Ernest Dion Wilson (born June 23, 1971), professionally known as No I.D. (formerly Immenslope), is an American hip hop and R&B producer from

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

. Wilson is also a disc jockey (DJ), music arranger and former rapper, having released an album ''

Accept Your Own and Be Yourself (The Black Album) ''Accept Your Own and Be Yourself (The Black Album)'' is the only full-length album released under producer No I.D.'s name. It was put out by Relativity Records in 1997. Production is done entirely by him, except "Original Man" (co-produced by D ...

'', in 1997 under

Relativity Records Relativity Records was an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distributors (IRD) in metro New York. Relativity released music that covers a wide variety of musical genres. When it entered in ...

. He is perhaps best known for his early work with Chicago-based rapper

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally ...

. He has since become a heavily sought-out and high-profile producer, producing

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...

s such as "

Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses ...

" by G-Unit, "

Outta My System "Outta My System" is a song by American rapper Bow Wow. It's the second and final single off his fifth studio album '' The Price of Fame''. It features singers T-Pain and Johntá Austin. The original next single was supposed to be " I'm a Flirt" ...

" and "

Let Me Hold You "Let Me Hold You" is a song by American rapper Bow Wow. It was the first single off his fourth album, ''Wanted'' (2005). Released on March 11, 2005, the song features American R&B singer Omarion (the first collaboration they did together). It w ...

" by Bow Wow, " Heartless" by Kanye West, " D.O.A." by

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one o ...

, "

My Last "My Last" is the lead single by American rapper Big Sean featuring American singer Chris Brown, from the former's debut album '' Finally Famous''. The song is produced by No I.D.

" by

Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. Anderson began his music career in 2007 and gained popularity in 2010 with his third mixtape '' Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big''. He then s ...

, and " New Light" by

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 wit ...

. Wilson, who has served as a musical mentor for several artists such as

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

and

J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his d ...

, is considered "The Godfather of

Chicago hip hop Chicago, Illinois is a major center for music in the midwestern United States where distinctive forms of blues (greatly responsible for the future creation of rock and roll), and house music, a genre of electronic dance music, were developed. Th ...

". Wilson was once president of West's

GOOD Music GOOD Music (also known simply as GOOD, stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label signed an exclusive long-term worldwide label agreement with t ...

record company, and although he would resign from that position, he stayed contracted as an in-house producer. In June 2011, Wilson announced he formed the supergroup

Cocaine 80s Cocaine 80's was an American hip hop collective founded in 2011, by record producer No I.D. With James Fauntleroy serving as lead singer on each song, the group has collectively released four full-length projects: ''The Pursuit EP'' (2011), '' ...

, alongside Common and several other artists. In August 2011, Wilson became the Executive Vice President of A&R for Def Jam Recordings and subsequently launched his own record label imprint,

ARTium Recordings Ernest Dion Wilson (born June 23, 1971), professionally known as No I.D. (formerly Immenslope), is an American hip hop and R&B producer from Chicago, Illinois. Wilson is also a disc jockey (DJ), music arranger and former rapper, having releas ...

, having signed acts such as

Jhené Aiko Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo (; born March 16, 1988) is an American singer who embarked on her music career contributing vocals and appearing in several music videos for R&B group B2K. In an effort to promote Aiko and cultivate a following for he ...

Vince Staples Vincent Jamal Staples (born July 2, 1993) is an American rapper and singer. Staples was once a close associate of Odd Future, Mike G and Earl Sweatshirt in particular. He is currently signed to Motown and Blacksmith Records. Staples rose to ...

, and

Snoh Aalegra Snoh Sheri Nowrozi (born Shahrzad Fooladi, 13 September 1987), better known by her stage name, Snoh Aalegra (), is a Swedish singer based in Los Angeles. Her debut album ''Feels'' was released in 2017, followed by '' Ugh, Those Feels Again'' in ...

. He is currently the Executive Vice President at

Capitol Music Group Capitol Music Group (CMG) is an American front line umbrella label distributed by Universal Music Group which oversees handling of record labels assigned to UMG's Capitol Records division. It was inherited from UMG's acquisition of EMI's catalog ...

