Background
Boyd was born in 1978 in Connecticut. He moved with his mother to Atlanta at age 9, after a tornado left them homeless.
Boyd was born in 1978 in Connecticut. He moved with his mother to Atlanta at age 9, after a tornado left them homeless.
He is best known for being one of Justin Bieber"s main collaborators, having co-written many of Bieber"s hits (including Where Are Ü Now, What Do You Mean?, PYD, Hold Tight and All That Matters), and for co-writing the song Caught Up from Usher"s Diamond-certified album Confessions. His first career breakthrough came from working with Rhythm & Blues group 112, for whom he composed the songs Dance With Maine and Peaches & Cream. After his success with 112, in the early 2000s Boyd worked with artists Blu Cantrell and Jill Scott.
In 2004, Usher"s album Confessions was released, containing the single Caught Up, which Boyd co-wrote with Ryan Toby and producers Dre & Vidal.
The album was certified Diamond by the RIAA, selling over 10 million copies in the United States, and is largely considered as one of the best albums of the decade. Caught Up was the fifth single released from the album, peaking at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Foreign the rest of the 2000s, Boyd continued to work with many of the top artists in Rhythm & Blues and Hip-Hop, including Big Boi, Ameriie, Ludacris, and Chris Brown.
The two bonded over similar upbringings and tastes in music, and traveled the world together while working on music for Bieber"s album. During this time, Boyd eschewed working with other artists, devoting his time exclusively to Bieber.
He co-wrote the majority of the songs on Bieber"s albums Journals and Purpose, including Number Pressure (where he is also credited as producer), PYD, All That Matters, and the double-platinum selling singles Where Are Ü Now (#8 Billboard Hot 100) and What Do You Mean? (#1 Billboard Hot 100).