Benjamin Hudson McIldowie (born 26 June 1979), better known by his stage name Mr Hudson, is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer from

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, England. He formed the band Mr Hudson and the Library in 2006, for which he served as lead vocalist, and signed with American rapper

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

's record label,

GOOD Music GOOD Music (often stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American independent record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label entered an exclusive long-term worldwide music distribution, distributi ...

through a joint venture with

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. Mercury Records released ...

as a solo act two years later. He is best known for his guest performance on West's 2009 single "

Paranoid Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety, suspicion, or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of con ...

", as well as his songwriting contributions to " Say You Will" and "

Street Lights A street light, light pole, lamp pole, lamppost, streetlamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or path. Similar lights may be found on a railway platform. When urban electric power distribution b ...

", and " Heartless"; all four appeared on West's fourth album, ''

808s & Heartbreak ''808s & Heartbreak'' is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West, released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 24, 2008, having been recorded earlier that year in September and October at Glenwood Stud ...

'' (2008). That same year, Hudson guest performed on

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

's 2010 single "

Young Forever "Young Forever" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z, released in early 2010 as the fifth single from his 2009 album '' The Blueprint 3'' on the Roc Nation label. The song was produced by Kanye West. It is a rework of Alphaville's 1984 song " Fo ...

", which peaked within the top ten of both the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart. His debut studio album, '' Straight No Chaser'' (2009) entered the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

at number 25; its single, "

Supernova A supernova (: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last stellar evolution, evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion ...

" (featuring Kanye West) peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Hudson featured on

and

's album ''

Watch The Throne ''Watch the Throne'' is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West. It was released on August 8, 2011, by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Prior to its release, Jay-Z and West had collaborated ...

'' (2011), appearing on " Why I Love You" Hudson then began writing and producing for other acts including

Paloma Faith Paloma Faith Blomfield (born 21 July 1981) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. After signing with Epic Records in 2008, Faith released her debut album, '' Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?'' (2009), which produced the UK ...

and

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...

on the 2014 album ''

Paper Gods ''Paper Gods'' is the fourteenth studio album by the English pop rock band Duran Duran, released on 11 September 2015 by Warner Bros. Records. The album was produced by Mr Hudson and Joshua Blair, who had worked with the band on '' All You Need ...

''. In 2016 Hudson collaborated with

JP Cooper John Paul Cooper (born 1 November 1983) is an English singer and songwriter. He is best known for featuring on the single " Perfect Strangers" by DJ and producer Jonas Blue. The song was certified platinum in the UK. His follow-up solo single w ...

to write "

September Song "September Song" is an American standard popular song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Maxwell Anderson. It was introduced by Walter Huston in the 1938 Broadway musical production '' Knickerbocker Holiday.'' The song has been recorded by n ...

" and "

She's on My Mind She or S.H.E. may refer to: Language * She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English Places * She County, Anhui ** She Prefecture, 589-1121 * She County, Hebei * She River, or Sheshui, Hubei * ...

". Other Hudson collaborations include those with

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...

and

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...

Vic Mensa Victor Kwesi Mensah (born June 6, 1993), known professionally as Vic Mensa, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, he was a member of the regional hip hop groups Kids These Days (band), Kids These Days and Savemoney prior to releasing ...

and

DJ Snake William Sami Étienne Grigahcine (born 13 June 1986), known by his stage name DJ Snake, is a French DJ and record producer. He was first credited with production work on several singles for other artists—including " Shut It Down" by Pitbull an ...

. He won a

Grammy Award 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 ...

for his work on

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...

's 2020 album ''

Bigger Love ''Bigger Love'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter and musician John Legend. It was released on June 19, 2020, through Columbia Records. The album includes the singles " Conversations in the Dark", "Actions", "Bigger Love", a ...

''.

Life and career

1979–2006: Early life and career beginnings

Born in

, Hudson grew up in the Handsworth area of the city. Before Mr Hudson formed ' Mr Hudson and the Library' he was in 'Mansize', 'The Hudson Sound' and 'Phoenix Green'. 'The Hudson Sound' and 'Phoenix Green' featured Ali Forbes, Jarvy Moss, Ben Westwood and Mr Hudson's brother Jon McIldowie. They enjoyed considerable success in the Birmingham area and elsewhere with a regular spot at Ronnie Scott's in Birmingham. 'Mansize' featured later collaborator

Robin French Robin French (born 1978, Birmingham) is an English playwright, film and television writer and songwriter. Background French's father is English, his mother is from Barbados. French studied modern and medieval languages at Selwyn College, Cambr ...

