Danja
Encyclopedia
Floyd Nathaniel Hills professionally known as Danja or Danjahandz, is an American record producer
, composer
and songwriter
.
, took up drums and piano in his early teens. He got his start by playing in his church when he was growing up. In 2000, Hills worked with producer and singer Teddy Riley on Blackstreets' fourth album, Level II. In 2001, a chance encounter with Timbaland
turned into an opportunity to play some music for him. Two years later, Timbaland
brought Danja to Miami to work in his studio.
, Hills produced a wide catalog of songs that helped return the famous producer to prominence in 2006 with an ongoing string of hits throughout the year until present, including "Put You On The Game
" by rapper The Game
, "Promiscuous
" and "Say It Right
" by Nelly Furtado
, "SexyBack
", "What Goes Around...Comes Around" and "My Love
" by Justin Timberlake
among others, such as "Love Story
" by Katharine McPhee
, "Innocence
" and "Earth Intruders
" by Björk
, and "Give It to Me
" and "The Way I Are
" off Timbaland's second solo album.
In 2007, Danja produced "Gimme More
" for Britney Spears
, as well as "Break the Ice" and five other tracks for her Blackout album. The following year, he produced "Kill the Lights
" and four other songs for Britney Spears' album Circus
, but only three songs appeared on the album
.
His works in recent years include, Madonna
, "4 Minutes
", Mariah Carey
on her song "Migrate" from E=MC², Keri Hilson
on her song "Knock You Down
" from In a Perfect World...
, P!nk
on her song "Sober
" from Funhouse
.
Danja is reportedly working on upcoming albums from Ciara
, Kelly Rowland
, Kelly Clarkson
, Brandy
, Jennifer Lopez
, Usher
, and Travis Garland (former member of boy band NLT
), all of which are set for release in 2010. It was recently revealed Danja had worked with Joe Jonas
on his solo project which is set to be released in 2011.
Danja produced the song, Toy Soldier on the Keri Hilson
album No Boys Allowed
, "Freak" by Jamie Foxx
, "The Writer" by Jesse McCartney
, "Sleep When I'm Gone" by DJ Khaled
for his upcoming album "We The Best Forever". Danja has also been in studio with rapper J. Cole working on his debut album Cole World
.
Danja also produced 3 songs on Diddy - Dirty Money's Last Train To Paris. According to Danja's Twitter
account, He was in studio with Mary J.Blige and Jay-Z
. Danja is working with his artist Kevin Cossom
for his debut, L.O.V.E.. He produced the first single, "Baby I Like It" which features Fabolous and Diddy
. He produced the single "Believe", as well as two leaks "Don't Leave Me Rose" and "Killer" by Travis Garland. He recently produced the song "Everything On Me" on T.I's latest album "No Mercy".
, an Apogee Duet Sound Card
, an Akai MPC4000, a Roland V-Synth, an Alesis Andromeda A6 synthesizer, a Yamaha Motif
, and a Access Virus TI. He also uses Apple Inc's audio sequencer Logic Pro
.
Also, in another interview on Danja's contribution to Clipse's new album, it was noted that Danja charges around $50,000-100,000 a track.
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
.
History
Hills, born in Virginia Beach, VirginiaVirginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
, took up drums and piano in his early teens. He got his start by playing in his church when he was growing up. In 2000, Hills worked with producer and singer Teddy Riley on Blackstreets' fourth album, Level II. In 2001, a chance encounter with Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
turned into an opportunity to play some music for him. Two years later, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
brought Danja to Miami to work in his studio.
Career
With TimbalandTimbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, Hills produced a wide catalog of songs that helped return the famous producer to prominence in 2006 with an ongoing string of hits throughout the year until present, including "Put You On The Game
Put You on the Game
"Put You on the Game" is a song by American rapper and West Coast hip hop artist The Game, released as the final single from his debut album, The Documentary. Written by The Game himself and produced by both Timbaland and co-produced by Danja, the song was the album's fifth official single, and it...
" by rapper The Game
The Game (rapper)
Jayceon Terrell Taylor , better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper and actor. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy Award nominations...
