Verse Simmonds
Verse Simmonds | |
---|---|
Birth name | Maurice Simmonds |
Born | Puerto Rico |
Origin | Virgin Islands |
Genres | Hip hop, pop, reggae, R&B |
Occupation(s) | Record producer, vocalist, songwriter |
Years active | 2009–present |
Labels | Simmonds & Company, Inc., Konvict Muzik, Def Jam, Interscope |
Associated acts | Kelly Rowland, Akon, Snoop Dogg, Yo Gotti, Young Jeezy, Jeremih, Cyhi the Prynce, Rock City, Gucci Mane, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, T.I., K. Michelle, Kid Ink, Fifth Harmony |
Website | VerseSimmonds.com |
Maurice "Verse" Simmonds is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer.[1] Based in Atlanta, Georgia,[2] Simmonds has self-identified his vocal stylings and production as "R&B, hip-hop, reggae and calypso."[3] Raised in the Virgin Islands, he moved to the United States after high school and he formed the production duo the Jugganauts in the 1990s. The duo has since co-written and produced tracks such as "Man Down" by Rihanna[4] and "Who Gon Stop Me" by Kanye West and Jay-Z, both of which charted prominently on Billboard.[4]
Around 2007 Simmonds began releasing his own solo material, and his 2009 single "Buy You a Round (Up and Down)" on Interscope peaked at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[5] He has also released a number of full-length mixtapes, rapping and singing over many of the tracks and also bringing in guest artists such as Young Jeezy, Akon, Snoop Dogg, and Travis Porter.[6] Under his birth name or as Verse Simmonds he has co-written a number of charting R&B songs, such "Confident" with Justin Bieber and Chance the Rapper and "New Flame" with Chris Brown, Usher and Rick Ross. The latter earned Simmonds his first Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Song in 2015.[7]
Early life and music
Maurice Simmonds was born in Puerto Rico. Raised in the Virgin Islands,[4][8][9] he spent his youth on the island of Saint Thomas.[2] Introduced to music primarily through the radio, in high school he and several friends formed the musical group 2 Xtreme, performing at local venues and talent shows.[10] He moved to Fort Lauderdale in Florida after graduating high school, where he continued to work on hip hop production and songwriting.[10] In 1996[2] in Fort Lauderdale Simmonds met and befriended the producer and songwriter Shama Joseph, and together they formed the production duo the Jugganauts.[10] The Jugganuats moved to Los Angeles, California in 2003 to work on a number of projects for major record labels.[10] Several years later Simmonds was contacted by Theron Thomas, a childhood friend and member of the production duo Rock City. Thomas convinced the Jugganauts[10] to move to[2] Atlanta, Georgia,[4] where they began recording with producers such as Rodney Jerkins and Akon.[10]
Music career
First solo releases (2009-2010)
"Buy You A Round (Up And Down)" Official Music Video on VEVO (Nov 22, 2009) |
After moving to Atlanta Simmonds began working more intently on his own solo material, both performing and recording original material around the city.[10] In February 2007 he became associated as a solo artist with Cloud 9 and Raydar Management,[10] and one of his live shows led to a contract with Interscope Records.[10] Simmonds released his first solo track on Interscope on June 30, 2009. Titled "Buy You a Round (Up and Down)," Allmusic called it "a cocky, percussion-heavy club single" that "enabled the upcoming singer, songwriter, and occasional MC to tour extensively."[4] "Buy You A Round (Up And Down)" peaked at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at No. 63 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.[5] An official music video for the track was uploaded to VEVO on November 22, 2009.[11]
Simmonds released a mixtape in August 2009 titled The Sextape Chronicles. Sham and Simmonds served as executive producers, with Raydar, Cloud9, Darkchild, and DJ Trauma listed in the credits as presenters.[12] In December 2009, a track with co-writing by Simmonds was included on the R. Kelly album Untitled. The album ultimately went on to be nominated for a Grammy Award.[4] In 2010, a number of Simmonds' recent tracks were included in the free V The Compilation Vol. 2 mixtape, which was presented by DJ Ill Will.[13]
