In a relatively short career of fewer than two decades, artist, producer, and songwriter Polow da Don has taken a fearless approach to the boundaries of musical genres, emphasizing collaboration, trust, and cultural connectivity.
He has guided pop stars into hip-hop territory, brought EDM to urban music and, most recently, bridged country and big beats, delivering life-changing hits to established stars and newcomers. Polow has registered No. 1s on rap, pop and country charts, working with a diverse collection of artists that includes Nicki Minaj, Fergie, Kane Brown, Usher and Pitbull. He has done this by creating paths where none existed, taking a diverse range of talent into new realms by pushing them toward different sides of creativity like connecting Lil Wayne with Weezer.
He most recently discovered and executive produced the first releases from game-changing country artist Kane Brown, and discovered and produced Sumerella, taking her from viral star to radio with hits such as “Do You Miss It” and “Pull Up.”
A native of Atlanta where his operation continues to be based, Polow grew up in the city’s nascent hip-hop scene of the early 1990s, the culture from which Goodie Mob and Outkast emerged. He started like many others in that DIY scene, making mixtapes to sell at flea markets. The sounds of his hometown rappers filled those Maxell XLII 90s, but his palette was being broadened from other sources: He was hearing dance music from Europe and his father was educating him on the nuances of music from his record collection that included the Allman Brothers Band, James Brown, Doobie Brothers and Sam Cooke.
Polow started as a rapper as a member of the group Jim Crow. They released two albums on Epic Records then moved to Interscope. After the group ended, Polow started concentrating on writing and recording beats; one of his tapes found its way to Interscope chief Jimmy Iovine in 2004. It led to him working in studios with Timbaland and Dr. Dre before getting a shot at producing on his own.It wasn’t long before Polow had his first Top 10 pop hit as a producer and co-writer, scoring in 2005 with Ludacris’ “Pimpin’ All Over the World.” It began a string of production/songwriting hits that included Ciara’s “Promise,” Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons” and his first No. 1, “London Bridge” by Fergie.
Working with Fergie at the start of her solo career, he created a new identity for her separate from the Black Eyed Peas, mixing dance pop with hip-hop; they would score a second No. 1 together with “Glamorous.” “With established artists, I like to do something that speaks to their core and at the same time is edgy,” he says. “New artists are all blank canvases, so you can kind of take them in any direction. But with established artists, ones who have built their fan base, they can think they’re stuck in a box. They’re afraid of failure. The key for me is understanding the artist, keeping them connected and taking them some place new.”
Polow would have similar results driving Usher into smooth groove territory with “Love in This Club”—“I wanted to bring back the slow jam,” he says—guiding Christina Aguilera into electronica with Nicki Minaj on “Woohoo,” aiding the returns of 50 Cent and Chris Brown, and overseeing the biggest hit of Nicki Minaj’s career, “Anaconda.”
Starting his own label, Zone 4 in 2007, Polow started registering hits with new performers such as Lloyd and Keri Hilson. Established as a songwriter, Polow da Don got Hilson’s career moving as a performer with two well-received albums, “In a Perfect World…” and “No Boys Allowed.”
He clearly had a magic touch: BMI named Polow da Don Songwriter of the Year for his contributions in 2007, among them the Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons,” featuring Snoop Dogg; Fergie’s “London Bridge” and “Glamorous” featuring Ludacris; and Ludacris’ “Runaway Love,” featuring Mary J. Blige. In 2010, Polow was named Top Producer by Billboard magazine after placing 12 singles in their Hot 100 that year and the following year, 2011, BMI crowned him Urban Producer of the Year.
One of his most recent discoveries, Kane Brown, has redefined the look and sound of a country artist. “All those things that Nashville was originally afraid of – his look overall, a baseball cap, his skin color – I thought were cool,” Polow says. “A good-looking guy with a style left of center with an incredible voice – that’s going to make people pay attention.”
After spending time in Nashville with his friend Bubba Sparxx and meeting Gretchen Wilson and other artists in the community who had brought freshness to their genres, Polow developed new ideas for country music. He signed Kane Brown in 2015. Their first song together, “Used To Love You Sober,” was unveiled on Zane Lowe‘s iTunes radio station Beats 1 and promptly became one of the hottest country songs of late 2015. They followed it up with two more hit tracks, “Last Minute Late Night” and “I Love That I Hate You,” before Brown signed with RCA.
Today, Polow da Don continues to look for aspiring artists with drive and talent, willing to go for broke in taking risks and putting their trust in a man with a keen understanding of what it takes to make a hit record.
- 2004: “Fallen (Zone 4 remix)” (Mýa feat. Chingy)
- 2004: “Pimpin’ All Over the World” (Ludacris feat. Bobby Valentino)
- 2005: “Party Starter” (Will Smith)
- 2006: “Promise” (Ciara) (#11 US)
- 2006: “London Bridge” (Fergie) (#1 US)
- 2006: “DJ Play a Love Song” (Jamie Foxx feat. Twista)
- 2006: “Blindfold Me” (Kelis feat. Nas)
- 2006: “Runaway Love” (Ludacris feat. Mary J. Blige) (#2 US)
- 2006: “Buttons” (Pussycat Dolls feat. Snoop Dogg) (#3 US)
- 2007: “Glamorous” (Fergie feat. Ludacris) (#1 US)
- 2007: “Like This” (Kelly Rowland feat. Eve) (#14 US)
- 2007: “Crying Out for Me” (Mario)
- 2007: “Whatever U Like” (Nicole Scherzinger feat. T.I.)
