Static Major | |
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 Static Major in 2001 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Born | Stephen Ellis Garrett, Jr. (1974-11-11)November 11, 1974 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | February 25, 2008(2008-02-25) (aged 33) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1990−2008 |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | |
Stephen Ellis Garrett Jr. (November 11, 1974 – February 25, 2008), known professionally asStatic Major (and previously asStatic), was an AmericanR&B andhip hop producer, singer, rapper, and songwriter fromLouisville, Kentucky. He is best known for his posthumous guest appearance onLil Wayne's 2008 single "Lollipop", which peaked atop theBillboard Hot 100 and receiveddiamond certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song and its music video were both released in memory of his death in February of that year.[2]
Prior, he formed the R&B trioPlaya in 1990, Virginia-based musical collectiveSwing Mob, led byDeVanté Swing. The former group signed withDef Jam Recordings and became best known for their 1998 single "Cheers 2 U", which entered the top 40 of theBillboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of theirsole studio album (1998). Garrett also worked in tandem with Swing Mob cohortTimbaland to co-writeGinuwine's 1996 single "Pony" andAaliyah's 1998 single "Are You That Somebody?", both of which saw further success at numbers six and 21 on the chart, respectively. This served as a catalyst for Garrett to continue songwriting for other artists, most extensively for the latter; this resulted in credits for her 2000 single "Try Again" and the near-entirety of herself-titled third album (2001); the releases debuted atop theBillboard Hot 100 andBillboard 200, respectively.[1]
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Garrett started his producing career when he joinedDeVante Swing'sSwing Mob. He made a breakthrough working with R&B singerGinuwine, writing and co-producing the 1996 song "Pony" which became a major hit and a milestone in both Garrett andTimbaland's careers.[3] Garrett later became a member of theDef Jam group Playa, who were most known for their hit single "Cheers 2 U". Playa released analbum of the same name in 1998.
After working with Ginuwine, Garrett assisted in producing songs forNicole Wray for her 1998 debut album,Make It Hot. He would eventually become the lead songwriter forAaliyah. His songwriting collaborations with Aaliyah include: "Are You That Somebody?", which was featured on theDr. Dolittle soundtrack, and theRomeo Must Die soundtrack singles "Come Back in One Piece" and "Try Again" (her onlyBillboard Hot 100 number-one single). The songs "More than a Woman", "We Need a Resolution", "Rock the Boat", "Loose Rap" (which he was also featured on), "Extra Smooth", "I Refuse", "Read Between the Lines", "Those Were the Days", and "Never No More" were all featured on her third and final studio albumAaliyah.[4][3]
In 2005, Garrett collaborated with R&B groupPretty Ricky on their song "Juicy".[4] He was featured onLil Wayne's chart-topping 2008 song "Lollipop", which he co-wrote.[4][5][6] The music video for "Lollipop" was dedicated to his memory.[7]
Garrett once reflected on where his inspiration came from, saying "I stay in the streets, that's where I draw my inspiration [...] If it can't be played in the hood, then it just doesn't work for me. And nobody can hold me in harmony. My whole aura is not your typical R&B aura."
Garrett died at age 33 at the Baptist Hospital East inLouisville, Kentucky, on February 25, 2008, from complications of a medical procedure.[8] Earlier that day, Garrett had felt extremely sick and went back to his hometown to seek medical attention. According to the Jefferson County Coroner's Office, he went intorespiratory arrest and bled to death after the removal of acatheter that was improperly inserted into his neck.[9] After his sudden death, Garrett's wife allegedmedical negligence.[10][11]
Garrett was featured posthumously on Drake's 2018 song "After Dark", which peaked at number 41 on the Hot 100.
In 2020, Garrett was featured alongsideBryson Tiller onJack Harlow's "Luv Is Dro", from his debut albumThats What They All Say. The track is largely a reworking of Static's own song "Love Is Dro", which had been previously released in 2018.
On December 17, 2021, a new posthumous single fromAaliyah was released, titled "Poison". The song featuredThe Weeknd, who was credited as a co-writer alongside Garrett andBelly. "Poison" contains vocals recorded by Aaliyah shortly before herdeath in 2001. Garrett can be heard delivering background vocals.[12][13][14][15]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B | |||
| "Bus Stop Breezy" | 2006 | — | Suppertime |
| "Your Valentine" | 2007 | — | |
| "I Got My" (featuringLil Wayne) | 98[citation needed] | ||
| "Till the Wheels Fall Off" (featuringPretty Ricky) | — |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [16] | US R&B/HH [17] | US Rap [18] | AUS [19] | CAN [20] | GER [21] | IRE [22] | NZ [23] | SWI [24] | UK [25] | ||||
| "Crank It Up" (David Banner featuring Static Major) | 2004 | — | 87 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | MTA2: Baptized in Dirty Water | |
| "Lollipop" (Lil Wayne featuring Static Major) | 2008 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 10 | 22 | 28 | 3 | 39 | 26 | Tha Carter III | |
| "After Dark" (Drake featuringTy Dolla Sign and Static Major) | 2018 | 41 | 28 | — | 63 | 40 | — | — | — | — | —[A] | Scorpion | |
| "Luv Is Dro" (Jack Harlow featuringBryson Tiller and Static Major) | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Thats What They All Say |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