"Boo Thang" and mixtapes (2011-2012)
He signed to Konvict Muzik[14] as a singer-songwriter and producer in January 2011,[10] also becoming associated with MVD Inc. and the Konlive imprint.[9] Later in 2011[9] he signed to Bu Vision, a label run by Akon's brother Bu Thiam and affiliated with Def Jam[4] and Konlive.[9] Simmonds' August 2011 mixtape The Sextape Chronicles 2 was released through Bu Vision, Konlive, and Carteblanche, and listed hosts such as Angela Yee.[15] In 2011 he worked as The Jugganauts with his production partner Sham on both writing and producing[16] the reggae-infused song "Man Down" for Rihanna's album Loud.[4] Also with Sham, he worked on "Who Gon Stop Me" by Kanye West and Jay-Z[4] for the Watch the Throne album.[16][17]
"Boo Thang" Official Music Video on VEVO (Oct 10, 2011) | |
Justin Bieber- "Confident "(Audio) ft. Chance The Rapper on VEVO (Dec 8, 2013) - features co-writing by Simmonds. |
Through Bu Vision, in September 2011 Simmonds released his single "Boo Thang," featuring vocalist Kelly Rowland.[4] As described by MTV, apart from Rowland's vocals, "Verse starts by rapping over a midtempo piano-laced track. His raps give way to a melodic refrain that he sings, leading him all the way to the hook."[17] A music video directed by Gil Green and starring Rowlands and Simmonds was released to accompany the single.[14] "Boo Thang" peaked at No. 66 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at No. 44 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.[5] The song was ultimately included on Simmonds' mixtape Sextape Chronicles 2.[17]
Mixtapes and EPs (2012-2013)
His April 2012 mixtape Sex Love & Hip Hop was hosted by DJ Drama,[18] with other guest artists such as Yo Gotti, Kelly Rowland,[19] Snoop Dogg and Akon.[20] The third in his Sex Tape Chronicles series, Simmonds at the time called it his "biggest mixtape."[20] In August 2012 he self-released A Sextape Chronicle, a six-track EP,[4] and his October 2012 mixtape Fuck Your Feelings featured guest artists such as Red Cafe, Gucci Mane, and Young Jeezy.[21] In late 2012 he contributed to studio sessions involving recording artist Omotola Jalade Ekeinde.[22]
Simmonds' track "Fully Loaded," featuring Young Jeezy, came out on June 11, 2013 on BuVision,[4] and also that year Simmonds released the "Who U Wit" with features from Trouble and Yo Gotti.[23] Simmonds' mixtape Fuck Your Feelings 2 was released for free on June 12, 2013.[21] His six track EP[24] Circa 96: A Prelude to 1996 came out in August 2013 as a free mixtape.[25] Drop FM gave it a score of 7/10 and a positive review, writing that Simmonds can "create a ’90s-inspired project that still sounds fresh and modern." The review opined the fact that Simmonds "stayed true to the 1996 concept by using traditional R&B sounds and a throwback vocal delivery," and "made songs that should be able to keep the listeners' attention throughout."[26] Also in 2013 Simmonds' collaborated with Cap 1 on a mixtape titled Champagne Poets. Released in November 2013, it featured artists such as 2 Chainz and Travis Porter.[6]
Recent releases (2013-2015)
In 2013 he participated as a writer on a number of collaborations, for example co-writing the Justin Bieber song "Confident", which featured Chance the Rapper and had hip hop and reggae elements.[27] In 2013 and 2014 he co-wrote six songs on the Chris Brown album X, after taking part in a writing camp put on by RCA Records.[8] One of the tracks, a promo single titled "Don't Think They Know", came out in late 2013 and peaked at No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other tracks he co-wrote on the album featured artists such as Jhené Aiko and Trey Songz, while "Love More" featured Nicki Minaj[28] and reached No. 23 on the Hot 100 chart.[29] The album's track "New Flame", which featured Usher and Rick Ross, went on to be nominated for Best R&B Song at the 57th Grammy Awards in 2015.[7]
Verse Simmonds - "Situationships" Official Music Video on VEVO (June 17, 2015) |
In February 2014 Simmonds self-released the single "Best Sex Eva" on his own Simmonds & Company imprint.[23] Also in February 2014, a song he co-wrote titled "Private" was included on the T.I. album Paperwork.[4] Simmonds then released his single "Situationships" on March 24, 2015.[23] The track featured co-production from Needlz and Donut, and the publication Complex wrote that with the lyrics "Simmonds goes in on different types of relationships that go against the grain."[1] The official music video for "Situationships" came out on VEVO on June 17, 2015.[1]
