The Bamaz, a Grammy Award-nominated producing trio known for their unconventional style, mix an eclectic range of sounds including pop, electro, R&B, hip-hop, gospel and Latin to create audible confections.
Members Eddie “E-Trez” Smith III, Jesse J. Rankins and Johnathan D. Wells, began producing original music together at Alabama A&M University.
The Bamaz now produce for some of the industry’s most recognized artists such as Beyoncé, Lil Wayne, Mya and Rick Ross.
“We like to look at ourselves as trendsetters. We want to make the music that no one thinks about,” Wells said.
Working closely with Solange Knowles, they recently produced Beyoncé’s latest single “Why Don’t You Love Me” on I Am…Sasha Fierce.
The Bamaz’s creative process begins organically, similar to a therapy session. “Whatever we talk about a lot of times becomes the song. The conversation becomes a feeling and the feeling turns into sound,” Rankins said.
Hosting Beyoncé’s UK tour heavily influenced their sound. “We got out there and met other weirdos like us. We call ourselves musically schizophrenic. We’re all over the place and love so many genres,” Smith said.
Their playful style can be heard on highly narrative soundtracks like H-Town After Dark, where E-Trez smoothly serenades the ladies on the track “I Love Women.” Having deprived personal lives resulted in their electro-packed EP Socially Awkward. The group’s humorous experience of how women look after the club led to a hit titled “When The Lights Come On.”
Compressing three producers, artists and songwriters’ creative content into a studio album has been a challenge, but The Bamaz anticipate a release for 2011.
The self-proclaimed comedians each have a unique personality and balances one another out. “That’s the good thing about being a team,” Rankins said.
“It feels like a blessing. All the hard work, dedication and time is paying off,” Wells said. –callye peyrovi
