Tricky

TRICKY STEWART
When Tricky Stewart speaks of himself as “a new creative executive for the future of the music,” what he is actually describing is about as old school as it gets. “He’s a serious cat,” Tricky explains of the renaissance man he has in mind, “but at the same time he knows what’s going on at the basic street level, knows the pulse of the country. He’s a real musician and an A&R person but at the same time a creative mind, a person who really knows what he’s doing at the end of the day, with an entrepreneur’s independent spirit.”
Tricky might be thinking of some of the legendary “record men” of decades past, who built an industry from scratch, whose raw talent and perseverance struck a template for generations to come. Or he might be talking about an astonishingly gifted behind-the-scenes thirty-something musician, songwriter, producer, executive producer, publisher, manager, recording studio owner, and businessman – whose track record of hits since the ’90s took a giant leap into the stratosphere in 2007, with the worldwide #1 mega-hit “Umbrella” by Rihanna and Jay-Z. “Umbrella” was co-written and co-produced by Tricky and his newest discovery, The-Dream.
The success of “Umbrella” confirmed what many – foremost among them Tricky’s mentor and friend, Antonio “L.A.” Reid, Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group – have known for years: that Tricky has established himself as an unstoppable hitmaking force. Before “Umbrella,” among the many chart-toppers written and produced (or executive produced) by Tricky were JT Money’s “Who Dat” (1999), Solé’s “4,5,6” (1999), Mya’s “Case Of the Ex” (2000), B2K’s “Uh Huh” (2001), and Britney Spears & Madonna’s “Me Against the Music” (2003) – to name a few.
Of course his productions only tell a portion of the story, because Tricky has served as a consummate talent scout since his teens. In the interim, the well-seasoned music man has put a number of artists whom he has discovered in the game – either signing them himself, or enabling their signings to major labels. Under his aegis, the careers of Blu Cantrell, Kevin ‘She’kspere’ Briggs, Sam Salter, Solé, and others have all been developed. Tricky is the executive producer of Love-Hate, the debut album on Island Def Jam by The-Dream, whose first single, “Shawty Is a 10” became a Top 10 R&B smash.
Now, as Tricky moves into the next phase of his career with Red Zone Entertainment, the company that he and his brothers Mark and Laney established in 1995, he surveys a business model that is thriving on four fronts: production, music publishing, management, and studio recording. In addition, there is the label deal launch set with Universal Music Group for 2008.
The hub of operations is Triangle Sound recording studio in Atlanta, which has been home base for Tricky since 1995. Located in the music hub of West Buckhead, the 5,000 square foot state of the art facility boasts four full studio rooms and one post-production Midi suite. Triangle Sound is where Tricky has worked his magic on all the aforementioned hit records – as well as platinum sessions with Mariah Carey, Usher, TLC, Pink, Tyrese, Blu Cantrell, Sam Salter, Mary J. Blige, Cherish, Ginuwine, and countless others. If an artist wants to work with Tricky, they (or their music) must make the trip to Triangle Sound.
Tricky and his brother Mark are at the helm of 2412 Music Publishing. This growing company handles the songs of P-Magnet – Penelope Magnet, one of the co-writers along with Tricky and The-Dream, and co-producer with Tricky, of “Me Against the Music.” 2412 also works with songwriters Dean, Todd Herfindal, The Movement (JB & Coron), and Battery 5.
Raised in the south Chicago suburb of Markham, Christopher ‘Tricky’ Stewart (born 1974) was given his nickname by his mother, owing to his fancy footwork skills on the football field. (He is not to be confused with the much-older controversial British trip-hop rapper and actor Tricky.) He was raised in a rich musical environment by parents who were once performers and continued to teach music. His older brothers Mark and Laney got a head start in the music business. Off the field, Tricky was playing guitar and keyboards and writing songs by age 12.
Age 16 was a turning point for Tricky: Laney introduced him to record executive Louil Silas, who had his own Silas imprint through MCA Records, and who immediately recognized Tricky’s talent. As early as 1992, Tricky was given the opportunity to work with Silas/MCA artists Chanté Moore and Aaron Hall, who recorded his songs. At age 17, before he had even graduated high school, Tricky produced his first track on the debut album by young R&B trio Immature.
As the co-founder (with Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds) of Atlanta-based LaFace Records in 1989, Antonio “L.A.” Reid had a huge impact on Tricky’s career, introducing the multi-talented young man to the principle of ownership. With L.A.’s financial support, Tricky was able to open Triangle Sound in 1995 and, with Mark and Laney, to launch Red Zone Entertainment. In the decade that followed, Tricky’s accomplishments expanded as far and wide as the music itself, as the traditional boundaries between Urban, pop, and contemporary R&B and hip-hop disintegrated in the coming of the digital age.
Tricky Stewart is now positioned to take the music to its next step. With the late-2007 album releases of Mary J. Blige’s Growing Pains, The-Dream’s Love-Hate, and Celine Dion’s Taking Chances, Tricky’s talents as executive producer, producer and songwriter will be further show cased. Also on the horizon for Tricky are new upcoming albums from Mariah Carey, Usher, Rihanna, Sting, Janet Jackson, and newcomers Nicole Scherzinger, Brit & Alex, and Vawn. “I want fifteen more Top 5 hits in the next two years,” he says confidently, “and I’ll get them.”
(November 2007)
The Basics in your life:
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