The Bama Boyz (a.k.a. the Bamaz) are a

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

-nominated,

Dove Award A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards ceremonies presented annually and have been held in Nashville, Tennessee exce ...

-winning,

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

record production, songwriting, and artist trio, consisting of Eddie "E-Trez" Smith III, Jesse J. Rankins, Jonathan D. Wells. Professionally producing and songwriting since 2003, the Bama Boyz have accumulated a diverse range of music credits, ranging from genres such as Electro, R&B,

Pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

hiphop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

urban gospel Urban/contemporary gospel, also known as urban gospel music, urban gospel pop, or just simply urban gospel, is a modern subgenre of gospel music. Although the style developed gradually, early forms are generally dated to the 1970s, and the genr ...

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

, and

Latin pop Latin pop () is a pop music subgenre that is a fusion of US–style music production with Latin music genres from anywhere in Latin America and Spain. It originates with List of countries where Spanish is an official language, Spanish-speaking ...

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

theme music Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...

for films, television shows, commercials, toy lines, and books. They are now known as Watch The Duck.

History

Eddie, Jesse, and Jonathan all grew up in

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...

, in the same neighborhood of Woodley Park. Jesse was a stand out football player at Cloverdale Junior High School and carried his talents to Jefferson Davis High School. Jonathan and Eddie both played in the percussion section of the

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...

Sidney Lanier High School Sidney Lanier High School was a Public school (government funded), public high school in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. History Established in 1910 on the southern outskirts of downtown Montgomery, Alabama, the school was named for a South ...

. Even though the trio knew each other from the neighborhood, band, and school, they never created music as a trio until the summer of 2000. By fall 2001, Eddie, Jesse, and Jonathan were all attending

Alabama A&M University Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (Alabama A&M or AAMU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Normal, Huntsville, Alabama. Founded in 1875, it took its present name in 1969. It was one of about 180 " normal s ...

where they became known for throwing parties on and off campus, creating funny television commercials to advertise their parties, and creating a popular school song and dance. In 2003, music mogul,

Mathew Knowles Mathew Knowles (born January 9, 1952)Knowles in is an American record executive, businessman and university lecturer. He is best known for being the manager of Destiny's Child. He also once managed the solo careers of his daughters Beyoncé a ...

, pioneer of the Grammy Award-winning,

Multi-platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

group

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...

, offered the Bama Boyz a deal immediately after personally witnessing the trio in action in the studio. This opportunity came about when Mathew accepted an invitation to be the keynote speaker and judge for a leadership seminar and talent showcase created and hosted by Eddie, Jesse, and Jonathan at Alabama A&M University. Highly impressed by the trio's professionalism and marketing tactics, Mathew invited the boys to do an internship that summer at his company,

Music World Entertainment Mathew Knowles (born January 9, 1952)Knowles in is an American record executive, businessman and university lecturer. He is best known for being the manager of Destiny's Child. He also once managed the solo careers of his daughters Beyoncé a ...

Houston, TX Houston ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the seat of Harris County, as well as the principal city of ...

. When the trio arrived in Houston, they learned that the internship was non-paid. Accustomed to the consistent money of their weekly club hustle at Alabama A&M, it didn't take long for the trio's instinct to kick in. In exactly three weeks of living in Houston and studying the nightlife, the Bama Boyz begin supporting their expenses of rent, food, and other necessities by creating, promoting, and operating a successful teen night at a local club. While interning at Mathew's company, the trio jacked

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

A cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

for her then current single "

Crazy in Love "Crazy in Love" is a song by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé featuring guest vocals from American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Rich Harrison, and produced by the last two. "Crazy in Love" is a pop, hip hop, and ...

" and produced an entirely new beat under her vocals. At that time, Mathew didn't even know that the Bama Boyz produced music. So one day after a label staff meeting, Eddie and Jesse followed Mathew into his office, put their "Crazy in Love Remix" in his stereo and turned the volume up and hit play. Shocked by the boys' boldness but impressed by their remix, Mathew told them that they can begin using the Music World studio anytime they want. After personally observing their work in the studio for a few days, Mathew invited the Bama Boyz to his boat on

Clear Lake Shores, Texas Clear Lake Shores is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States, located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,258. History During the oil boom years of the 1920s, ...

, and that's where he offered them a production deal.

