Cardiak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cardiak
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Cardiak in 2016
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Carl McCormick |
| Also known as |
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| Born | June 26, 1988 Willingboro Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | Universal |
Carl McCormick (born June 26, 1988), known professionally as Cardiak, is an American record producer. He started making music in 2008.
Cardiak has produced songs for many famous artists. These include Eminem, 50 Cent, J. Cole, Dr. Dre, Chris Brown, and Trey Songz. He has been nominated for two Grammys. Both nominations were for his work as a co-songwriter on the H.E.R. song "Damage".
Cardiak's Early Life
Carl "Cardiak" McCormick was born on June 26, 1988. His hometown is Willingboro Township, in New Jersey.
He went to Rancocas Valley Regional High School and graduated in 2006.
Cardiak's Music Career
Cardiak began his music journey in 2008. He first wanted to be a rapper. But he also wanted to create his own beats. A friend showed him a computer program called FL Studio. This program helps make music.
After thinking about it, he decided to become a full-time music producer. His very first produced song was for rapper Joe Budden. It was called "The Soul" and appeared on Budden's album Halfway House.
First Big Hits
In 2009, Cardiak produced songs for artists like Lloyd Banks and Ace Hood. He became well-known in late 2010. This was when he produced Lloyd Banks' song "Start It Up". This song featured big names like Kanye West and Fabolous. "Start It Up" reached number 52 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
In 2011, he produced for Fabolous, Wale, and Meek Mill. He also produced 50 Cent's song "Outlaw".
Growing Success
By 2012, Cardiak was producing for more artists. He worked on songs for Meek Mill, Lloyd Banks, and Ryan Leslie. He also produced two songs, "Amsterdam" and "Diced Pineapples", for Rick Ross's album God Forgives, I Don't. This album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2013.
In 2013, his fame continued to grow. He produced for Ace Hood and French Montana. That November, Cardiak and Frank Dukes produced "Groundhog Day" for Eminem. This song was on the deluxe version of Eminem's album The Marshall Mathers LP 2. The album later won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2015.
Working with Top Artists
In 2014, Cardiak produced "Love Yourz" for J. Cole's album 2014 Forest Hills Drive. He also took part in a fun online challenge called "Rhythm Roulette." In this challenge, producers pick three records while blindfolded and then make a beat using samples from them.
In 2015, Cardiak helped produce two songs for Dr. Dre: "Deep Water" and "For the Love of Money." These songs were on Dr. Dre's album Compton. He also produced for Trey Songz and Jeremih.
In early 2016, both J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive and Dr. Dre's Compton were nominated for Best Rap Album Grammys. Cardiak had produced songs on both. He also got a credit for his work on Drake's album Views. This album was the most-streamed Spotify album of that year.
Expanding His Sound
Cardiak's success led him to work with other producers. In 2017, he started producing for R&B artists like Chris Brown and Tank. He also continued to work with rappers like Meek Mill and Gucci Mane.
From 2018 to 2019, he kept producing for many artists. These included 6lack, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and 2 Chainz. He also co-produced the song "Leave 'Em Alone" which featured Lil Baby.
In 2020, he co-produced "Back Home" for Trey Songz and Summer Walker. This song reached number twelve on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. He also produced two songs for PartyNextDoor's album Partymobile.
A major highlight was co-producing "Damage" for H.E.R. in 2020. This song became very popular, reaching number one on R&B radio. It was also certified two-times platinum. "Damage" was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Song in February 2022.
He continued producing in 2021 for artists like Conway the Machine and Anthony Hamilton. In 2022 and 2023, he worked with Ari Lennox, Chloe Bailey, and Kiana Ledé. He also produced "Culture" for the Creed III movie soundtrack.
Most recently, in April 2024, Cardiak produced the song "Control" for PartyNextDoor's album PartyNextDoor 4.
Production Style
Cardiak uses special music programs and keyboards to make his beats. He uses FL Studio software on his laptop.
His music style often mixes trap music and hip hop sounds. He also adds live instruments and elements from contemporary R&B.
He also sells drum kits and sound packs. These are collections of sounds that other music producers can use. He sells them through his website called "Flatline Kits," which he started in 2014.
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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| 2022 | Grammy Awards | Album of the Year | Back of My Mind (H.E.R.) | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Grammy Awards | Best R&B Song | "Damage" (H.E.R.) | Nominated | |
| 2025 | Grammy Awards | Best R&B Song | "Here We Go (Uh Oh)" (Coco Jones) | Pending |
Images for kids
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Cardiak in 2016
