R.I.P. STATIC MAJOR

Stephen Garrett was born and raised in Louisville in a family of musicians. Growing up, he sang in the choir at his church, where his sister played piano, his mother was the musical director, and his father was the pastor.

As a member of Playa, Static began his musical career under the tutulage of Jodeci’s DeVante Swing, and formed kinships with fellow members of DeVante’s Swing Mob such as Missy Elliott,Timbaland, and Ginuwine. After the Swing Mob members parted company with DeVante, Static and the rest of Playa worked extensively as songwriters, co-producers, and background singers for their colleagues. Static was one of Ginuwine’s main songwriters, penning the lyrics to Timbaland-produced Ginuwine hits such as “Pony“, “What’s So Different”, and “So Anxious”.

Static also wrote much of Playa’s material when the group signed with Def Jam Records in the mid-1990s, including Playa’s 1998 hit single “Cheers 2 U” from the album of the same name. Also in 1998, Static wrote the lyrics for Aaliyah’s hit single “Are You That Somebody“. Following the success of “Are You That Somebody”, Static became Aaliyah’s main lyricist, and wrote many singles and album tracks for the singer. Static’s writing credits for Aaliyah included “Come Back in One Piece”, “We Need a Resolution“, “Rock the Boat“, “More Than a Woman“, and the number-one single “Try Again” from the 2000 film Romeo Must Die. During this period, Static also wrote for Nicole Wray (“Eyes Better Not Wander“) and Destiny’s Child (“Say My Name (Timbaland’s Remix)“) as well.

Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001, and Static went on to write for other artists; his later co-wriitng credits included Truth Hurts‘ “Addictive” and Brandy’s “Come as You Are”. Aside from his longtime association with Timbaland, Static also collaborated with producers Scott Storch, Dr. Dre, and Jazze Pha. In the mid-200s, Static worked with R&B group Pretty Ricky, R&B singer Tank, and appeared on David Banner’s 2004 single “Crank It Up”.

Static later signed to Blackground Records, label home of Aaliyah and Tank, as a solo artist. He died on February 25, 2008 in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. The cause of death is currently unclear, but it is thought that he may have died from a brain aneurysm

• 1996: “Pony” for Ginuwine
• 1998: “Cheers 2 U” for Playa
• 1998: “Are You That Somebody?” for Aaliyah
• 1998: “Same Ol’ G” for Ginuwine
• 1999: “Eyes Better Not Wander” for Nicole Wray
• 1999: “So Anxious” for Ginuwine
• 2000: “Say My Name (Timbaland’s Remix)” for Destiny’s Child
• 2000: “Try Again” for Aaliyah
• 2000: “Come Back In One Piece” for Aaliyah (featuring DMX)
• 2001: “We Need a Resolution” for Aaliyah
• 2001: “More Than a Woman” for Aaliyah
• 2002: “Addictive” for Truth Hurts
• 2002: “Don’t Know What to Tell Ya” for Aaliyah
• 2002: “Erica Kane” for Aaliyah
• 2004: “Come as You Are” for Brandy
• 2006: “Tell Me” for Diddy (featuring Christina Aguilera)
• 2007: “On the Hotline” for Pretty Ricky
• 2007: “Juicy” for Pretty Ricky

here’s one of my favorites “CHEERS TO YOU” produced by timbaland