2006–08: The Library and ''A Tale of Two Cities''

Hudson embarked on his music career when he formed Mr Hudson and the Library, composed of Maps Huxley aka

(bass), Wilkie Wilkinson (drums), Joy Joseph (steel drums, vocals) and Torville Jones (piano). The first result, an EP entitled ''Bread & Roses'', came out via Deal Real in October 2006. The group toured with Amy Winehouse in early 2007 in support of their debut album, ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by English author Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long impr ...

'', released through Deal Real/Mercury. Mr. Hudson was first featured on

Later with Jools Holland ''Later... with Jools Holland'' (also known as ''Even Later... with Jools Holland'', and previously known as ''Later Live... with Jools Holland'' and ''...Later with Jools Holland'') is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jo ...

on 8 December 2006. The production on the band's debut album uses acoustic guitar interspersed with piano, backing vocals and bass guitar,

steelpan The steelpan (also known as a pan or steel drum) is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago from Afro–Trinidadians and Tobagonians, Afro-Trinidadians. Steelpan musicians are called pannists. In 1992, the steelpan was declared ...

, electric drums and unusual rhythm patterns. Two of the tracks from

are covers; "

On the Street Where You Live "On the Street Where You Live" is a song with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner from the 1956 Broadway musical ''My Fair Lady''. It is sung in the musical by the character Freddy Eynsford-Hill, who was portrayed by John M ...

", is a cover of a number from the musical

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film ...

and "Everything Happens to Me" was popularised by

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

and

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

. In 2007, Mr Hudson and the Library embarked on a tour through twelve British libraries as part of the 'Get It Loud' initiative, and also supported

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman. With over 30 million records sold worldwide, she was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix ...

on her tour, along with

Paolo Nutini Paolo Giovanni Nutini (born 9 January 1987) is a Scottish singer-songwriter from Paisley, Renfrewshire, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Nutini's debut album, ''These Streets'' (2006), peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Its follow-u ...

Mika Mika is a given name, a nickname, and a surname. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People known just as Mika * Mika (singer) (born 1983), Lebanese-born British singer-songwriter Michael Penniman, Jr. * Mika (footba ...

and

Groove Armada Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles " At the River", " I See You Baby" and " Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of ...

. During the summer of 2007 they appeared at several UK festivals, including

Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...

T in the Park T in the Park festival was a major Scottish music festival that was held annually from 1994 to 2016. It was named after its main sponsor, Tennents. The event was held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire, until 1996. It then moved to the disused ...

, The Big Chill,

V Festival V Festival, often referred to as V Fest or simply V, was an annual music festival held in the United Kingdom during the third weekend in August. The event was held at two parks simultaneously which shared the same bill; artists performed at one ...

Godiva Festival The Godiva Festival is a three-day music festival held each year in the War Memorial Park, Coventry, England, named after the city's famous former inhabitant Lady Godiva. It first appeared as a day-long event in 1997 and became a three-day eve ...

, and

Bestival Bestival was a four-day music festival held in the south of England. The name Bestival is a portmanteau of the words best and festival. It had been held annually in the late summer since 2004 at Robin Hill on the Isle of Wight. In 2017 the festi ...

. In October 2007, the band played at the

Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium (), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium () for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it has a retractable roof and is the home of the Wales national rugby union team; it has ...

in Cardiff in support of

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussi ...

. They also supported

on his Europe leg of his ''

Glow in the Dark Tour The Glow in the Dark Tour was the third concert tour by American rapper Kanye West, in support of his third studio album, ''Graduation (album), Graduation'' (2007). West shared the first tour dates across the United Kingdom in September 2007, wh ...

'', performing in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

and other European cities. In 2008, Mr. Hudson began recording as a solo artist. Although the name 'The Library' was no longer used, these musicians formed his backing band for live performances.

