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 record producer, songwriter, and rapper. He is known for his work with famous artists.
Kerry Brothers Jr. and singer-songwriter Alicia Keys started working together in 1998. They wrote and produced many songs for her early albums. These albums include Songs in A Minor (2001), The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), As I Am (2007), and The Element of Freedom (2009).
He has won two Grammy Awards. One was for Best R&B Album for his work on Songs in A Minor. The other was for Best R&B Song for Alicia Keys' 2007 hit song, "No One".
In 2006, Brothers 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 R&B and hip hop artists. These include Mario, Rakim, Angie Stone, Nas, Keyshia Cole, Goapele, Drake, and K'naan.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Kerry Brothers Jr. was born in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in different parts of New York City, including Harlem and Far Rockaway, Queens.
Starting as a Rapper
When he was a teenager, Kerry Brothers Jr. was a rapper. He signed with B-Boy Records as part of a group called K-Bee and Ceil B. In 1988, they released two songs: "Who Am I" and "We Are The Move". Their first album was not released because of disagreements with the record label. After this, the group broke up. Kerry Brothers Jr. then started making his own music beats.
Meeting Alicia Keys
In the early 1990s, Brothers moved to Harlem. He often went to places where people could perform their music, called open mics. During this time, he helped start a group called "Melanin 2000." They performed at places like Nuyorican Poets Café and Lyricist Lounge. Later, they performed in Washington Square Park. It was there, around 1998, that he met Alicia Keys. At that time, she was part of an R&B music group.
Music Career and Success
Kerry Brothers Jr. and Alicia Keys spent five years working on her first album, Songs in A Minor, which came out in 2001. They worked together to produce, record, and write songs for the album.
KrucialKeys and The Oven Studios
Brothers and Keys also started a company together called KrucialKeys. They also opened a recording studio called The Oven Studios in Long Island. This studio became a place where they could create their music.
Grammy Awards and Film Work
Kerry Brothers Jr. won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album in 2002 for his work on Songs in A Minor. He also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 2007 for Alicia Keys' song "No One".
In 2006, Brothers released his own music collection, an EP called Take Da Hood Back. He has also helped write songs for the soundtracks of several movies. These films include Dr. Dolittle, Shaft, and Ali.
