Kerry Brothers Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kerry Brothers Jr.
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Brothers in 2022
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| Born | October 1, 1970 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Kingsborough Community College |
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| Children | 4 |
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| Years active | 1990s–present |
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Kerry Brothers Jr. (born October 1, 1970), also known as Krucial, is an American music producer, songwriter, and rapper. He is from New York City, just like the famous singer Alicia Keys. They started working together in 1998. They wrote and produced many songs for her early albums. These include Songs in A Minor (2001), The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), As I Am (2007), and The Element of Freedom (2009).
Kerry has won two Grammy Awards, which are big music prizes. He won for Songs in A Minor (Best R&B Album). He also won for Alicia Keys' 2007 song "No One" (Best R&B Song). In 2006, Kerry released his first music collection called Take Da Hood Back. He also helped write songs for movies like Dr. Dolittle, Shaft, and Ali. He has worked with many other famous artists too, such as Mario, Rakim, Angie Stone, Nas, Keyshia Cole, Goapele, Drake, and K'naan.
Growing Up
Kerry Brothers Jr. was born in Brooklyn. He grew up in Harlem and Far Rockaway, Queens.
Music Career
Kerry Brothers Jr. started his music journey as a rapper when he was a teenager. He signed with B-Boy Records as part of a group called K-Bee and Ceil B. In 1988, they released a two-song single. The songs were "Who Am I" and "We Are The Move". Their first album was never released because of disagreements with the record label. After that, the group broke up. Kerry then started making his own music beats to perform on.
Early 1990s Music Scene
In the early 1990s, Kerry moved to Harlem. He often went to "open mic" events. These events let new artists perform their music. During this time, he helped start a music group called "Melanin 2000". This group visited places like Nuyorican Poets Café and Lyricist Lounge in Greenwich Village. Later, they performed in Washington Square Park. It was there, around 1998, that he met Alicia Keys. At that time, Alicia was part of an R&B music group.
Working with Alicia Keys
Kerry Brothers Jr. and Alicia Keys spent five years working together. They produced, recorded, and wrote songs for Alicia's first album. This album was called Songs in A Minor and came out in 2001. Kerry and Alicia also started a company together called KrucialKeys. They also opened a recording studio called The Oven Studios in Long Island.
Kerry won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album for his work on Songs in A Minor. This award was given at the 2002 Grammy Awards. He also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for Alicia Keys' song "No One" in 2007.
Other Projects
In 2006, Kerry Brothers Jr. released his first extended play (EP) called Take Da Hood Back. An EP is like a mini-album with fewer songs. Kerry has also helped write songs for movie soundtracks. These include songs for the films Dr. Dolittle, Shaft, and Ali.
