James Poyser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Poyser
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Poyser at the Black Lily Film & Music Festival in 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Jason Poyser |
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| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1993–present |
James Jason Poyser, born on January 30, 1967, is an amazing American music producer, songwriter, and musician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He can play many instruments! Since 2009, he has been a key member of the famous hip hop band The Roots. You might know The Roots as the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. James Poyser plays with them on the show every night.
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James Poyser's Music Career
James Poyser is a very busy and talented musician. He has helped create songs for many famous artists. He has written and produced music for stars like Erykah Badu, Mariah Carey, John Legend, and Rihanna. He also worked with Lauryn Hill, Common, and Jill Scott.
Touring and Session Work
Throughout his career, James has toured and played with many big names in music. These include DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Jay-Z, Usher, and Aretha Franklin. He is also a popular "session musician." This means he plays instruments on recordings for other artists. He has played on albums for Adele, Norah Jones, Eric Clapton, and Elton John. He even worked with Ozzy Osbourne!
Music for Movies and TV Shows
James Poyser also creates music for movies and television. He wrote the music for the Academy Award-winning short film Two Distant Strangers. He also worked on movies like Boxing Day and The Harder They Fall.
For TV, he composed music for the Hulu show The 1619 Project and the WNBA documentary Unfinished Business. He also helps compose music for the CBS series The Equalizer. You might have heard his music on The Chappelle Show or Black-ish. He even wrote the theme songs for shows like Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas and Hawthorne.
Awards and Achievements
James Poyser has won several important awards for his music.
- In 2003, he won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. This was for his work on "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" by Erykah Badu and Common.
- He was also a main producer for Erykah Badu's popular albums, Mama's Gun and Worldwide Underground.
- In 2010, he won two more Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Album, for producing John Legend's album Wake Up!.
- He and his production partner Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson produced Al Green's album Lay It Down. This album also won two Grammy Awards in 2008.
Joining The Roots and The Tonight Show
James Poyser started working with The Roots band way back in 1999. He officially became a member of the band in 2009. In 2013, he met Jimmy Fallon. Since then, he has been playing with The Roots as the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and now The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC.
On the show, James sometimes acts in funny skits. He often uses a serious face, which makes people laugh. One popular skit is "Thank-You Notes." He also travels and performs with The Roots at their live concerts.
James Poyser's Discography
This section lists some of the many songs and albums James Poyser has worked on.
Production and Songwriting
- Erykah Badu – Many songs including "On & On" and "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)"
- Mariah Carey – "I Wish You Well", "Mine Again", "When Christmas Comes"
- John Legend – Wake Up!
- Rihanna – "No Love Allowed"
- The Roots – "The Lesson Part III"
- Common – Many songs including "*69" and "Heaven Somewhere"
- Anthony Hamilton – "Amen", "Corn Bread, Fish and Collard Greens"
- D'Angelo – "Chicken Grease"
- Lauryn Hill – "Superstar"
- Jill Scott – "Cant Explain", "Talk to Me"
- Al Green – Lay It Down
As a Session Musician
James Poyser has played instruments on many albums for other artists, including:
- Erykah Badu – Mama's Gun (2000), Worldwide Underground (2003)
- The Roots – Things Fall Apart (1999), Phrenology (2002)
- Adele – 21 (2011)
- Aretha Franklin – A Rose is Still a Rose (1998)
- Eric Clapton – Clapton (2010)
- Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
- Norah Jones – The Fall (2009)
- Elton John – The Lockdown Sessions (2021)
- Ozzy Osbourne – Patient Number 9 (2022)
James Poyser's Film and Television Work
- 2 Distant Strangers – score composer
- Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story – score composer
- Boxing Day – score composer
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – house band, performer, theme and sketch music composer
- The Equalizer – score co-composer (CBS)
- The 1619 Project – score composer (Hulu)
- Unfinished Business – score co-composer
- The Harder They Fall – additional music/arrangements
- Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas – theme and sketch music composer (HBO)
- The Break with Michelle Wolf – theme music composer
- Hawthorne – theme music composer (TV)
- Chappelle's Show – original sketch music (TV)
- Fame – writer and producer of songs on soundtrack (movie)
- Totally Awesome – score composer
- Cherish the Day season 2 – score composer
- Password – score composer