His mixtape Fuck Your Feelings 3 was released on July 15, 2015.[30] The publication Uproxx wrote that Fvck Your Feelings 3 "is how it’s supposed to be done. Verse Simmonds mixes up a stiff drink and hits the club for a much needed remix to Drake and P... the remix cuts out the weakest link, keeps Drizzy and Future’s hook on blast and features a mandatory explicit sixteen from Verse."[31] Through the label VVS Society, in July 2015 Simmonds released two singles: "All I Want" featuring Jeremih, and "Luv In It" featuring Migos.[23]
Musical style and influences
Simmonds has self-identified his vocal stylings as "R&B, hip-hop, reggae and calypso,"[3] and he has also described the genre of his original music as "island B," for being "a mixture of R&B, a little bit of Caribbean flavor and hip hop."[10][32] About his lyrics, among other topics he has stated that he finds women to be "inspiration" and relationships are a commons theme throughout his mixtapes.[3]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Nominated work | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Grammy Awards |
Untitled by R. Kelly (Simmonds as co-writer) |
Best R&B Album | Nominated |
2015 | "New Flame" by Chris Brown (Simmonds as co-writer) |
Best R&B Song | Nominated |
Discography
Mixtapes
Year | Mixtape title | Release details |
---|---|---|
2009 | The Sextape Chronicles |
|
2010 | V The Compilation Pt. 1 |
|
2010 | V The Compilation Vol. 2 |
|
2011 | Sex Tape Chronicles 2 (Rhythm and Streets Edition) |
|
2012 | Fuck Your Feelings |
|
Sex, Love & Hip-Hop | ||
2013 | Fuck Your Feelings 2 |
|
Champagne Poets (with Cap 1) |
| |
2015 | Fuck Your Feelings 3 |
|
EPs
Year | EP title | Release details |
---|---|---|
2012 | A Sextape Chronicle |
|
2013 | Circa '96 |
|
Singles
Year | Title | Chart peaks[5] | Album | Release details | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Rap |
US R&B |
R&B Air |
US Ring | ||||
2009 | "Buy You A Round (Up And Down)" | — | 55 | 63 | — | Single | Interscope (Jun 30, 2009) |
2010 | "I Dont Mind" | — | — | — | — | CarteBlanche (Dec 03, 2010) | |
2011 | "Boo Thang" (ft. Kelly Rowland) | — | 66 | 44 | 15 | The Island/Def Jam (Sep 13, 2011) | |
2012 | "Keep It 100" (ft. Akon)[20] | — | — | — | — | Sex, Love & Hip-Hop | Self-released (April 12, 2012) |
"Bad Mutha" (ft. Snoop Dogg) | — | 112 | — | — | Self-released (April 12, 2012) | ||
2013 | "Who U Wit" (ft. Yo Gotti, Trouble)[33] | — | — | — | — | Street Runnaz 73 | |
"Fully Loaded" (ft. Young Jeezy) | — | — | — | — | Single | BuVision (Jun 11, 2013) | |
2014 | "Best Sex Eva" | — | — | — | — | Simmonds & Company, Inc. (Feb 18, 2014) | |
2015 | "Situationships" | — | — | — | — | Simmonds & Company, Inc. (Mar 24, 2015) | |
"All I Want" (feat. Jeremih) | — | — | — | — | Fuck Your Feelings 3 | VVS Society (Jul 02, 2015) | |
"Luv In It" (ft. Migos) | — | — | — | — | Single | VVS Society (Jul 15, 2015) | |
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Guest credits
Year | Title | Artist | Chart peaks | Album | Role | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US 100 |
Top 40 |
US R&B |
R&B Air |
Pop 100 |
US Rap |
UK | |||||||
2009 | "Crazy Night" (ft. Rock City) | R. Kelly | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Untitled | Co-writer | ||
2010 | "Nothing Like Me" (ft. Verse Simmonds) | Juvenile | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Beast Mode | Featured artist | ||
"I Got Juice" (ft. Verse Simmonds) | OJ Da Juiceman | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Single | Featured artist | |||
2011 | "Handz Up (Work)" (ft. Verse Simmonds) | Gator Boyz | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Featured artist | |||
"Who Gon Stop Me" | Kanye West and Jay-Z | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Watch the Throne | Co-writer | |||
2012 | "American Woman" (ft. Verse Simmonds) | Diamond | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Young Life | Featured artist | ||
Unknown tracks | DJ Drama | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Quality Street Music | Background vocals | |||