2009–12: Solo career, ''Straight No Chaser''

Sessions for Straight No Chaser initially started at Gizzard Studios in Bow, East London. Ed Deegan who had previously worked at Toe Rag Studios near by was acting as engineer, but Mr. Hudson received an offer from Kanye West to produce his album. Mr. Hudson appears on Kanye West's fourth album, ''

'' featured on "Paranoid". He also co-produced "Street Lights" as well as supplying additional vocals on "Say You Will" and "Amazing". Kanye West has stated: "I believe Mr. Hudson has the potential to be bigger than me, to be one of the most important artists of his generation". The single Supernova was premiered on 13 May 2009 on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show and then released on 19 July 2009. It debuted at Number 2 in the UK singles chart on 26 July 2009. Calvin Harris remixed the track. Mr Hudson's new album – '' Straight No Chaser'' was released on 4 August 2009 (via

and

), executive produced by

. "I wanted to make a mainstream record, not structured or ornate," he explains. "The first album feels like an Escher drawing, all these layers and you don't know where you're going at any point. The way the songs are written and produced on this one is much more direct. It's not trying to reinvent the wheel. It's straight, no chaser." 0 In an interview, singer Ben Hudson was asked to describe the album: "My mission statement was to make a pop record, but not a throwaway pop record. My heroes are people like Bowie and

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

and

Damon Albarn Damon Albarn (, ; born 23 March 1968) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman, main vocalist, and lyricist of the rock band Blur (band), Blur and the co-creator and primary musical con ...

. I didn't want to do anything niche. Kanye threw down the gauntlet. He said, 'Let's see if we can make you a popstar'. I was like 'Let's have a go!'. It's a bit more widescreen, a bit more punchy, but the eclecticism of the first record's still there. There's a tune where I'm a cross between ''

Deliverance ''Deliverance'' is a 1972 American thriller film directed and produced by John Boorman from a screenplay by James Dickey, who adapted it from his own Deliverance (novel), 1970 novel. It follows four businessmen from Atlanta who venture into th ...

'' and

Sade Sade may refer to: People * Marquis de Sade (1740–1814), French aristocrat, writer, and libertine; namesake of the word ''sadism'' * Sade (singer) (born 1959, Helen Folasade Adu), British Nigerian musician and lead singer of the eponymous band * ...

". In 2009, Hudson guested on Playing with Fire by

N-Dubz N-Dubz are an English hip-hop trio from Camden Town, London, England, consisting of cousins Dappy and Tulisa, and their friend Fazer. After winning a MOBO Award for Best Newcomer in 2007, N-Dubz briefly signed with Polydor Records before j ...

. In the autumn of 2009, Mr. Hudson supported

Calvin Harris Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris (and sometimes under the stage name Love Regenerator), is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter. His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'' (2007 ...

on his UK tour. Mr. Hudson's headline tour to support the album ''Straight No Chaser'' was in October 2009. Before the year was out, Hudson made a featured appearance on

's ''

The Blueprint 3 ''The Blueprint 3'' is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released September 8, 2009, on Roc Nation and Roc-A-Fella, through distribution from Asylum Records and Atlantic Records. It is the third album in the ''Blueprint'' series ...

'', the track, "

", was a reworking of Alphaville's 1984 song " Forever Young". In May 2010 Mr. Hudson embarked on a sold out national UK tour, with supporting Jay Z in Birmingham & Manchester arena shows plus Isle of Wight & Wireless festivals. In 2010, Mr. Hudson collaborated with British

dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...

artist

Caspa Gary McCann, known professionally as Caspa (born 30 May 1982), is a dubstep music producer from West London. Biography McCann's creative involvement in music began after a promising basketball career was cut short by a shoulder injury. Growing ...

on the track "Love Never Dies (Back for the First Time)", which is a new version of a previous Caspa track known simply as "Back for the First Time". Rapper Nero appeared on the remix. On 29 July it was named by

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...

as his Hottest Record in the World Today. Mr. Hudson was featured on Jay-Z and Kanye West's album ''

Watch the Throne ''Watch the Throne'' is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West. It was released on August 8, 2011, by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Prior to its release, Jay-Z and West had collaborated ...

'' (2011), appearing on " Why I Love You". In 2012 Hudson was featured on the UK Top 10 single "Charge", by Sway.

2013–2017: Writing and Production

In March 2013, Mr. Hudson debuted the new single "Fred Astaire" via

SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...