Career

The Bama Boyz first major production credits were two remixes for

Solange Solange may refer to: People with the given name * Solange Knowles (born 1986), American R&B/soul singer * Solange of Bourges (d. 880), Christian saint * Solange (psychic) (1952–2021), Italian TV personality, psychic and commentator * Solange A ...

titled "Ain't No Way Bama Boyz Remix" and "Just Like You Bama Boyz Remix". Afterwards, the Bama Boyz created two remixes for Beyonce's " Me, Myself, and I" titled the "Bama Boys Sexy Remix" and the other titled "Bama Boys Throwback Remix", where the trio sampled elements of

De La Soul De La Soul ( ) is an American hip hop music, hip hop group formed in the village of Amityville on Long Island, New York (state), New York in 1988. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, eccentric lyrics, and contributions to the evoluti ...

's " Me, Myself, and I". The Bama Boyz first opportunity to work on a movie soundtrack was ''

Roll Bounce ''Roll Bounce'' is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written by Norman Vance Jr. and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The film stars hip hop artist Bow Wow as the leader of a roller skating crew in 1970s Chicago. The film also includes Nick Cannon, ...

'', where the guys were credited with additional production credits. In 2005, the Bama Boyz produced the

song "Home for the Holiday", which became the centerpiece of

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

's national Christmas campaign. "Home for the Holiday" was also included on the reissue of Destiny's Child's album ''

8 Days of Christmas ''8 Days of Christmas'' is the fourth studio album and only Christmas album by American R&B girl group Destiny's Child, released on October 30, 2001, by Columbia Records. Background The album contains twelve tracks featuring traditional Chri ...

''. It was the success of this campaign that sparked the Bama Boyz interest in licensing and syncing music. The Bama Boyz ended up negotiating and producing the music for two more Wal-Mart commercials. Now with an understanding and passion for music

synchronization Synchronization is the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. For example, the Conductor (music), conductor of an orchestra keeps the orchestra synchronized or ''in time''. Systems that operate with all parts in synchrony are sa ...

, the Bama Boyz created music for film and television such as '' Bring It On: All or Nothing'', ''

The Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Clouseau, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the fil ...

'', ''

Save the Last Dance 2 ''Save the Last Dance 2'' (also known as ''Save the Last Dance 2: Stepping Up'') is a 2006 dance drama film and a sequel to the 2001 film ''Save the Last Dance''. It was released to DVD on October 10, 2006, by Paramount Home Entertainment and MTV ...

'', a

Ford Fusion The Ford Fusion is an automobile nameplate by Ford. * Ford Fusion (Americas), mid-size car produced between the 2006 and 2020 model years ** Ford Fusion Hybrid, gasoline-electric hybrid powered version ** Ford Fusion Energi, plug-in hybrid ...

Commercial featuring

Funkmaster Flex Aston George Taylor Jr. (born August 5, 1967), professionally known as Funkmaster Flex, is an American DJ, rapper, record producer, and host on New York City's Hot 97 radio station. In 1992, he became host of the first hip hop radio show on Ho ...

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

's ''Super Sweet 16 TV Series'', '' Last Holiday'',

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

's "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy" theme song featuring Beyoncé,

BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...

's ''One Night Only'', House of Deréon Commercial, and the UK's

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

hit reality show ''Chancers'', where the Bama Boyz made their first television debut. Not forgetting their first love of working with artists, the Bama Boyz returned to the studio with a different direction. They produced 8 songs for the platinum selling

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

group Trin-I-Tee 5:7's "T57" album. Their work on T57 earned them a #2 spot on the Gospel Charts, a Grammy Nomination, and a Dove Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album. The Bama Boyz also stepped outside the box of music synchronization by producing all the music for "Baby Jamz", a hip-hop/rhythm inspired toy line for preschoolers. The toy line also features a hiphop-inspired nursery rhyme CD, which includes their production. The Bama Boyz also produced the theme song for a series of books called Princess Inc. The Bama Boyz produced two songs for Solange's Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams album, including the controversial song "ChampagneChronicNightcap" feat. Lil Wayne and the 1970s throwback "Valentine's Day". They also produced the "Ring the Alarm Bama Boyz Remix" and were responsible for getting Rick Ross and Mike Jones to feature on it. On Beyonce's third solo LP, which is a double-disc titled '' I Am... Sasha Fierce'', the Bama Boyz produced " Why Don't You Love Me," which features their signature sound of combining both electronic dance music and urban music. "Why Don't You Love Me" shot to the number one position on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play chart becoming the Bama Boyz's first number-one hit and Knowles' twelfth number-one hit on that chart.

