept and Konan - The Long Way Home

07. "I Don't Know" (featuring Rebecca Garton) (produced with Crumz)
17. "So Easy" (produced with Big Mike)

Tiwa Savage - R.E.D

08. "Love Me Hard" (featuring 2face Idibia)
17. "Bad" (featuring Wizkid)

2017

Stormzy - Gang Signs & Prayer

02. "Bad Boys" (featuring Ghetts & J Hus) (produced with Fraser T. Smith, EY & Stormzy)

Tiwa Savage - Sugarcane

02. "Get It Now"
04. "Hold Me Down"

Star.One - Okay (P2J Remix) - Single

00. Okay (P2J Remix) (featuring Maleek Berry & Seyi Shay)

Gyyps - Killafornia

08. "Workout"

Yungen - All Night - Single

00. "All Night" (featuring Mr Eazi)

Reblah - Back to Glory

04. "Wabamilo" (featuring P2J)

Chris Brown - Heartbreak on a Full Moon

07. "Covered in You" (produced with Ayo & Keyz)

2018

Burna Boy - Outside

03. "Koni Baje"
11. "Devil in California"

Lily Allen - No Shame

04. "Your Choice" (featuring Burna Boy)
08. "Higher"

Rebecca Garton - The Intent 2: The Come Up (soundtrack)

18. "Always"

Mario - Dancing Shadows

04. "Mirror" (produced with Mario & Jake Gosling)

2019

KSI and Randolph - New Age

09. "Pull Up" (KSI featuring Jme) (produced with Sammy SoSo)

GoldLink - Diaspora

01. "//error" (produced with Ari PenSmith & GoldLink)
02. "Joke Ting" (featuring Ari PenSmith) (produced with Ari PenSmith)
03. "Maniac" (produced with OBR)
05. "Zulu Screams" (featuring Maleek Berry and Bibi Bourelly)
06. "More" (featuring Lola Rae)
07. "Cokewhite" (featuring Pusha T) (produced with Fwdslxsh, McKenzie, MD$ & Momberger)
09. "Yard" (featuring Haile of WSTRN)
10. "Spanish Song" (featuring WaveIQ)
11. "No Lie" (featuring WizKid) (produced with Ari PenSmith & Deats)

Beyoncé - The Lion King: The Gift

06. "Don't Jealous Me" (Tekno, Lord Afrixana, Yemi Alade and Mr Eazi) (produced with Beyoncé & Dixie)
08. "Ja Ara E" (Burna Boy) (produced with Beyoncé & Dixie)
14. "Water" (Salatiel, Pharrell and Beyoncé) (produced with Beyoncé)
15. "Brown Skin Girl" (Beyoncé, Saint Jhn and Wizkid featuring Blue Ivy Carter) (produced with Beyoncé & Dixie)
17. "Keys to the Kingdom" (Tiwa Savage and Mr Eazi) (produced with Beyoncé, Northboi Oracle, GuiltyBeatz & Dixie)
25. "Scar" (070 Shake and Jessie Reyez) (produced with Beyoncé, Tim Suby, Hamelin, Ari PenSmith, Dixie & Mike Dean)

Burna Boy - African Giant

02. "Anybody"

Mark Ronson - Don't Leave Me Lonely (featuring Yebba)

01. "Don't Leave Me Lonely" (featuring Yebba)

WSTRN - WSTRN Season, Vol. 2

13. "Switch It Up"

Snoh Aalegra - Situationship - Single

00. "Situationship"

Odunsi (The Engine) - Better Days / Wetin Dey - Single

00. "Better Days" (featuring Wani)

Justine Skye - Bare With Me

02. "Secrets"
03. "Bulletproof"
05. "When You're Ready"

Wretch 32 - 10/10 - Single

00. "10/10" (featuring Giggs)

Krept and Konan - G Love - Single

00. "G Love" (featuring Wizkid)

Doja Cat - Hot Pink

08. "Addiction" (produced with Ari PenSmith)

Jaz Karis - Summer Stories

03. "Bad Memories"
03. "Come Around"
04. "Owe You"
06. "Unwritten Rules"

Davido - A Good Time

07. "Get to You"

Skylar Stecker - Redemption

03. Sleep On"

2020

Starboy - Soundman Vol. 1

01. "Jam" (Wizkid featuring Chronixx)

Skip Marley - Slow Down (P2J Remix) - Single

00. "Slow Down (P2J Remix)" (featuring H.E.R.)

