Sean Garrett
Sean Garrett | |
|---|---|
| Also known as |
|
| Born | Garrett Robin Hamler March 30, 1979 |
| Genres | R&B[1] |
| Occupations |
|
| Works | Sean Garrett production discography |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels |
|
Garrett Robin Hamler (born March 30, 1979),[2] known professionally as Sean Garrett,[note 1] is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known his songwriting work on several mid-2000s R&B and hip-hop songs, beginning with Usher's 2004 single "Yeah!". The song peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, along with five other songs he co-wrote—"Goodies" for Ciara that same year; "Check on It" for Beyoncé, "Run It!" for Chris Brown in 2005; "London Bridge" for Fergie, and "Grillz" for Nelly in 2006. In addition, he has co-wrote 17 other singles that peaked atop the UK Singles, US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, or Dance Club Songs charts.[3] Garrett has been nominated for four Grammy Awards.[4]
His other notable songwriting credits include Beyoncé's singles "Diva", "Video Phone", "Get Me Bodied", and "Upgrade U", as well as Destiny's Child's "Soldier", "Lose My Breath", and "Girl", The Pussycat Dolls' "Buttons", Chris Brown's "Wall to Wall" and "Gimme That", and Summer Walker's "No Love". His songwriting is often in tandem with productions by Swizz Beatz, Polow da Don, or Bangladesh.[5]
As a recording artist himself, Garrett has guest performed on the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 singles "What Them Girls Like" by Ludacris in 2008, "Break Up" by Mario in 2009, and Nicki Minaj's 2010 debut single "Massive Attack". His debut studio album, Turbo 919 (2008), was released only in Japan by Interscope Records. His 2010 single, "Get It All" (featuring Nicki Minaj), and 2011 single, "Feel Love" (featuring Drake or J. Cole), were both included on his debut mixtape, The Inkwell (2011).
Early life
[edit]A military brat, Garrett was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but moved to Neuenbürg, Germany at the age of five, where he lived until the age of 20. His mother worked for the United States Federal Government, and died when he was young. While in Germany, he attended an international program for the University of Maryland, College Park, from which he received an associate's degree in Business.[6]
Career
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by expanding it. (May 2025) |
His recording career began in his early teens, and he signed with Ariola-BMG at the age of 14, but left the label without any releases. Prior to entering the music business, Garrett worked as a mortgage broker after moving back to the United States.[7]
His debut studio album, Turbo 919, was released June 21, 2008, on his Bet I Penned It Music imprint, through Interscope Records. Garrett's catchphrase, which is featured in multiple songs he has produced, is "Smash on the radio, bet I penned it".
Ludacris appeared on Garrett's debut single, "Grippin'". In return,[citation needed] Garrett was featured on Ludacris's "What Them Girls Like", alongside Chris Brown. He also wrote and produced the song "I Did It for Love" for South Korean pop singer BoA's eponymous debut album. Garrett provides the song's background vocals and appears in the music video. In March 2010, Garrett released the first single from his mixtape The Inkwell, "Get It All", which features Nicki Minaj. The lead single for Garrett's 2011 album previously titled Courtesy Of, "Feel Love", was released on February 4, 2011 and featured J. Cole. In April 2011, he released the single "In da Box" featuring Rick Ross.
In June 2025, Garrett discussed working on singer Aaliyah's posthumous studio album, Unstoppable; in May 2025, Aaliyah's single "Gone", featuring Tank", which Garrett co-produced alongside Azul Wynter, was released.[8] On the project, Garrett shared, "Growing up admiring Aaliyah, who is such an icon, has completely been an inspiration for all of us [...] I could not have been more blessed to have made a record with her and Tank. Amazing voices and talent."[9]
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| JPN | ||
| Turbo 919 |
|
12 |
Mixtapes
[edit]| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| The Inkwell[10] |
|
Singles
[edit]As lead artist
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B | ||||
| "Grippin'" (featuring Ludacris) |
2007 | 40 | Turbo 919 | |
| "6 in the Morning" | — | |||
| "Lay Up Under Me" | 2008 | — | ||
| "Get It All" (featuring Nicki Minaj) |
2010 | 83 | The Inkwell | |
| "Feel Love" (featuring J. Cole) |
2011 | 49 | Non-album singles | |
| "In da Box"[12] (featuring Rick Ross) |
54 | |||
| "Twilight Zone" (featuring Trey Songz and Future) |
2013 | — | ||
| "Anytime" (featuring Migos) |
— | |||
| "Look on Your Face"[13] (featuring Lil Yachty) |
2016 | — | ||
