Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong (born 11 July 1987), known professionally as P2J is a Nigerian-British producer from London, England. He has produced for high-profile pop artists including Beyoncé, Wizkid, Stormzy, FKA Twigs, Burna Boy, Tems, and Doja Cat, among others.
P2J
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P2J in 2022
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong |
| Also known as | Pro2Jay |
| Born | (1987-07-11) 11 July 1987 (age 37) |
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| Years active | 2007–present |
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P2J started to solidify his production career at age 14, when an instructor recommended he transfer to music courses.[1] His career kickstarted in 2007 on the television station, Channel U under the name P2J Project with the grime song "Hands in the Air".[2] He formerly produced songs under the name Pro2Jay, for the likes of Tiwa Savage, Krept and Konan and Lily Allen.[3] In 2017, he produced the song "Covered in You" for Chris Brown's album Heartbreak on a Full Moon.[4]
In 2019, he became one of the go-to afrobeats producers, working with artists such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, GoldLink, WSTRN, Doja Cat, Davido and more.[5] His largest collaboration in 2019 was with Beyoncé on the soundtrack album The Lion King: The Gift producing 6 tracks, earning him a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album.[6] In 2020, he won his first Grammy award for Best Global Music Album, on Burna Boy's album Twice as Tall.[7] P2J was the primary producer on Wizkid's album Made in Lagos, which was nominated for a Grammy and included the song "Essence".[8][9] The song became the first Nigerian song in history to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200 in 2021, and a remix featuring Justin Bieber was later released.[10][11]
In 2022, he produced for FKA Twigs on the song "Jealousy" from her mixtape Caprisongs.[12] He has also produced 5 songs on Young T & Bugsey's mixtape Truth Be Told[13] and "Fallen Angel" on Ella Mai's latest album "Heart on my Sleeve".
P2J spoke on his production style in an interview saying, "Wizkid and I were on the same path in terms of musicality when we met, in terms of merging different genres together, like merging reggae with the Afro, R&B with the Afro. He's been trying to get towards that through Soundman Vol. 1. We just eased into it with Made in Lagos. If you listen to the album, there's like a specific bass line that I've done that's quite memorable."[14] He also said that his goal to "infuse African music in anything I do. Whether it's African music like afro and R&B, afro and house, afro and pop, or afro and rap. I've always tried to infuse it in any way."[5]
Ayra Starr - The Year I Turned 21
| Year | Event | Prize | Recipient | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Soul Train Music Award for The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award | Record of the Year | Brown Skin Girl - Beyoncé ft. Wizkid & Saint Jhn | Won | [15] |
| 2020 | Grammy Awards | Best Pop Vocal Album | The Lion King: The Gift | Nominated | [16] |
| 2021 | Grammy Awards | Best Global Music Album | Twice as Tall | Won | [17] |
| Soul Train Music Award for The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award | Record of the Year | Essence (song) - Wizkid ft. Tems | Nominated | [18] | |
| 2021 | Rated Awards | Producer of the Year | Himself | Nominated | [19] |
| 2022 | Grammy Awards | Best Global Music Album | Made in Lagos | Nominated | [20] |
| Best Global Music Performance | "Essence"
(featuring Tems) |
Nominated | |||
| 2023 | A&R Awards | Producer Of The Year | Himself | Nominated | [21][22] |