. "Fred Astaire" would later be released as a commercial single in August of the same year, with accompanying video directed by prominent English portrait and fashion photographer Rankin and photographer Vicky Lawton. Since then he has released additional tracks taken from the album: "Move" with Rankin shooting the video exclusively for Hunger TV, in December 2013 and "Step into The Shadows" featuring

Idris Elba Idrissa Akuna Elba Order of the British Empire, OBE ( ; born 6 September 1972) is an English actor and musician. He has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three BAFTA Awards and six Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards. He w ...

in May 2014. In November,

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

recording artist

released the track "

Real and True "Real and True" is a song written and performed by American rapper Future and American singer Miley Cyrus featuring English singer Mr Hudson. It was released as a single on November 5, 2013, by A1 Records, Freebandz, and Epic Records. Produced by ...

" featuring

& Mr. Hudson in the US. The track was co written by Mr. Hudson with the video shot by photographer Rankin. December 2013 saw the release of

Rebecca Ferguson Rebecca Louisa Ferguson Sundström (born 19 October 1983) is a Swedish actress. Ferguson began her television acting career in 1999 with the Swedish soap opera ''Nya tider'' and made her motion picture acting debut in 2004 with the Swedish slash ...

's album entitled ''

Freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...

'' with the track "Beautiful Design" which Mr. Hudson co wrote and produced. 2014 saw the release of

's ''Idris Elba presents Mi Mandela'' on which Hudson features and co-produced. The same year Hudson collaborated with

on the track "Take Me" on her third studio album

A Perfect Contradiction ''A Perfect Contradiction'' is the third studio album by English recording artist Paloma Faith, released by Sony Music Entertainment on 10 March 2014. Musically, the album is a pop album, with elements of R&B, jazz, soul, Motown and disco. The ...

. Hudson spent most of 2014 writing and producing ''

'' by

, released 11 September 2015. Lead singer

Simon le Bon Simon John Charles Le Bon (born 27 October 1958) is an English singer. He is best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the new wave band Duran Duran and its offshoot Arcadia. Le Bon has received three Ivor Novello Awards from the Briti ...

had this to say of Hudson's involvement: "Him coming on board was a very crucial stage actually, it glued it all together. Before we had a bunch of different songs and he brought it together and gave it a direction. He also gave us the confidence to leave each other's space, and this is the first time we have got this on an album." In October 2015, Hudson released a single titled, "Dancing Thru It", followed by the critically acclaimed "Hey You". 5 August 2016 saw the release of Mr. Hudson's co-write & feature with

, "Here Comes The Night" from Snake's debut album ''

Encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers at the conclusion of a show or concert, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford Universi ...

''. The acoustic version was released on 7 April in the remix package 16 September 2016, Hudson's co-write for

's "

" was released. 8 January 2017 appeared as a special guest at the Celebrating David Bowie concert at the O2 Brixton Academy with Gary Oldman & Mike Garson, singing a rendition of Bowie's " Starman". Hudson sang with Bowie's band, Mike Garson, Gail Ann Dorsey, Earl Slick and more for the 'Celebrating David Bowie' shows in London, New York and Los Angeles. He has continued to tour with the line up in 2018 in the UK, Europe and the USA. Hudson's features and co-writes in 2017 include with

"Almost There" for Mensa's ''Masterpiece'' EP, "She's on My Mind" by

, "Beatnik Trip" by

Gin Wigmore Virginia Claire Wigmore (born 6 June 1986) is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Featured on the Smashproof single "Brother" in 2009, Wigmore went on to release four albums'' Holy Smoke'' (2009), '' Gravel & Wine'' (2011), '' Blood to Bone' ...

and Bearson "Cold War". Hudson also released two of his own tracks late in 2017. "Can't Forget You" released on 29 September and "Coldplay" featuring Vic Mensa, world premiered on 5 December with Zane Lowe on Beats1 Radio.

2018–2019: Writing, production and ''When the Machine Stops''

Mr. Hudson's co-write with

Alexander DeLeon Alexander Michael DeLeon (born April 8, 1989), also known as Bohnes, is an American singer, best known as the lead singer for the rock band The Cab. With the band, he signed to Fueled by Ramen and Decaydance in 2007, subsequently releasing the ...

'Zombie Love' was released on 30 March followed by his track with

Janelle Monáe Janelle Monáe Robinson ( ; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. She has received ten Grammy Award nominations, and is the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Children's and Family Emmy Award. ...

feat Zoe Kravitz "Screwed" on 27 April, taken from the album '' Dirty Computer''. Mr. Hudson appeared on

and

Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ; formerly stylized as KiD CuDi), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Clevelan ...