, "Promiscuous
Promiscuous (song)
"Promiscuous" is a dance-pop/R&B song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from the album, Loose . It was written by Furtado, Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, Timbaland and Nate "Danja" Hills, with the latter pair handling production of the song...
" and "Say It Right
Say It Right
"Say It Right" is a song recorded by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from her third studio album, Loose . Written by Furtado, Tim "Timbaland" Mosley and Nate "Danja" Hills, the song was inspired by, as Furtado described it, the "spooky, keyboard-driven pop sound" of the band Eurythmics,...
" by Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
, "SexyBack
SexyBack
"SexyBack" is a song by American recording artist Justin Timberlake from his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds . It was released on July 7, 2006, by Jive Records as the lead single from the album...
", "What Goes Around...Comes Around" and "My Love
My Love (Justin Timberlake song)
"My Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake from his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds . It was released on September 26, 2006, by Jive Records as the second single from the album...
" by Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
among others, such as "Love Story
Love Story (Katharine McPhee song)
"Love Story" is the second single from Katharine McPhee's eponymous debut album. The R&B song was written by Nate "Danja" Hills, Kara DioGuardi and Jean Hermanowski. The song was chosen as the second single for the album instead of "Open Toes"...
" by Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee
Katharine Hope McPhee is an American pop singer, songwriter, actress, model, and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol in 2006, eventually finishing as the runner-up.Her self-titled debut album was released on RCA Records...
, "Innocence
Innocence (Björk song)
"Innocence" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The song was released as the second single from her sixth full-length studio album, Volta. It is co-produced by Hip-Hop/R&B record producer Timbaland and his protégé Danja. The song was premiered on Björk's MySpace profile on...
" and "Earth Intruders
Earth Intruders
"Earth Intruders" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The song was released as the first single from her sixth full-length studio album, Volta. The single was released digitally in the USA on 9 April and 21 April 2007 and in Europe on 28 April 2007. It is produced by R&B...
" by Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, and "Give It to Me
Give It to Me (Timbaland song)
"Give It to Me" is a song recorded by Timbaland, with featured artists Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, for Timbaland's second solo album, Shock Value . It was released as the album's first single...
" and "The Way I Are
The Way I Are
"The Way I Are" is a song by Timbaland, released as the second single from his second album, Timbaland Presents Shock Value. The song is known in part for its incorrect grammar. The song samples "Push it", a 1987 hit by group Salt-n-Pepa, and features R&B singer Keri Hilson and uncredited vocals...
" off Timbaland's second solo album.
In 2007, Danja produced "Gimme More
Gimme More
"Gimme More" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout. It was released on September 27, 2007 by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. The song was written by Jim Beanz, Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica, Nate "Danja" Hills and Keri Hilson...
" for Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, as well as "Break the Ice" and five other tracks for her Blackout album. The following year, he produced "Kill the Lights
Kill the Lights
"Kill the Lights" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her sixth studio album, Circus . The song was written by Nathaniel Hills, James Washington, Luke Boyd and Marcella Araica, who previously worked with Spears on Blackout...
" and four other songs for Britney Spears' album Circus
Circus (Britney Spears album)
Circus is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears. The album was first released on November 28, 2008 by Jive Records. Spears started work on the album in early 2008 with a range of producers including long-time producers Bloodshy & Avant and Danja...
, but only three songs appeared on the album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
.
His works in recent years include, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, "4 Minutes
4 Minutes (Madonna song)
"4 Minutes" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her eleventh studio album Hard Candy. It was released as the lead single from the album on March 17, 2008, by Warner Bros. Records. The song's development was motivated by a sense of urgency to save the planet from destruction, and...
", Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
on her song "Migrate" from E=MC², Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
on her song "Knock You Down
Knock You Down
"Knock You Down" is a song by American singer-songwriter Keri Hilson, taken from her debut studio album, In a Perfect World... . The song features guest vocals from American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo and American rapper Kanye West. The song was written by Hilson, West, and Ne-Yo along with Kevin...
" from In a Perfect World...
In a Perfect World...
In a Perfect World... is the debut studio album of American singer-songwriter Keri Hilson, released March 24, 2009 on Zone 4. Originally planned for a 2007 release, it was pushed back numerous times into 2009, amid her label's budget issues and minor single releases...