Musical career

In 1996, Wilson released an album under the pseudonym No I.D., titled ''

.'' The moniker No I.D. is a play on the backwards spelling of his birth name, Dion. He also released a beat tape, titled ''Invisible Beats''. In Wilson's early career he was working as a co-producer for

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...

. No I.D. went on to work on hit singles such as " My Boo" by

Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** F ...

and

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

and "

" by Bow Wow featuring

Omarion Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984), better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actor and dancer. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the boy band B2K. The group achieved success in the e ...

, as well as "Resurrection" and the ode to hip hop " I Used to Love H.E.R.", which garnered Chicago-based rapper

his early fame. Wilson also introduced Chicago-based rapper

hip hop production Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording the rapping of an MC, a turntablist or DJ providing a beat, playing samples and " ...

, inviting him to his sessions with Common, when West was only beginning. He also introduced West to a long-time friend named Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua, who was A&R for

Roc-A-Fella Records Roc-A-Fella Records was an American hip hop record label and music management company founded by record executives and entrepreneurs Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke in 1994. History 1994–2000: Formation ...

, who eventually signed West to his imprint

Hip Hop Since 1978 Hip Hop Since 1978 (HHS78) was a management and production company based in New York City. It was started by Gee Roberson and Kyambo "Hip-Hop" Joshua. HHS78 has been involved in the daily operations of Roc-A-Fella Records since the label's inceptio ...

, which launched West's career as an artist and into stardom. West cites Wilson as his mentor on "Last Call," the outro to his highly acclaimed debut album ''

The College Dropout ''The College Dropout'' is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released on February 10, 2004, by Def Jam Recordings and Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. In the years leading up to release, West had received p ...

'' (2004). West also referenced Wilson's mentorship on songs such as " Big Brother" and " Made in America." Wilson's second official release was with Dug Infinite, a two-album package titled '' The Sampler, vol. 1'' (2002). Kanye West in the Studio

In 2007, he was the focus of perhaps the most attention of his career for producing two songs from Jay-Z's album '' American Gangster''. At the time he worked with artists such as Jay-Z,

Rhymefest Che Smith (born July 6, 1977), better known by his stage name Rhymefest, is an American rapper from Chicago whose first official album, '' Blue Collar'', was released in 2006. His prominent songwriting credits include co-writing Kanye West's " ...

, Plies,

Killer Mike Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, actor, and activist. Mike made his debut on Outkast's 2000 LP '' Stankonia'', and later appeared on their Grammy-winning single "T ...

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Diddy's Bad ...

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...

(''

Thank Me Later ''Thank Me Later'' is the debut studio album by Canadian rapper and singer Drake. It was released on June 15, 2010, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Universal Motown Records. Production for the album took place at various re ...

'') and

('' 808's & Heartbreak'', '' My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy''),

Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followin ...

, and

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to th ...

on their then-upcoming albums. Wilson produced "

D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune) "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" is a song written by American rapper Jay-Z. It was produced by No I.D. The song was released as a digital download on June 23, 2009, and as the first single from Jay-Z's 11th studio album, ''The Blueprint 3''. The s ...

", the first single for Jay-Z's eleventh studio album '' The Blueprint 3'' (2009), as well as the second single "

Run This Town "Run This Town" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z. The song also features Rihanna and Kanye West. It was released on July 24, 2009. It was written by the performing trio, with assistance from Ernest Wilson and Jeff Bhasker. Production of t ...

", which features

and

. He once again teamed up with Common for the first time since 1997, when he handled the production for his ninth album ''

The Dreamer/The Believer ''The Dreamer/The Believer'' is the ninth studio album by American rapper Common. It was released in the UK on December 19, 2011 and in the US on December 20 through Warner Bros. Records alongside Common's newly launched Think Common Music Inc. C ...

'' (2011). In June 2011, Wilson formed

, a musical ensemble composed of several musicians, including Common,

James Fauntleroy II James Edward Fauntleroy II (born May 16, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Inglewood, California. He is best known for writing credits on tracks by high-profile artists such as Travis Scott, Frank Ocean, Kendrick ...

