Polow da Don

Polow da Don
Birth nameJamal Fincher Jones
Also known as
  • Awesome Jones
  • Shorty Pimp
Born(1977-10-15)October 15, 1977 or 1978 (age 46–47)
OriginAtlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Record producer
  • rapper
  • songwriter
  • hype man
Years active1997–present
Labels
Formerly ofJim Crow

Jamal Fincher Jones (born October 15, 1977 or 1978), known professionally as Polow da Don, is an American record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. He began his career as a recording artist in the late 1990s, leaving college to pursue a career with the short-lived hip hop group Jim Crow. They signed with Epic Records in 1999 and released two albums—Crow's Nest (1999) and Right Quick (2001)—before being dropped from the label.

Although disappointed, Jones formed a Southern hip hop group with Bubba Sparxxx, Sean P, Pastor Troy, G Rock, and Timbaland; however, they split up without any releases.[1] Jones began producing instrumentals in 2001. His first beat tape made its way to Interscope Records founder, Jimmy Iovine, and its contents were ultimately used for the singles "Runaway Love" by Ludacris, "Buttons" by the Pussycat Dolls, and "This Is the Life" by Tru-Life.[2]

Since then, Jones has produced numerous hit singles for various artists throughout the following decade, including "Love in This Club" for Usher (2008), "Glamorous" and "London Bridge" for Fergie (2006), "Anaconda" for Nicki Minaj (2014), "Forever" for Chris Brown (2008), "Baby by Me" for 50 Cent (2009), "Throw Some D's" for Rich Boy (2007), "Promise" for Ciara (2006), and "John" for Lil Wayne (2011), among others. The former three songs peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, while others each found success on the chart. Also known as a charismatic hype man, Jones' backing vocals can be heard on many of his productions.

Jones is also the founder of the record label Zone 4, which was briefly an imprint of Iovine's Interscope Records label and named after a section in his Atlanta hometown. Established in 2007, the roster included recording artists such as Keri Hilson, Lloyd, Kane Brown, Ayo & Teo, Roscoe Dash, Veronica Vega, Rich Boy, and Ester Dean among others. Outside of music, Jones has ventured into local radio broadcasting, and founded his own line of alcoholic beverages in 2022.[3]

Discography

Selected production credits

See also: Category:Albums produced by Polow da Don

Personal life

In September 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump gave Jones a shout-out at a rally in Atlanta. Jones later substantiated his support for the President with a video posted on Instagram.[4]

Awards

  • 2007: Ozone Awards – Best Producer[5]
  • 2007: Ozone Awards – Club Banger of the Year ("Throw Some D's")[5]
  • 2008: BMI 56th Annual Pop Awards – Songwriter of the Year[6]
  • 2009: BMI 57th Annual Pop Awards – Songwriter of the Year[7]
  • 2009: BMI Urban Awards – Producer of the Year[8]

Broadcasting

In 2019, via his company Young Country Holdings, Jones entered the broadcasting industry by purchasing the Nashville-area radio station WYCZ and its FM translator for $100,000. On June 6, 2019, the station launched a new hybrid country, pop, and urban format curated by Jones, YoCo 96.7.[9][10][11]

References

  1. ^ Hope, Clover (June 2007). "I'm Fresh". XXL magazine, p. 70.
  2. ^ Shepherd, Julianne (March/April 2008). "Polow Da Don: Back for the First Time Archived 2009-02-17 at the Wayback Machine". Scratch magazine. Accessed June 4, 2008.
  3. ^ "Polow da Don's 'Glamorous' Summer Includes Vodka Line and Rebirth of His 15-Year-Old Hit". Rolling Stone. June 20, 2022.
  4. ^ "President Trump and Polow da Don Reveal Friendship During Rally". September 27, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Rodriguez, Jayson (August 15, 2007). "Lil Wayne, T-Pain Win Big At Ozone Awards". MTV. Accessed September 12, 2009.
  6. ^ Mitchell, Gail (May 21, 2008). "BMI Pop Awards Crowns Polow Da Don Top Songwriter Archived July 28, 2012, at archive.today". Billboard.biz. Accessed June 4, 2008.
  7. ^ "Gamble & Huff Named BMI Icons at 57th Annual Pop Awards". BMI (May 20, 2009). Accessed September 23, 2009.
  8. ^ "BMI Honors George Clinton, T-Pain, Lil Wayne and Many More at Urban Awards in New York". BMI (September 10, 2009). Accessed September 23, 2009.
  9. ^ "First Listen: YoCo 96.7 Nashville". RadioInsight. June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  10. ^ "Young Country 96.7 To Bring Hip-Hop/Country Hybrid To Nashville". RadioInsight. June 3, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  11. ^ "Producer Polow da Don to Launch Young Country Radio Station: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved June 12, 2019.