Jim Jonsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Jonsin
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Jonsin in 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Gregory Scheffer |
| Born | June 8, 1970 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Origin | South Florida, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels | Rebel Rock |
James Gregory Scheffer (born June 8, 1970), who is known by his professional name Jim Jonsin, is an American record producer and songwriter. A record producer helps artists create and record their music. Jonsin has worked with many famous musicians, including Beyoncé, Usher, Lil Wayne, Eminem, and Pitbull.
He is known for creating the beats and sounds for huge hit songs. One of his biggest successes was Lil Wayne's 2008 song "Lollipop", which won a Grammy Award. That same year, he also produced "Whatever You Like" for the rapper T.I.. Both of these songs reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, a chart that tracks the most popular songs in the United States.
Jonsin has also worked on several Grammy-winning albums. These include Beyoncé's I Am... Sasha Fierce, Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III, and Eminem's Recovery.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Music
Jim Jonsin was born in Brooklyn, New York City, but he grew up in South Florida. His music career started when he was just 14 years old, working as a scratch DJ at local skating rinks. A DJ plays and mixes recorded music for an audience.
By the time he was 18, Jonsin was DJing in big clubs in Miami. He started his own record label, Cut It Up Def Records, and produced a song that sold 40,000 copies on its own. This early success led to a deal with a record company in California. He even went on tour with popular groups like Cypress Hill and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.
Career as a Hit-Making Producer
In the late 1990s, Jonsin returned to Miami and started working as an engineer at Slip-N-Slide Records. There, he produced songs for rappers like Trick Daddy and Trina. His big break came with Trick Daddy's 2004 song "Let's Go".
After that song became a hit, Jonsin started working with more famous artists. He produced "Show Stopper" for the group Danity Kane, which was a top-ten hit.
Creating Number-One Hits
Jonsin's career reached a new level in 2008. He produced "Lollipop" for Lil Wayne, which became the number-one song in the country. The song was so popular it was certified Diamond, meaning it sold over 10 million copies.
That same year, he produced "Whatever You Like" for T.I., which also hit number one. He continued his success by producing Soulja Boy's hit "Kiss Me Thru The Phone".
In 2009, Jonsin co-produced the song "Sweet Dreams" for Beyoncé's Grammy-winning album, I Am… Sasha Fierce. He also worked with Pitbull again on the hit "Hotel Room Service".
Working with More Stars
In 2010, Jonsin's success continued. He co-produced Nelly's song "Just a Dream" and Kid Cudi's song "Erase Me". He also produced "Space Bound" from Eminem's album Recovery, which was the best-selling album of 2010.
The next year, he produced "On My Level" for Wiz Khalifa and the hit song "Motivation" for Kelly Rowland.
Other Projects
Rebel Rock Entertainment
In 2006, Jonsin started his own record label called Rebel Rock Entertainment. The first artist he signed was a rapper from Georgia named B.o.B. Jonsin helped B.o.B become a star.
B.o.B's first song, "Nothin' on You" featuring Bruno Mars, went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His next songs, "Airplanes" and "Magic", were also huge hits. B.o.B's first album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray, was produced by Jonsin and went to number one on the album charts.
Rebel Rock Racing
Besides music, Jonsin has another passion: professional car racing. In 2012, he started his own motorsports team called Rebel Rock Racing. Jonsin himself drove a Porsche 911 in a professional racing series.
Appearing on American Idol
In 2011, Jonsin appeared on the 10th season of the TV show American Idol. He was chosen to be a mentor for the contestants. He helped them record their own versions of popular songs, which were then sold on iTunes.
His Musical Style
Jonsin has said that famous DJs like DJ Jazzy Jeff and Jam Master Jay were big influences on his music. When he creates his beats, he often uses classic equipment like the MPC 3000 drum machine and the Roland TR 808.
Discography
