Oji Pierce
Oji Pierce | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Phillip Primes Pierce[1] |
| Born | April 26, 1969 Statesville, North Carolina |
| Died | August 21, 2006 (aged 46) Gallup, New Mexico |
| Occupations |
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Phillip "Oji" Primes Pierce (May 13, 1960 – August 21, 2006) was an American record producer, composer, keyboardist, and enginner who had collaborated with a number of music artists in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Early life
Pierce, the only son of Henry Primes Pierce and Rosella Harris Vaughn,[2] was born in Statesville, North Carolina.[1] He had two sisters, Dyrel and Ledra.[3] Pierce received his primary and secondary education in the District of Columbia school system.[1]
Career
Musically shaped by the church, Pierce's career as a songwriter, producer and arranger took off when he produced singer Montell Jordan's debut album This Is How We Do It (1995), along with its number-one title track. While the song earned Jordan a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards, it won him and Pierce Best R&B 12-inch at the International Dance Music Awards in Miami.[4] Following the success with Jordan, Pierce became a sought-after producer in the R&B and hip hop scene, working with artists such as Kenny Lattimore, Norman Brown, CeCe Peniston, and Coolio, for whose album My Soul (1997) he contributed the single "Ooh La La."[1] In the late 1990s, he became instrumental in securing R&B duo Ruff Endz a recording deal with Epic Records.[5]
Death
Pierce died on August 21, 2006, at the age of 46,[3] in Gallup, New Mexico after a battle with sarcoidosis.[6]
Selected production discography
| Year | Title | Artist | Album | Songwriter | Producer | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Somethin' 4 da Honeyz" | Montell Jordan | This Is How We Do It | 
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[7] |
| 1995 | "This Is How We Do It" |
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| 1996 | "Always Remember" | Kenny Lattimore | Kenny Lattimore |
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|
[8] |
| 1997 | "Ooh La La" | Coolio | My Soul |
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|
[9] |
| 1999 | "You Make Me Feel Brand New" | Norman Brown | Celebration |
|
[10] | |
| 2000 | "One More Chance" | Anastacia | Not That Kind |
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[11] | |
| 2000 | "Undercover" | Paul Taylor | Undercover |
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|
[12] |
| 2000 | "Love Crimes" | Ruff Endz | Love Crimes |
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[13] |
References
- ^ a b c d "Oji Pierce Obituary". Statesville Record & Landmark. August 24, 2006. Retrieved July 21, 2025 – via Legacy.com.
- ^ "Rosella Vaughn Obituary". Los Angeles Times. August 25, 2006. Retrieved July 21, 2025 – via Legacy.com.
- ^ a b "Oji Pierce Obituary". Los Angeles Times. August 25, 2006. Retrieved July 21, 2025 – via Legacy.com.
- ^ "Euro-focused Miami Gets Thumbs Up" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). March 30, 1996. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ Sedman, Gina. "Extra Extra! Read All About It! Talented R&B Duo Ruff Endz Talks Life, Brotherhood, and New Music!" (PDF). theindieposts.com. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
- ^ "This Is How We Do It by Montell Jordan". songfacts.com. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ This Is How We Do It (booklet). Montell Jordan. Columbia Records. 1995.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Kenny Lattimore (booklet). Kenny Lattimore. A&M Records. 1996.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ My Soul (booklet). Coolio. Tommy Boy Records. 1997.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Undercover (booklet). Norman Brown. Warner Bros. Records. 1999.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Not That Kind (booklet). Anastacia. Epic Records. 2000.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Undercover (booklet). Paul Taylor. N2K Records. 2000.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Love Crimes (booklet). Ruff Endz. Epic Records. 2000.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)