Manny Norté - 4AM - Single

00. "4AM" (with 6lack, Rema & Tion Wayne)

Lilah - Atlantis

01. "Atlantis"
03. "Summer Nights Fling"
04. "Oxymoron"
05. "Tired"
06. "Euphoria"
07. "Lilah's Lullaby"

Wretch 32 - Upon Reflection

04. "10/10" (featuring Giggs (Rapper))
05. "Burn" (featuring Ghetts & Talay Riley)

Young T & Bugsey - Plead the 5th

06. "Stand Up Man"

Haley Cassidy - Stripped

03. "Beyond the Sun"
04. "Foolish"
07. "Life After You"
09. "So Gone (Interlude)"
10. "Still Stay" (featuring Tiggs Da Author)
11. "Why Didn't You Call?"

Aminé - Limbo

10. "Easy" (featuring Summer Walker)

Burna Boy - Twice as Tall

02. "Alarm Clock" (produced with Diddy & Timbaland)

Tiwa Savage - Celia

08. "Us (Interlude)"

Alicia Keys - Alicia

04. "Wasted Energy" (featuring Diamond Platnumz)

Gorillaz - Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez

07. "Aries" (featuring Peter Hook and Georgia)
12. "Opium" (featuring EarthGang)

Wizkid - Made in Lagos

01. "Reckless"
02. "Ginger" (featuring Burna Boy) (produced with Kel-P)
03. "Longtime" (featuring Skepta) (produced with Sarz)
04. "Mighty Wine"
05. "Blessed" (featuring Damian Marley)
06. "Smile" (featuring H.E.R.)
07. "Piece of Me" (featuring Ella Mai)
08. "No Stress"
10. "Sweet One"
11. "Essence" (featuring Tems) (produced with Legendury Beatz)
14. "Grace"
16. "Mood" (featuring Buju)
17. "Steady"
18. "Essence (Remix)" (featuring Justin Bieber & Tems)

Griff (singer) - Say It Again - Single

01. "Say It Again"

Jessie Reyez - Before Love Came To Kill Us

09. "ROOF"

Angel (British Musician) - Blessings (Remix)

01. "Blessings Remix" (featuring. French Montana & Davido)

2021

Dave - Titanium & Mercury - Single

01. "Titanium"

Sinéad Harnett - Ready Is Always Too Late

05. "Anymore" (featuring Lucky Daye)

Snoh Aalegra - Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies

14. "Dying 4 Your Love" (produced with Marco Bernadis, Malik Venner & Jack Nichols-Marcy)

Dave - We're All Alone in This Together

06. "System" (featuring Wizkid) (produced with Kyle Evans, Jae5 & Joe Reeves)
07. "Lazarus" (featuring Boj) (produced with Jae5 & Joe Reeves)
10. "Twenty to One" (produced with Dave & Kyle Evans)

Not3s - 3 Th3 Album

08. "Counting"

WSTRN - Wonder Woman - Single

00. "Wonder Woman"

Tion Wayne - Green with Envy

07. "West End" (featuring D-Block Europe)
12. "Realest One"
13. "Spend a Bag" (featuring 6lack)
15. "Homecoming"

Tamera - Afrodite

01. "Wickedest"
02. "New Hobby"
03. "Strong For Me"
04. "Angel Dust"
05. "Good Love" (featuring Tay Iwar)

Pa Salieu - Afrikan Rebel

01. "Shining" (featuring Tay Iwar & Zlatan)

Burna Boy - B.D'or featuring Wizkid - Single

01. "B.D'or" (featuring Wizkid)

Zhavia Ward - Big Girl$ Don't Cry - Single

01. "Big Girl$ Don't Cry"

2022

FKA Twigs - Caprisongs

11. "Jealousy" (featuring Rema) (produced with FRED, El Guincho, FKA Twigs & Koreless)

Young T & Bugsey - Truth Be Told

02. "Big Bidness"
04. "Caliente" (featuring Aitch)
09. "Nice" (featuring Blxst)
10. "Roberto C" (featuring Unknown T)
11. "Glitter Ain't Gold"

Ella Mai - Heart on My Sleeve

"Fallen Angel" (produced with Meko yohannes, Jahaan Sweet, Gaetan Judd, Mustard & Ari PenSmith)

Awards and nominations

Year	Event	Prize	Recipient	Result	Ref
2019	Soul Train Music Award for The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award	Record of the Year	Brown Skin Girl - Beyoncé ft. Wizkid & Saint Jhn	Won	^[15]
2020	Grammy Awards	Best Pop Vocal Album	The Lion King: The Gift	Nominated	^[16]
2021	Grammy Awards	Best Global Music Album	Twice as Tall	Won	^[17]
2021	Soul Train Music Award for The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award	Record of the Year	Essence (song) - Wizkid ft. Tems	Nominated	^[18]
2021	Rated Awards	Producer of the Year	Himself	Nominated	^[19]
2022	Grammy Awards	Best Global Music Album	Made in Lagos	Nominated	^[20]
2022	Grammy Awards	Best Global Music Performance	"Essence" (featuring Tems)	Nominated	^[20]