"Put It Down" (ft. Verse Simmonds) | Richie Wess | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Single | Featured artist | |||
"Wish You Would" (ft. Verse Simmonds) | Gucci Mane | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I'm Up | Featured artist | |||
2013 | "Confident" (ft. Chance the Rapper) | Justin Bieber | 41 | — | 13 | — | — | — | 33 | Journals | Co-writer | ||
"Water World" (ft. Verse Simmonds and Lil Jug) |
Mesha Milan | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Single | Featured artist | |||
"Ice Cold" (ft. Verse Simmonds) |
Gucci Mane | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The State vs. Radric Davis II |
Featured artist | |||
"Came from Nothin" (feat. Gunplay, Kevin Gates & Verse Simmonds) |
DJ Spinatik | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Single | Featured artist | |||
"You Gon Love Me" (ft. Verse Simmonds) | Gucci Mane | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Trap God 2 | Featured artist | |||
"Fvcks With U" (ft. Verse Simmonds) | Genius | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Single | Featured artist | |||
"Don't Think They Know" | Chris Brown | 81 | — | 29 | — | — | — | 95 | X | Co-writer | |||
2014 | "New Flame" (ft. Usher and Rick Ross) | 27 | 29 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 10 | Co-writer | ||||
"Songs on 12 Play" (ft. Trey Songz) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Co-writer | |||||
"Body Shots" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Co-writer | |||||
"Drunk Texting" (ft. Jhené Aiko) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Co-writer | |||||
"Love More" (ft. Nicki Minaj) | 23 | 39 | 7 | — | — | — | 32 | Co-writer | |||||
"Private Show" (ft. Chris Brown) | T.I. | — | — | 42 | 14 | — | — | — | Paperwork | Composer | |||
"5ive" (ft. Verse Simmonds, K. Camp, Que) | Genius | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Single | Featured artist | |||
"Hard To Do" | K. Michelle | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart? |
Co-writer | |||
"Gone on That Liquor" (ft. Verse Simmonds and Frank Lini) |
Hands Up Music | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Single | Featured artist | |||
"Tips" (ft. Verse Simmonds and Chizzy B McFlyy) | Mic Lawry | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Featured artist | ||||
"Ain't My Fault" (ft. Verse Simmonds and Yung Berg) |
Yesi Ortiz | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Featured artist | ||||
2015 | "On To You (Remix)" (ft.Kranium, Kreesha Turner, Verse Simmonds) |
Marley Waters | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Featured artist | |||
"Diamonds and Gold" (ft. Verse Simmonds) |
Kid Ink | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full Speed | Featured artist, co-writer | |||
"Hotel" (ft. Chris Brown) | Kid Ink | 96 | — | 30 | — | — | — | 43 | Co-writer | ||||
"Permission" | Ro James | 1 | Eldorado | Co-writer | |||||||||
"Top Down" | Fifth Harmony | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Reflection | Co-writer | |||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Videography
Title | Yr | Director(s)/producer(s) | Primary artist(s) | Outlet |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Buy You A Round" | 2009 | Interscope | Verse Simmonds | VEVO (Nov 22, 2009)[11] |
"Boo Thang" | 2011 | Gil Green[14] | Verse Simmonds feat. Kelly Rowland | VEVO (Oct 10, 2011) |
"Fully Loaded" | 2014 | Phil The God | Verse Simmonds | VEVO (Jan 15, 2014) |
"Best Sex Eva" | 2014 | Jamal Samuels | Verse Simmonds | VEVO (Feb 20, 2014) |
"Situationships" | 2015 | The Spice Group | Verse Simmonds | VEVO (June 17, 2015)[1] |
"Strip Tease" | 2015 | LPMG Films | Verse Simmonds | VEVO (July 1, 2015) |
Further reading
- Interviews and articles
- "Verse Simmonds Exclusive Interview". The Star Scoop. December 4, 2009.
- "Kelly Rowland Co-Stars On Verse Simmonds' Sextape". MTV. August 9, 2011.
- "Backbeat: Verse Simmonds Talks Sex-Centric Music, Working With Rihanna, New Album @ NYC's La Esquina". Billboard. October 24, 2011.
- "Verse Simmonds Recruits Akon, Snoop Dogg For Sex Love & Hip-Hop". MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. July 7, 2012.
- "New Mixtape: Verse Simmonds 'Circa 96′". Vibe. August 10, 2013.
