Stephen Ellis Garrett (November 11, 1974 – February 25, 2008), known professionally as Static Major (and previously as Static), was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

. He was a member of the R&B trio Playa. He was also a songwriter for several artists, including

Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton (; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer and actress. She has been credited for helping to redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames the "Princess of R&B" and " ...

, Ginuwine, Pretty Ricky, and

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

Career

Garrett started his producing career when he signed Swing Mob. He made a breakthrough working with R&B singer Ginuwine, writing and co-producing the song "

Pony A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...

" which became a major hit and a milestone in both Garrett and

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...

's careers. Garrett later became a member of the

Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...

group Playa, who were most known for their hit single "

Cheers 2 U ''Cheers 2 U'' is the only studio album by American R&B group Playa, released March 24, 1998, on Def Jam Recordings subsidiary Def Soul. Background The album was originally going to be named eponymously, and release was planned for October ...

". Playa released an album of the same name in 1998. After working with Ginuwine, Garrett assisted in producing songs for Nicole Wray for her 1998 debut album, ''

Make It Hot ''Make It Hot'' is the debut studio album by American singer Nicole Wray. The album was released in August 1998 through Missy Elliott's Elektra-distributed vanity label, The Goldmind. The album was produced by Missy Elliott and Timbaland. S ...

''. He would eventually become the lead songwriter for

. His songwriting collaborations with Aaliyah include: " Are You That Somebody?", which was featured in the ''Dr. Dolittle'' soundtrack, and the ''Romeo Must Die'' soundtrack singles "

Come Back in One Piece "Come Back in One Piece" is a song recorded by American singer Aaliyah, featuring a guest appearance by American rapper DMX, for the soundtrack to the 2000 film ''Romeo Must Die''. It was written by DMX, Stephen Garrett, Irv Gotti, Rob Meys, Ge ...

" and her only ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one single " Try Again". The songs " More than a Woman", "

We Need a Resolution "We Need a Resolution" is a song recorded by American singer Aaliyah, featuring a guest appearance by American musician Timbaland, for her eponymous third and final studio album (2001). It was written by Static Major and Timbaland, while the pro ...

", " Rock the Boat", "Loose Rap" (which he was also featured on), "Extra Smooth", "I Refuse", "Read Between the Lines", "Those Were the Days", and "Never No More" were all featured on her third and final studio album ''

''. Garrett collaborated with R&B group Pretty Ricky on their 2005 song "Juicy". He was featured on

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...

's chart-topping 2008 song "

Lollipop A lollipop is a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. Different informal terms are used in different places, including lolly, sucker, sticky-pop, etc. Lollipops are ava ...

", which he co-wrote. Garrett once reflected on where his inspiration comes from, saying "I stay in the streets, that's where I draw my inspiration ..If it can't be played in the hood, then it just doesn't work for me. And nobody can hold me on harmony. My whole aura is not your typical R&B aura."

Posthumous releases

Garrett was featured posthumously on Drake's 2018 song " After Dark", which peaked at number 41 on the Hot 100. In 2020, Garrett was also featured on Jack Harlow's " Luv Is Dro" which is largely a reworking of Static's own song, also titled "Love Is Dro", which had been previously released in 2018. On December 17, 2021, a new posthumous single from

was released, titled "

Poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

". The song featured

The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, romance, and ...

, who was credited as a co-writer alongside Garrett and

Belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, cent ...

. "Poison" contains vocals recorded by Aaliyah shortly before her

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

in 2001. Garrett can be heard delivering background vocals.

Death

Garrett died at age 33 at the Baptist Hospital East in

, on February 25, 2008, from complications of a medical procedure. The music video for "Lollipop" was dedicated to his memory.

Discography

Singles

As a lead artist

As a featured artist

Guest appearances

* 1996 " Gin & Juice" (with DeVante) * 1998 "What Cha Talkin' Bout" (with Timbaland & Magoo) on '' Tim's Bio: Life from da Bassment'' * 1998 "Put 'Em On" (with Timbaland & Magoo on '' Tim's Bio: Life from da Bassment'' * 2000 "Change the Game" (with

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 ...

) on '' The Dynasty: Roc La Familia'' * 2001 "Loose Rap" (with

) on ''

'' * 2001 "Indian Carpe" (with Timbaland & Magoo) on '' Indecent Proposal'' * 2001 "I Am Music" (with Timbaland & Magoo) on '' Indecent Proposal'' * 2004 "I Came to Bring the Pain" (with

Lil' Flip Wesley Eric Weston Jr. (born March 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Lil' Flip, is an American rapper. He embarked on his musical career as a freestyle and battle rapper before earning a record deal with Suckafree Records in 1999. Lil' F ...

) on ''

U Gotta Feel Me ''U Gotta Feel Me'' is the second studio album (third overall) by American rapper Lil' Flip. The first single, "Game Over (Flip)", reached number 8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and h ...

'' * 2004 "Crank It Up" (with

David Banner Lavell William Crump (born April 11, 1974), better known by his stage name David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Born in Brookhaven, Mississippi, Banner's family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, where he was raised. Ba ...

) on '' MTA2: Baptized in Dirty Water'' * 2005 "Juicy" (with Pretty Ricky) on '' Bluestars'' * 2007 "Good Weather Music (Never Thought)" (with T-Hud) on '' Undrafted'' * 2008 "

" (with

) on ''

Tha Carter III ''Tha Carter III'' is the sixth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne, released on June 10, 2008, by Cash Money, Universal Motown & Young Money Entertainment. It follows a long string of mixtape releases and guest appearances on other hip ...

'' * 2009 "Gotta Get Me One" (with

Twista Carl Terrell Mitchell (born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Twista (formerly Tung Twista), is an American rapper and record producer. He is best known for his chopper style of rapping and for once holding the title of fastes ...

) on '' Category F5'' * 2018 "After Dark" (with

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 ...

and

Ty Dolla Sign Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his feature on Ameri ...

) on ''

Scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always en ...

'' * 2020 "Luv Is Dro" (with

Jack Harlow Jackman Thomas Harlow (born March 13, 1998) is an American rapper from Louisville, Kentucky. He started his career in 2015 and released several EPs and mixtapes before he was signed to Don Cannon and DJ Drama's record label Generation Now in ...

and

Bryson Tiller Bryson Djuan Tiller (born January 2, 1993) is an American singer and rapper. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he began his career in 2011 with a mixtape entitled ''Killer Instinct Vol. 1''. Tiller initially gained mainstream success in 2015 foll ...

) on '' Thats What They All Say'' * 2021 "Body Rock" (with 5AM) on '' You’re Going To Be Fine''

References

External links

Static Major official websitePlaya official websiteStatic Major — Lollipop: A Hard to Swallow Reality on Dubcnn
*
Static star – Louisville's Alt-Weekly – LEO Weekly
{{DEFAULTSORT:Major, Static 1974 births 2008 deaths American contemporary R&B singers American hip hop singers Def Jam Recordings artists Grammy Award winners for rap music Musicians from Louisville, Kentucky Rappers from Kentucky Singers from Kentucky Songwriters from Kentucky Southern hip hop musicians Swing Mob artists 20th-century African-American male singers 21st-century African-American male singers African-American record producers African-American male songwriters