- 2007: “Boy Looka Here” (Rich Boy)
- 2007: “Let’s Get This Paper” (Rich Boy)
- 2007: “Throw Some D’s” (Rich Boy feat. Polow da Don) (#6 US)
- 2007: “She’s a Star” (will.i.am)
- 2007: “Get Buck” (Young Buck)
- 2008: “Forever” (Chris Brown) (#2 US)
- 2008: “My Heart” (Jennifer Hudson)
- 2008: “Get Your Money Up” (keri Hilson feat. Keyshia Cole &Trina)
- 2008: “Turnin’ Me On” (Keri Hilson feat. Lil Wayne) (#15 US)
- 2008: “Make Me Over” (Keyshia Cole)
- 2008: “Hero” (Nas feat. Keri Hilson)
- 2008: “Lie” (Nelly)
- 2008: “One & Only” (Nelly)
- 2008: “Party People” (Nelly feat. Fergie)
- 2008: “Problems” (Nelly)
- 2008: “Angel” (2PM)
- 2008: “Single” (New Kids on the Block feat. Ne-Yo)
- 2008: “Whatcha Think About That” (Pussycat Dolls feat. Missy Elliott)
- 2008: “Love in This Club” (Usher feat. Young Jeezy) (#1 US)
- 2009: “Baby by Me” (50 Cent feat. Ne-Yo)
- 2009: “Never, Ever” (Ciara feat. Young Jeezy)
- 2009: “Outta Here” (Esmée Denters produced with Justin Timberlake)
- 2009: “Drop It Low” (Ester Dean feat. Chris Brown)
- 2009: “Spotlight” (Gucci Mane feat. Usher)
- 2009: “Back to the Crib” (Juelz Santana feat. Chris Brown)
- 2009: “Stronger” (Mary J. Blige)
- 2009: “Patron Tequila” (Paradiso Girls feat. Lil Jon & Eve)
- 2009: “Medicine“(Plies feat. Keri Hilson)
- 2009: “Drop” (Rich Boy)
- 2009: “Back 2U” (2PM)
- 2009: “Yamaha Mama” (Soulja Boy)
- 2009: “All Night Long” (2PM)
- 2009: “Sex Therapy” (Robin Thicke)
- 2009: “Shakin’ It 4 Daddy” (Robin Thicke feat. Nicki Minaj)
- 2009: “So Cold” (Chris Brown)
- 2009: “Wait” (Chris Brown feat Trey Songz & Game)
- 2009: “Remember Me” (T.I. feat. Mary J. Blige)
- 2010: “Lil’ Freak” (Usher feat. Nicki Minaj)
- 2010: “Not Myself Tonight” (Christina Aguilera)
- 2010: “Woohoo” (Christina Aguilera feat. Nicki Minaj)
- 2010: “I Hate Boys” (Christina Aguilera)
- 2010: “Already Taken” (Trey Songz)
- 2010: “Fireworks” (R. Kelly)
- 2010: “Hot Tottie” (Usher feat. Jay-Z)
- 2010: “Lay It Down” (Lloyd)
- 2010: “Here I Am (Remix)” (Monica feat. Trey Songz)
- 2010: “The Way You Love Me” (Keri Hilson feat. Rick Ross)
- 2010: “In Love With You” (Jared Evan)
- 2010: “Heaven” (El DeBarge) (under the pseudonym Awesome Jones)
- 2011: “Cupid” (Lloyd)
- 2011: “Your Love” (Diddy – Dirty Money feat. Trey Songz)
- 2011: “Electricity” (2PM)
- 2011: “Sex Your Body” (Mohombi)
- 2011: “John” (Lil Wayne feat. Rick Ross)
- 2011: “Take It Down Low” (Akon feat. Chris Brown)
- 2011: “Be the One” (Lloyd feat. Trey Songz & Young Jeezy)
- 2011: “My Kinda Girl” (Pitbull feat. Nelly)
- 2011: “Dedication to My Ex (Miss That)” (Lloyd feat. André 3000 & Lil Wayne)
- 2012: “Sweet Love” (Chris Brown)
- 2012: “Without You” (Monica)
- 2012: “Cyeah Cyeah Cyeah Cyeah” (Gucci Mane feat. Chris Brown & Lil Wayne)
- 2012: “Party Ain’t Over” (Pitbull feat. Usher & Afrojack)
- 2013: “Ready to Go” (Limp Bizkit feat. Lil Wayne)
- 2013: “Somebody Else” (Mario feat. Nicki Minaj)
- 2013: “Wickedest Style” (Sean Paul feat. Iggy Azalea)
- 2014: “Sex You” (Bando Jonez)
- 2014: “Dynamite” (Afrojack feat. Snoop Dogg)
- 2014: “Anaconda” (Nicki Minaj) (#2 US)
- 2015: “That’s How I’m Feelin'” (Ciara feat. Pitbull & Missy Elliott)
- 2015: “Stuck With Me” (Tamia)
- 2015: “Just Right for Me” (Monica feat. Lil Wayne)
- 2015: “Catfish” (Tamar Braxton)
- 2015: “Used to Love You Sober” (Kane Brown)
- 2015: “Code Red” (Monica feat. Missy Elliott & Laiyah)
- 2015: “Last Minute Late Night” (Kane Brown)
- 2016: “Dumb Love” (Akevius feat. Plies)
- 2016: “M.I.L.F. $” (Fergie)
- 2016: “Freedun” (M.I.A. feat. Zayn)
- 2016: “Wet” (Polow da Don feat. Bando Jonez & Saint LaRon)
- 2016: “Pull Up” (Summerella feat. Jacquees)