Rolling Stone caught up with the duo at their studio/workshop on the outskirts of Los Angeles to talk about 15 pivotal songs from their career as producers, songwriters and musicians who've cut records with Janet and Michael Jackson, Prince and the Time, Mary J. "That means there must have been some records that didn't sound like Janet."įor more than three decades, Jam and Lewis have been phenomenally successful pop and R&B producers. "The best compliment to me, whether or not you like the new record, is 'Wow, it sounds like Janet,'" says James "Jimmy Jam" Harris III of the new album. It's their first album-length collaboration since 2006, and is meant as a return to the energy and attitude of their first five albums together, which introduced career-defining songs like "What Have You Done For Me Lately," "Control," "Got 'Til It's Gone" and "That's the Way Love Goes." "I reached a whole other level of inspiration."Ĭo-managed by Danny Carter and Denzil Foster (whose own songwriting and production credits include En Vogue), Dem Jointz is currently bringing his self-described "quirky, high-energy" style to collaborations with ScHoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar.Janet Jackson's eleventh album Unbreakable marks a milestone for the singer, reuniting her with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the duo behind nine of her 10 Number One hits between 19. "They showed me a lot of love on that album," said Dem Jointz of Jackson, Jam and Lewis. 1 album Unbreakable as a producer ("Burnitup!" featuring Missy Elliott, "Damn Baby," "Shoulda Known Better" and "2 B Loved") and musician (the title track, "No Sleeep" featuring J. That resulted in credits on seven tracks for Janet Jackson's No. "He just said, 'Do you.'"īMG, to whom Dem Jointz is signed, set up a meeting with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Dre had an overall idea of what he wanted to do on the project, the coolest thing was that he let us all come through with our own ideas," said Dem Joints. He’s also featured as an artist with Ice Cube and Anderson.
Reuniting with her Rhythm Nation producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Jackson trades in the overt sexuality of her last few albums for warmly uplifting pop and nostalgia-flavored R&B. The track in question later became "Genocide" and is one of four Compton selections (including "Satisfaction," "Medicine Man" and "Deep Water") that carry Dem Jointz’s production stamp. The Janet Jackson we first fell in love withsweet, sincere, passionateis back in force on Unbreakable. Janet Jackson Shows Off Her Resilience on 'Unbreakable': Album Review Her music later caught the ears of A&R reps for Grammy-winning producer Bangladesh ( Ludacris, Lil Wayne). He began writing with and producing local artists, including singer/songwriter Candice Pillay. But no more 9-5 fired up the former rapper's creative hustle.
In fact, AT&T eventually fired Dem Jointz after two years.
Dre's 'Compton: A Soundtrack' Lives Up to Its Cinematic Aspirations: Album Review "The AT&T supervisor said, 'Don’t even think about answering the phone,'" said Dem Jointz. During the test, he received a call he'd been anticipating from a Sony label executive. In fact, that stint almost derailed the Compton, Calif., native's dream of a music career.īorn Dwayne Abernathy, Dem Jointz remembers taking a test in hopes of securing a promotion. Pretty cool for a former AT&T wireless call center rep who reviewed consumers' credit ratings.
Dre's Compton and Janet Jackson's Unbreakable. Songwriter/producer Dem Jointz counts multiple credits on two of this year’s headline-making albums: Dr.