Biography

Ironically enough, it was two men without the gift of sight who were the first to "see" the tremendous talent that is Craig King.

Growing up in Nashville, Tennessee, the budding musician played drums for his church, Greater Christ Temple, where he was greatly impressed with the resident organist. After that musician left, a young King found himself playing around on the organ one day when his blind pastor overheard him. From that moment on, Greater Christ Temple had a new organist.

Self-taught, a then-teenaged King was much sought after to play gigs around town and at local churches. It was his connection with the black church that led to his first career breakthrough.

While a student at Howard University in Washington, D.C., his talents were often called upon by Rev. Noel C. Taylor, then pastor of High Street Baptist Church and mayor of Roanoke, Virginia. It was Pastor Taylor who informed King of an upcoming audition with the legendary Ray Charles, who was looking to fill the shoes of his long-time collaborator Billy Preston for the remainder of his tour. "That's him!" Ray Charles shouted after hearing the young King play. Selected from a multitude of more experienced organists, the gig linked King with the musical impresario Quincy Jones, who was conducting the tour.

After that, there was no stopping King. A college friend encouraged him to experiment with some recording equipment the friend had in his basement, and King was on his way to discovering even more of his natural talents—this time for songwriting and production. He strove daily to perfect his craft, writing songs and frequenting the practice rooms at Philadelphia-based Temple University's music rooms.

In the music room, he encountered Jean Norris, a Fine Arts student with an exceptional talent for singing. King was immediately impressed and took on the role of producer for all the music for a talent show in which she and her group Zhané participated.

DJ Jazzy Jeff was at that talent show and ended up with a cassette of Zhané music. The DJ was best known for his work with fellow Philadelphia resident Will Smith, a rapper who was about to embark on a new TV sitcom, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." The pair liked what they heard of King's work, and he eventually toured with Smith during the ambitious and aptly titled "The Greatest Hip-Hop Tour in the World" and co-produced several hits for the rapper, including Jeff's remix of the now iconic tune "Summertime."

The tour gave King even more exposure to music superstars, including hip-hop pioneers Queen Latifah, A Tribe Called Quest, Naughty-by-Nature, Busta Rhymes, Kid & Play, and the Gheto Boyz. This entrée into the world of hip-hop resulted in King being introduced to Eddie Ferrell, a mogul in the genre. In no time at all, King was working with powerhouse development firm "The Untouchables," who were responsible for the careers of such stars as Sean "Puffy" Combs, Heavy D, and Mary J. Blige.

The young boy who was just fooling around on the keys in his home church was now working with such legends as hip-hop producer Marley Marl and seeing his talents become a part of platinum-selling projects, including an album for R & B songstress Monifah. Since those early days, he has grown to become a respected and award-winning musician, writer, producer, and consultant. The breadth of his accomplishments in the music industry stretches across various genres, as more and more performers have sought out his gifts. He has worked with a wide range of artists, including Kanye West, Ludacris, Kenny Rogers, country duo Joey and Rory, and the late Aaliyah, whose "One in the Million" album saw King credited with producing, writing, and arranging her vocals.

His ear for hits led Kanye West to endorse him to fellow rapper Ludacris with an enthusiastic "This kid Craig has some hot s**t, you NEED TO HEAR THIS!" West knew of what he spoke and worked with King on the hit single "Good Life" from his smash, multi-platinum, third studio album "Graduation." King and Ludacris also went on to form a fruitful creative collaboration that has blossomed into a long-standing friendship.

His expertise in the music field led to his being tapped to judge auditions for BET's "Wild Out Wednesdays" and 106 and Park's popular "Freestyle Fridays." Craig recently co-produced (along with The Frontrunnaz's) music in the 2019 New York Fashion Week for Serena Williams' clothing line debut, "Serena."