, Kevin Randolph,

Makeba Riddick Makeba Riddick-Woods (also known as "Girl Wonder") is an American singer-songwriter who has been active since 2005. She is originally from West Baltimore, Maryland, US. Currently she is managed by Jay-Z's record label and production house, Roc ...

, Rob "The Mixer" Kinelski, Steve Wyreman, Free Bass, Keys of Coke and Sam Lewis, among several others. After resigning as President of Kanye West's

G.O.O.D. Music GOOD Music (also known simply as GOOD, stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label signed an exclusive long-term worldwide label agreement with t ...

record company, in August 2011, it was announced No I.D. was appointed Executive Vice President of A&R for Def Jam Recordings. In addition, Def Jam has signed an exclusive joint venture label deal for No I.D.'s Artium Recordings. The announcements were made by Barry Weiss, Chairman and CEO of

Universal Republic Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...

and Island Def Jam Motown and Karen Kwak, EVP / Head of A&R, Island Def Jam Music Group. In 2012, Wilson was an executive producer on New York City-based rapper

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ...

' critically acclaimed eleventh album '' Life Is Good'', producing five songs, including the twice

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

-nominated single " Daughters", as well as " Loco-Motive" and " Accident Murderers".In April 2013, it was revealed Wilson signed up-and-coming rapper

Logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from prem ...

, to Def Jam. In 2013, Wilson served as the primary producer of G.O.O.D. Music recording artist Big Sean's second album ''

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

''. In an August 2013 interview with ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'', Wilson said he was currently working on Jhene Aiko and Logic's upcoming respective debut albums. Since the inception of Artium, Wilson has signed Common, Los Angeles-based singer

and singer Elijah Blake. On June 30, 2017, Wilson was credited as the primary producer on 4:44 - a new album released via Tidal by Jay-Z. The album has been met with widespread acclaim from music reviews and is notable for the personal account of Jay-Z's alleged infidelity on the title track. 4:44 was the latest installment in an extensive professional relationship between the two, as No I.D. has produced more tracks for Jay-Z than anyone else other than Just Blaze and Timbaland.

ARTium Recordings

ARTium Recordings is an American

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the pr ...

imprint, founded by No I.D. In August 2011, it was announced No I.D. was appointed Executive Vice President of A&R for Def Jam Recordings. In addition, Def Jam has signed an exclusive joint venture label deal for No I.D.'s ARTium Recordings. The announcements were made by

Barry Weiss Barry Weiss (born February 11, 1959) is an American music executive and producer who is currently an executive with RECORDS, a label he co-founded. He got his start at Clive Calder's Jive Records before working his way up to the head of the R ...

, Chairman and CEO of

and Island Def Jam Motown and Karen Kwak, EVP / Head of A&R, Island Def Jam Music Group. No I.D. would report directly to Mr. Weiss and Ms. Kwak. In 2012, No I.D. signed American neo-soul singer

. By September 2013, No I.D. had signed up-and-coming American R&B singers Elijah Blake and

On June 4, 2014, it was announced No I.D.'s longtime collaborator and Chicago-bred rapper

, signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings and ARTium Recordings.

Artists (past and present)

* DJ Dahi * Mark Battles * Ogi

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Guest appearances

Production discography

Singles produced

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

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, "

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...

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, "

Bound 2 "Bound 2" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, featured as the final track from his sixth studio album, '' Yeezus'' (2013). It was produced by West and Che Pope, with additional production being handled by Eric Danchick, Noah Goldstein, No ...

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, rowspan="2", " The Story of O.J." , , - ,

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...

, , - , "4:44" , Song of the Year , , - , " 4:44" ,

Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...

, , - , Himself , Producer of the Year, Non-Classical ,

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:No I.D. 1971 births Living people American hip hop record producers African-American record producers African-American songwriters African-American male rappers Rappers from Chicago Songwriters from Illinois Midwest hip hop musicians GOOD Music artists Roc Nation artists American music industry executives American hip hop DJs American music arrangers Record producers from Illinois Grammy Award winners for rap music 21st-century American rappers Cocaine 80s members

Musical career

ARTium Recordings

Artists (past and present)

Discography

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Guest appearances

Production discography

Singles produced

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

See also

References

External links