's collaboration album "Kids See Ghosts" where he sang the outro to the final song, "Cudi Montage". Hudson's co-write for

Jonas Blue Guy James Robin (born 2 August 1989), known professionally as Jonas Blue, is an English DJ and music producer. Career 2015–2017: Breakthrough and ''Jonas Blue: Electronic Nature – The Mix 2017'' In 2015, Blue released a tropical hous ...

featuring

Joe Jonas Joseph Adam Jonas (born August 15, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He rose to fame as a member of the pop rock band the Jonas Brothers, alongside his brothers Kevin Jonas, Kevin and Nick Jonas, Nick. The group released their ...

"I See Love" was released 29 June for the

Hotel Transylvania 3 ''Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation'' (released internationally as ''Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation'' or simply ''Hotel Transylvania 3'' as marketed on home release) is a 2018 American animated monster comedy film produced by Sony ...

soundtrack. On 10 August

Jake Shears Jason Sellards (born October 3, 1978), known professionally by the stage name Jake Shears, is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He is best known as the co-lead vocalist of New York City pop-rock band Scissor Sisters, who achi ...

' debut solo album was released, on which Hudson co-wrote the tracks "Clothes Off", "Mississippi Delta", and "Big Bushy Mustache". Hudson co-wrote and featured on 'Deserve It' from

's ''Hooligans'' EP, released on 13 December followed by his co-write with

'Cheerleader' on 14 December. Faustix's single "Thorns" released on 29 March by Big Beat/Atlantic was co-written by Hudson. On 19 April 2019 Hudson revealed his first new original song in 10 years, titled "Antidote", written and produced with Jon Hume. Hudson's co-write with Hopium, "I Forget My Name", was released on 17 May followed by Hudson's second solo single "Chicago" featuring

. He later confirmed that both "Antidote" and "Chicago" would feature on his album ''When the Machine Stops'', released 21 June 2019. In addition to Mensa, ''When the Machine Stops'' also features Schae, Taylor Bennett, Josh Dean,

Petite Noir Yannick Diekeno Ilunga (born 24 August 1990), known professionally as Petite Noir, is a South African raised, Belgian born, Congolese musician singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. His debut extended play ''The King of Anxiety'' wa ...

, and Goody Grace. In an interview with ''Spindle Magazine'', Hudson described his influences in making the album as: On 28 May 2019, Taylor Bennett's album ''The American Reject'' was released featuring a Hudson co-write and feature on the track "I Miss You". On 28 June, Hudson's co-write with Lontalius "Make My Dreams Come True" was released. Hudson's co-write with

Samm Henshaw Iniabasi Samuel Henshaw, professionally known as Samm Henshaw (born 22 February 1994), is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. Henshaw garnered mainstream radio support from BBC Radio 1 and was chosen by James Bay, Chance the Rapp ...

and

DJ Khalil Khalil Abdul-Rahman Hazzard (born October 16, 1974), professionally known as DJ Khalil, is an American music producer and disc jockey, DJ from Los Angeles. The son of National Basketball Association, NBA player Walt Hazzard, he signed with rapp ...

"Rise" is featured on the ''

Godfather of Harlem ''Godfather of Harlem'' is an American crime drama television series that premiered on September 29, 2019, on Epix. The series is created by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, and stars Forest Whitaker as 1960s New York City gangster Bumpy Johns ...

'' soundtrack curated by

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ in 1994. At the age ...

2020–present

On 21 February 2020

's "Bits & Pieces" was released, co-written and produced by Hudson. June 2020 saw Hudson's writing and production work featured on

's album ''

'' for track "Never Break". Later on 26 June "Too Close", a song Hudson co-wrote with

, was released as part of the EP also titled ''Too Close'' which also includes "Bits & Pieces". In December 2020 Taylor Bennett released his track "Don't Wait Up" featuring and co-written by Mr Hudson. 26 February 2021 Hudson's production and co-write with Goody Grace "21 & Jaded" was released. In March 2021 Hudson's work with

on "Never Break" received a

for Best R&B album. On 23 April 2021

Charlotte Cardin Charlotte Cardin (born November 9, 1994) is a Canadian singer. She has been nominated for 14 Juno Awards. In 2022, she received four awards for Artist of the Year, Single of the Year for her song "Meaningless", Pop Album of the Year and Albu ...

released "Je Quitte" which was co-written and produced by Hudson and in May 2022 won multiple

