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Watts (producer) facts for kids

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Austin Garrick, also known as Watts, is a talented Canadian music producer, songwriter, musician, and composer from Toronto, Ontario. He has worked with famous artists like Ghostface Killah, Redman, Method Man, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Gesaffelstein. Watts is also one half of the synth-pop music group Electric Youth, which he formed with his childhood friend Bronwyn Griffin. They became well-known after their song "A Real Hero" was featured on the popular soundtrack for the movie Drive.

Early Life and Music Journey

Watts grew up in the Oakwood-Vaughan area of Toronto. His father was a musician from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and his mother, a doctor, was born in Poland with Greek and Russian family roots. His father, who played drums in the reggae band Messenjah, started teaching Watts how to play drums when he was just two years old. By the age of five, he was playing professionally!

Watts was nicknamed "Stixs" and often performed around Toronto. When he was seven, he even opened for the reggae band Third World. At age 12, he performed in front of more than 50,000 people at the Rogers Centre alongside Nelson Mandela. After his parents divorced, he started making music beats instead of performing live.

When Watts decided he wanted to be a record producer, he visited New York City many times. He left high school in Grade 11 after meeting producer K-Cut from the famous group Main Source. In New York, K-Cut became Watts' mentor, teaching him how to create great records and understand the music business in the U.S. Later, Watts also worked with Rashad Smith under the Tumblin' Dice Productions label.

Songs Watts Helped Create

Here are some of the songs and albums Austin Garrick (Watts) has worked on:

  • ”Memory Emotion” (entire album) - Electric Youth (Last Gang/eOne)
  • ”Forever” - Gesaffelstein featuring Electric Youth (Columbia)
  • "A Real Hero (From the Motion Picture Drive)" - College & Electric Youth (Lakeshore)
  • ”andata (Electric Youth Remix)“ - Ryuichi Sakamoto (Milan Records)
  • Innerworld (entire album) - Electric Youth (Secretly Canadian / Last Gang)
  • "Baby" - Ghostface Killah featuring Raheem DeVaughn (Def Jam) (He produced this with Rashad Smith)
  • "Do My Thing" - Kid Cudi featuring Snoop Dogg (Universal Motown) (He produced this with Rashad Smith)
  • "Exclusive" – Foxy Brown featuring Stacey (Black Roses)
  • "Jingle Baby" – Joe Budden (Def Jam)
  • "Jingling Baby" (Remix) – Joe Budden featuring Coke (Def Jam)
  • "Jingling Baby" – Coke (Def Jam)
  • "Something About You" – In Essence (Sony BMG Canada)
  • "All Night" – In Essence (Sony BMG Canada)
  • "Getting It On" – Jacksoul (Sony BMG Canada)

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