, P!nk
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
on her song "Sober
Sober (Pink song)
"Sober" is a song by American pop rock singer Pink, and the second single taken from her fifth studio album, Funhouse. It was written by Nate "Danja" Hills, Kara DioGuardi, Marcella Araica and Pink herself. The track was produced by Danja, Tony Kanal, and Jimmy Harry...
" from Funhouse
Funhouse (Pink album)
Funhouse is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Pink, released by LaFace Records worldwide in October 2008. Upon its release, the album reached number one on the charts in 6 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands and United Kingdom, while debuting at number two in...
.
Danja is reportedly working on upcoming albums from Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
, Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
, Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
, Brandy
Brandy (entertainer)
Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
, Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, and Travis Garland (former member of boy band NLT
NLT (band)
NLT was an American boy band whose members were Travis Michael Garland, Kevin McHale, Justin Joseph "JJ" Thorne, and Vahe "V" Sevani. They were discovered by Chris Stokes, who signed them to his TUG Entertainment label in 2006.-History:On March 13, 2007, they released their debut single, "That Girl"...
), all of which are set for release in 2010. It was recently revealed Danja had worked with Joe Jonas
Joe Jonas
Joseph Adam "Joe" Jonas is a Pop American singer, musician, actor, and dancer. He is a member of the Jonas Brothers, a pop-rock band made up of him and his two brothers, Nick and Kevin...
on his solo project which is set to be released in 2011.
Danja produced the song, Toy Soldier on the Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
album No Boys Allowed
No Boys Allowed
No Boys Allowed is the second studio album by American recording artist Keri Hilson, released on December 17, 2010 through Mosley Music and Zone 4 Records. On the album, Hilson is reunited with Timbaland and Polow da Don, who executively produced the album, as they did with her debut release...
, "Freak" by Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
, "The Writer" by Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney is an American singer-songwriter, actor and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career...
, "Sleep When I'm Gone" by DJ Khaled
DJ Khaled
Khaled bin Abdul Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, and record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his...
for his upcoming album "We The Best Forever". Danja has also been in studio with rapper J. Cole working on his debut album Cole World
Cole World
Cole World: The Sideline Story is the debut studio album of American rapper J. Cole. The album was released on September 27, 2011 under Roc Nation with distribution from Sony Music. The album is his first studio release, following three successful mix tapes. Production was handled mainly by Cole...
.
Danja also produced 3 songs on Diddy - Dirty Money's Last Train To Paris. According to Danja's Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account, He was in studio with Mary J.Blige and Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
. Danja is working with his artist Kevin Cossom
Kevin Cossom
Kevin 'K.C.' Cossom is an American singer, Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer and arranger. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and raised in Orlando, Florida, Cossom has written for a variety of artists including Keri Hilson and Mary. J Blige...
for his debut, L.O.V.E.. He produced the first single, "Baby I Like It" which features Fabolous and Diddy
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
. He produced the single "Believe", as well as two leaks "Don't Leave Me Rose" and "Killer" by Travis Garland. He recently produced the song "Everything On Me" on T.I's latest album "No Mercy".
Production equipment
Danja uses an iMacIMac
The iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....
, an Apogee Duet Sound Card
Sound card
A sound card is an internal computer expansion card that facilitates the input and output of audio signals to and from a computer under control of computer programs. The term sound card is also applied to external audio interfaces that use software to generate sound, as opposed to using hardware...
, an Akai MPC4000, a Roland V-Synth, an Alesis Andromeda A6 synthesizer, a Yamaha Motif
Yamaha Motif
The Yamaha Motif is a series of music workstations, first released by Yamaha Corporation in August 2001. Other workstations in the same class are the Korg Triton, Roland Fantom-G and Alesis Fusion.-Motif Classic:...
, and a Access Virus TI. He also uses Apple Inc's audio sequencer Logic Pro
Logic Pro
Logic Pro is a hybrid 32 / 64 bit digital audio workstation and MIDI sequencer software application for the Mac OS X platform. Originally created by German software developer Emagic, Logic Pro became an Apple product when Apple bought Emagic in 2002...
.
Also, in another interview on Danja's contribution to Clipse's new album, it was noted that Danja charges around $50,000-100,000 a track.