Currently

The Bama Boyz are currently in the studio developing new projects within the electronic music scene.

Discography

2Much *"My Little Cheerleader" "Baby Jamz Vol.1" "Baby Jamz Vol.2"

*"Me, Myself, and I (Bama Boys Throwback Remix)" *"Me, Myself, and I (Bama Boys Sexxy Remix)" *"Check On It (Bama Boyz Remix)" *"Check On It (Reggaeton Remix feat.

Voltio Julio Voltio (also known simply as Voltio; born as Julio Irving Ramos Filomeno on June 11, 1977) is a Puerto Rican former rapper. An early pioneer of reggaetón—a modern genre of Latin music originating primarily in Panamá and Puerto Rico, ...

)" *"Check On It (After Dark Remix)" *"Check On It (Pink Panther Mix)" *"Check On It (Bama Boyz Creole Mix)" *"Déjà Vu (Bama Boyz Remix)" *"Ring the Alarm (Bama Boyz Remix feat.

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...

and Mike Jones)" *"Worldwide Woman (Bama Boyz Remix)" *"Upgrade You (Bama Boyz Remix)" *"Greenlight (Bama Boyz Remix)" *"Naughty Girl (Bama Boyz Remix)" *"Yes (Bama Boyz Remix)" *"Hip Hop Star (Bama Boyz Remix)" *"Baby Boy (Bama Boyz Remix)" *"Irreplaceable (Bama Boyz Remix)" *"Why Don't You Love Me" "Chancers" (

Reality Show) *"Chancer's Theme Music" *"Mr. Undercover" *"I Want It All" *"L.O.V.E"

*"Home for the Holiday's" *"Loose My Breathe (Bama Boyz Remix)"

TV Commercial *"Club Scene feat.

" Katy Shotter (UK) *"Complicated Woman"

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...

*"Like This (Bama Boyz Remix)" Meet the Bamaz (mixtape) *"Caught Up in Rock Roll" *"Meet the Bamaz" *"Smilin People" *"Don't Take it Personal" *"Close Your Legs" *"Bamaz Discover Relationships (interlude)" *"Can't Be Yo Everythang" *"Home" *"Who Country" *"Bamaz Reality Check (interlude)" *"Check Cash" *"Play in Yo Hair" *"Beat It Up" *"Be Cool" *"Ur The Only One" *"A Moment" *"How Long" *"A Lie" *"To the Future" MTV's Super Sweet 16 *"That Motorbike" *"We Shinin"

Mýa Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), known professionally as Mýa, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and actress. She was born in Washington D.C. and studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Her ca ...

*"Dial My Number" *"Manaholic" *"70's Kinda Love" Natalia (UK) *"I Can't Sleep"

's "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy" *Theme Song feat Beyoncé Princess Inc. (Book) *Theme Song

(additional production credits) *"Superman Lover" *"Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll" *"Lovely Day" *"He's the Greatest Dancer"

*"Battle Mix" *"Symphony" *"Make It Clap" *"Rumble" Socially Awkward E.P. *"Dim Lights & Illusions (Once the Lights Come On)" *"Her Inability to Focus" *"Good-Time Theory" *"A Tale of A Balling Gentleman" *"Happi PhuckedUp Day"

Solange Knowles Solange Piaget Knowles (; born June 24, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She expressed an interest in music from an early age and had temporary stints as a backup dancer for Destiny's Child, which featured her older sister ...

*"Ain't No Way (Bama Boyz Remix)" *"Just Like You (Bama Boyz Remix)" *"Bring It On Home" *"ChampagneChronicNightcap feat.

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

" *"Valentine's Day" *"Marsai Song" (unreleased) *"Calendar" (unreleased) Trin-I-Tee 5:7 *"I Will Lift" *"Reflection" *"Love" *"I Still Love You" *"God's Triangle" *"I Want to Go Back" *"Soul is Anchored (Remake)" *"U Saved Me (Remake)" *"O'Holy Night (Remake)" *"The Christmas Song (Remake)" *"Give Love on Christmas Day (Remake)" *"Mary Did You Know (Remake)" *"White Christmas (Remake)" *"Joy to the World (Remake)" *"Lil Drummer Boy (Remake)" *"Welcome to Our World (Remake)" *"This Christmas (Remake)"

National Commercials (TV) *Back to School Campaign *Must Have Campaign

References

External links

TheBamaz.com official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bama Boyz, The American hip-hop groups American pop music groups African-American record producers Record producers from Alabama Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century African-American musicians