- "Premiere: Watch Singer/Songwriter Verse Simmonds' "Situationships" Video". Complex. June 17, 2015.
- "Verse Simmonds Brings The Filth To The Remix Game With New Mixtape, 'Fvck Your Feelings 3′". uproxx. July 18, 2015.
- Discographies
See also
- List of hip hop musicians
- List of artists who have recorded at PatchWerk Recording Studios
- Hip hop of the Virgin Islands
References
- 1 2 3 4 Nostro, Lauren (June 17, 2015). "Premiere: Watch Singer/Songwriter Verse Simmonds' "Situationships" Video". Complex. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 3 4 "Verse Simmonds Biography". hotnewhiphop.com. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 3 4 Caslin, Yvette (June 21, 2011). "Verse Simmonds Returns With New Mixtape and Club Banger". Rolling Out. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Kellman, Andy. "Verse Simmonds Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 3 4 "Verse Simmonds chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 3 Raze, Steve (November 11, 2013). "Mixtape Download: Cap 1 & Verse Simmonds: Champagne Poets". AllHipHop. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 "57th Grammy Nominees". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
- 1 2 "Verse Simmonds talks with ThisIsRNB.com". TheMBMFirm.com. July 14, 2014. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 3 4 Ramirez, Erika (October 24, 2011). "Backbeat: Verse Simmonds Talks Sex-Centric Music, Working With Rihanna, New Album @ NYC's La Esquina". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Verse Simmonds History". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 "Verse Simmonds - Buy You A Round (Up And Down)". VEVO. November 22, 2009. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 "Verse Simmonds - The Sextape Chronicles". United Music. August 27, 2009. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 "Verse Simmonds V The Compilation Vol. 2". datpiff.com. December 2010. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 3 "Behind the Video: Verse Simmonds f/ Kelly Rowland – 'Boo Thang'". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. October 5, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
- 1 2 Roper, Randy (August 17, 2011). "Akon & KonLive Present Verse Simmonds' 'Sex Chronicles Pt. 2' Mixtape". HipHopWired. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 Markman, Rob (July 29, 2011). "Rihanna's 'Man Down' Producers Tease Her Next Album". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
- 1 2 3 Markman, Rob (August 9, 2011). "Kelly Rowland Co-Stars On Verse Simmonds' Sextape". MTV. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- ↑ "New Mixtapes: Akon, Lore'l, Verse Simmonds". Vibe. April 15, 2012. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 Lilah, Rose (April 12, 2012). "Verse Simmonds - Sex Love & Hip Hop (Hosted By DJ Drama)". Hot New Hip Hop. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 3 4 Markman, Rob (July 7, 2012). "Verse Simmonds Recruits Akon, Snoop Dogg For Sex Love & Hip-Hop". MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 "Verse Simmonds - Fuck Your Feelings". Hot New Hip Hop. October 5, 2012. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- ↑ "Omotola Jalade features top foreign acts in new album as she returns to music.". Nigerian Monitor. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Verse Simmonds Discography". iTunes. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 Harris, Christopher (August 10, 2013). "New Mixtape: Verse Simmonds 'Circa 96′". Vibe. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- 1 2 Ill Will, DJ (August 7, 2013). "Verse Simmonds - Circa '96". Hot New Hip Hop. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- ↑ Nelson, Daryl. "Verse Simmonds, 'Circa 96: A Prelude to 1996′ – Mixtape Review". thedrop.fm. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- ↑ Rayner, Ben (December 24, 2013). "Justin Bieber's Journals aims for maturity: Album review". Toronto Star. Star Media Group. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
- ↑ Kellmam, Andy (December 17, 2013). "Chris Brown – X". AllMusic. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
- ↑ Brad, Wete (September 15, 2014). "Chris Brown, 'X': Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
- 1 2 Meara, Paul (July 13, 2015). "Mixtape Release Dates: Future, Verse Simmonds, Rayven Justice, Delasean". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- ↑ "Verse Simmonds Brings The Filth To The Remix Game With New Mixtape, 'Fvck Your Feelings 3′". uproxx. July 18, 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- ↑ "Verse Simmonds Exclusive Interview". The Star Scoop. December 4, 2009. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
- ↑ "Verse Simmonds f. Yo Gotti, Young Scooter & Trouble - Who U Wit". HipHopDX. March 7, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
- ↑ "Verse Simmonds releases". VEVO. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Verse Simmonds. |
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