References

^ Augustine, Camille. "Views From The Studio: Producer P2J Discusses 'The Lion King: The Gift' Album". Vibe.
^ "Stories of All the Best Channel U Memories from Its 15 Years On-Air". Vice.
^ "Credits - P2J". AllMusic.
^ "Chris Brown 'Heartbreak On A Full Moon' Album Track List Revealed Feat. 45 Songs". HipHop n More.
^ ^a ^b High, Kemet. "How Afrobeats Is Influencing American Pop Music, According to Producer P2J". Complex.
^ Alake, Motolani. "Grammy 2020: Here are the 11 Nigerians nominated". Pulse.
^ "Here Are The Producers Of The Grammy Award Winning Global Music Album – "Twice As Tall" by Burna Boy". 9jabreed.
^ "Grammy Contenders 2022: Wizkid on His Breakthrough Year and the Blessing of 'Made in Lagos'". Rolling Stone.
^ "Wizkid: My producer was sceptical about success of 'Made in Lagos'". The Cable.
^ "Wizkid's 'Essence' Enters Hot 100". Billboard. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
^ "New Around the World: Wizkid & Tems Spotlight Nigeria on Global 200". Billboard. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
^ "FKA twigs Announces New Mixtape Caprisongs". Pitchfork.
^ "Young T & Bugsey Announce 'Truth Be Told' Project With Chronixx Collab "Blessings"". Complex.
^ "'You Don't Need No Other Body': An Oral History of Wizkid's 'Essence'". Rolling Stone.
^ "Views from the Studio: Producer P2J Discusses 'The Lion King: The Gift' Album". 27 August 2019.
^ "Grammy Award Results for Beyoncé Giselle Knowles". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
^ Shafer, Ellise (14 March 2021). "Grammys 2021 Winners List". Variety. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
^ "Rolling Stone Names Wizkid, Tems and P2J's "Essence" Top Song of 2021". 6 December 2021.
^ "Jorja Smith, Central Cee & More Take Home 2021 GRM Rated Awards: Full Winners List". Billboard.
^ "Wizkid, Burnaboy, oda Nigerian artists wey dey 2022 Grammy nomination". BBC News Pidgin. Retrieved 2021-11-23.

[Vibe-1] Augustine, Camille. "Views From The Studio: Producer P2J Discusses 'The Lion King: The Gift' Album". Vibe.

[2] "Stories of All the Best Channel U Memories from Its 15 Years On-Air". Vice.

[3] "Credits - P2J". AllMusic.

[4] "Chris Brown 'Heartbreak On A Full Moon' Album Track List Revealed Feat. 45 Songs". HipHop n More.

[Complex-5] High, Kemet. "How Afrobeats Is Influencing American Pop Music, According to Producer P2J". Complex.

[6] Alake, Motolani. "Grammy 2020: Here are the 11 Nigerians nominated". Pulse.

[7] "Here Are The Producers Of The Grammy Award Winning Global Music Album – "Twice As Tall" by Burna Boy". 9jabreed.

[8] "Grammy Contenders 2022: Wizkid on His Breakthrough Year and the Blessing of 'Made in Lagos'". Rolling Stone.

[9] "Wizkid: My producer was sceptical about success of 'Made in Lagos'". The Cable.

[Billboard-10] "Wizkid's 'Essence' Enters Hot 100". Billboard. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.

[11] "New Around the World: Wizkid & Tems Spotlight Nigeria on Global 200". Billboard. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.

[12] "FKA twigs Announces New Mixtape Caprisongs". Pitchfork.

[13] "Young T & Bugsey Announce 'Truth Be Told' Project With Chronixx Collab "Blessings"". Complex.

[14] "'You Don't Need No Other Body': An Oral History of Wizkid's 'Essence'". Rolling Stone.

[15] "Views from the Studio: Producer P2J Discusses 'The Lion King: The Gift' Album". 27 August 2019.

[16] "Grammy Award Results for Beyoncé Giselle Knowles". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2020.

[17] Shafer, Ellise (14 March 2021). "Grammys 2021 Winners List". Variety. Retrieved 14 March 2021.

[18] "Rolling Stone Names Wizkid, Tems and P2J's "Essence" Top Song of 2021". 6 December 2021.

[19] "Jorja Smith, Central Cee & More Take Home 2021 GRM Rated Awards: Full Winners List". Billboard.

[20] "Wizkid, Burnaboy, oda Nigerian artists wey dey 2022 Grammy nomination". BBC News Pidgin. Retrieved 2021-11-23.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]