Juno awards The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's music industry. The Grammy Awards are the United S ...

and reached platinum sales in Canada. In June 2021

San Holo Sander van Dijck (born 26 November 1990), better known by his stage name San Holo, is a Dutch DJ, musician, songwriter and record producer from Zoetermeer. He gained international recognition for his remix of Dr. Dre's " The Next Episode", w ...

released the album '' BB U OK?'' with the track "The Great Clown Pagliacci" sampling Hudson's "Closing Time". May 13, 2022 saw the release of Johan Lenox's interlude track "Burning Sky" co-written & featuring Hudson from the album ''WDYWTBWYGU''. Releases in 2022 for Hudson include

The 1975 The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar, primary songwriter), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums, primary produ ...

"About You" from the album '' Being Funny in a Foreign Language'', Lloyiso "Run", Lenii "Already Famous",

Henry Wagons Henry Josef Wagons is an Australian singer/songwriter, musician, radio & TV personality and frontman of the outlaw country rock band, Wagons (band) who have released seven albums in Australia, and made their U.S. debut with 2011's ''Rumble, Sha ...

"Cover My Eyes", Ampersounds (

Fred Falke Frédérick Falke (; born 7 January 1973) is a French house and dance music producer and DJ. Biography Falke started out as a bass player before moving to production work. His first record, a collaboration with Alan Braxe named ''Intro'', whi ...

and Zen Freeman) "Nightdrive", Harry Hudson EP ''A Deer in Headlights'',

GuiltyBeatz Ronald Banful (born January 17, 1990), known professionally as GuiltyBeatz, is a Ghanaian DJ and record producer. Early life GuiltyBeatz was born in Palermo, Italy, he relocated to Ghana at age six. He was introduced to music at the age of 1, w ...

"Universe", and Zachary Knowles "Wrong Side" Hudson's first release of 2023 was Neve's track "Should Have Been Us" followed in April by his co-write & feature "Memories" with French duo Picard Brothers. Also in April, Renao's track "Blind" featured Hudson as a co-writer, and in August, "Looping" with

was released from her

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

-winning album '' 99 nights''. In October 2023

released their 16th album Danse Macabre. Hudson co-wrote & produced ''

Danse Macabre The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory from the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of death, summoning represen ...

'' and '' Confessions In The Afterlife'' In 2024 Hudson's collaborations included releases with

Stefflon Don Stephanie Victoria Allen (born 14 December 1991), known professionally as Stefflon Don, is an English rapper. She rose to fame with her 2017 single "Hurtin' Me" (featuring French Montana), which peaked at number seven on the UK singles chart, ...

"Dem Evil" from the album ''Island 54'', Beth Morgan's "Shy Love" and Sofia Isella's "Sex Concept" from the EP ''I Can Be Your Mother''. Later that same year Hudson featured on and co-wrote "Without Words", his second release with

and in July "Waiting On A Blue Sky" with

. 17 January 2025,

released Hudson-cowritten "Talking To Strangers" from his upcoming album. In late January the same year "Dog's Dinner" Hudson's collaboration with Sofia Isella was released from Sofia's forthcoming EP.

Discography

* ''

'' (2007) (as Mr Hudson and the Library) * '' Straight No Chaser'' (2009) * ''Never Grow Up'' (with Rosie Oddie, as BIGkids) (2012) * ''When the Machine Stops'' (2019)

Awards and nominations

* Q Awards 2009 **Q awards – Best Breakthrough Act – Won *

MOBO Awards 2009 The 2009 MOBO Awards took place on 30 September 2009 at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow, Scotland. This was the first time the awards took place outside London. A tribute performance was dedicated to Michael Jacks ...

**Best UK Act – Nominated **Best Video "Supernova" – Nominated *UMA Awards UK & France 2009 **Best Collaboration ft Kanye West – "Supernova" – Nominated **Best Newcomer – Nominated **Best R&B Act – Nominated * MOBO Awards 2010 **Best Song "Playing with Fire" – Won

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson, Mr 1979 births Living people Musicians from Birmingham, West Midlands English contemporary R&B singers Alumni of St Anne's College, Oxford Anglo-Scots 21st-century English singers People educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham English pop singers English people of Scottish descent British hip-hop singers English male singer-songwriters English singer-songwriters English record producers People from Handsworth, West Midlands 21st-century English male singers