Background and career
Phalon Anton Alexander, known professionally as Jazze Pha ( JAZ-ee FAY), is an American record producer, songwriter, and record executive. In 1995, he founded the record label Sho'nuff Records, through which, in 2003, he signed R&B singer Ciara. He produced Ciara's 2004 single "1, 2 Step", which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and served as executive producer for her debut album, Goodies (2004). Released in a joint venture with LaFace Records, the album achieved multi-platinum certification and established Ciara as a mainstream recording artist. Alexander has been credited on the Billboard Hot 100-top ten singles "1, 2 Step" and "Get Up" (both by Ciara) and "So What" by Field Mob, the top 20 singles "Let's Get Down" by Bow Wow, "Let's Get Away" by T.I. and "Just Fine" by Mary J. Blige, as well as the top 40 singles "Area Codes" by Ludacris and "Do That..." by Birdman. He is also known for his vocal interjections and appearances as a hype man, backing vocalist, and featured performer on many of his productions. Sho'nuff Records has signed other acts in addition to Ciara, such as the American girl group Cherish and the rap/dance duo Ayo & Teo. As a recording artist, Alexander himself had at one time signed with Elektra Records, with whom he released his only album, Rising to the Top (1990).
Jazze Pha was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, but mainly based in Atlanta, Georgia. His father is James Alexander, bassist for the Bar-Kays (an influential group in the Memphis 1960s soul music scene. Jazze Pha's mother's name is Deniece Williams; however, as Jazze Pha pointed out on the Cam Newton Podcast, she is not the same Deniece Williams as the famous singer. Pha was named Phalon in memory of soul and R&B musician Phalon Jones, who had been in the Bar-Kays with Pha's father, and who had been the band's sax player until a plane crash into an icy lake near Madison, Wisconsin took the lives of four Bar-Kays members (including Jones), as well as Otis Redding, on December 10, 1967.
In 1990, Pha was signed to Elektra Records. Pha is known for announcing "Ladies and gentlemen" or "This is a Jazze Phizzle product-shizzle!", at the beginning of, and, occasionally, also at the end of, songs which he produced.