| "Baddie" (featuring Jacquees) |
2024 | — | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||
As featured artist
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Rap | US Dance | |||
| "What Them Girls Like" (Ludacris featuring Chris Brown and Sean Garrett) |
2008 | 33 | 17 | 8 | — | Theater of the Mind |
| "Away" (Enrique Iglesias featuring Sean Garrett) |
— | — | — | 1 | Greatest Hits | |
| "I Did It for Love" (BoA featuring Sean Garrett) |
2009 | — | — | — | 19 | BoA |
| "Break Up" (Mario featuring Gucci Mane and Sean Garrett) |
14 | 2 | — | — | DNA | |
| "Massive Attack" (Nicki Minaj featuring Sean Garrett) |
2010 | 122 | 62 | — | — | Non-album single |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||
Other charted songs
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B |
US Rap | |||
| "Up in My Heart" (featuring Gucci Mane) |
2009 | 102 | — | Non-album single |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||
Guest appearances
[edit]| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Street Light" | 2008 | Plies | Da REAList |
| "Rock You" | Jesse McCartney | Departure |
Songwriting
[edit]- Usher –
- Ciara – "Goodies"
- Teairra Marí – "Make Her Feel Good"
- Mario – "Break Up"
- Ludacris – "What Them Girls Like"
- Nicki Minaj –
- Brandy –
- "Put It Down" feat. Chris Brown
- "Wildest Dreams"
- Enrique Iglesias – "Away"
- Kelis – "Bossy"
- Trey Songz – "Does He Do It"
- Nelly –
- "Party People"
- "Grillz"
- The Pussycat Dolls – "Buttons"
- 3LW – "Ain't Enough"
- Britney Spears – "Toy Soldier"
- Lil Wayne – "Ice"
- Miley Cyrus
- "SMS (Bangerz)"
- "Love Money Party"
- Jesse McCartney – "How Do You Sleep"
- Destiny's Child
- "Lose My Breath"
- "Soldier"
- "Girl"
- Beyoncé
- "Ring the Alarm"
- "Get Me Bodied"
- "Upgrade U"
- "Check on It"
- "Lay Up Under Me"
- "Diva"
- "Video Phone"
- Kelly Rowland – "Like This"
- Ricky Martin – "I Don't Care"
- 112
- "U Already Know"
- "If I Hit"
- "My Mistakes"
- "The Way"
- "Closing The Club"
- "Why Can't We Get Along"
- Nicole Scherzinger – "Whatever U Like"
- Gwen Stefani – "Now That You Got It"
- Santana – "This Boy's Fire"
- Joe – "Where You At"
- Austin Mahone – "Banga Banga"
- Jacquees – "Come Get It"
- Megan Thee Stallion - "Roc Steady (feat. Flo Milli)"[14]
Awards and nominations
[edit]- Soul Train Music Awards
- 2009, Best Collaboration "Break Up" (nominated)[15]
Notes
[edit]- ^ He is often referred as "The Pen" and less frequently "The Bottle" in his guest appearances.
References
[edit]- ^ "Sean Garrett Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic.
- ^ "Sean Garrett music, videos, stats, and photos". Last.fm. November 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Sean Garrett Talks Crafting Chart-Topping Hits, Verzuz, Working with Beyonce, Summer Walker & More". November 30, 2021.
- ^ "Sean Garrett | Artist | www.grammy.com". Grammy Award. November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Sean Garrett Tells It All: The Story Behind His Classic Hits". Complex Networks.
- ^ https://rollingout.com/2016/08/03/sean-garrett-writes-music-that-sparks-emotions/
- ^ https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/sean_garrett_on_getting_it_right
- ^ "Sean Garrett Reflects on Career, Aaliyah's Project, and New Music at BET Media House". The Block Charlotte. June 8, 2025. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ^ "Aaliyah's 'Gone,' but her legacy lives on in new song". ABC Audio. July 31, 2025. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ^ "Sean Garrett – The Inkwell Hosted by Dj Green Lantern // Free Mixtape @". Datpiff.com. August 24, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- ^ "Sean Garrett ‒ The Inkwell (Mixtape) | Advent Outpost". Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "In da Box (feat. Rick Ross) - Single by Sean Garrett". iTunes Store. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
- ^ "Sean Garrett Recruits Lil Yachty for Sultry 'Look on Your Face' Video: Exclusive Premiere". Billboard.
- ^ "Sean "The Pen" Garrett is a songwriter". artists.spotify.com. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
- ^ "2009 Soul Train Awards". Rap-Up. November 4, 2009. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
External links
[edit]- Sean Garrett at AllMusic
- Sean Garrett discography at Discogs
- Sean Garrett discography at MusicBrainz
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1979 births
- Living people
- African-American record producers
- Record producers from Georgia (U.S. state)
- University of Maryland, College Park alumni
- African-American male singer-songwriters
- American male singer-songwriters
- American contemporary R&B singers
- 21st-century African-American male singers
- 21st-century American male singers
- Singer-songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)
- Sportspeople from Atlanta