Polow da Don | |
---|---|
Birth name | Jamal Fincher Jones |
Also known as |
|
Born | October 15, 1977 or 1978 (age 46–47) |
Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1997–present |
Labels | |
Formerly of | Jim Crow |
Jamal Fincher Jones (born October 15, 1977 or 1978), known professionally as Polow da Don, is an American record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. He began his career as a recording artist in the late 1990s, leaving college to pursue a career with the short-lived hip hop group Jim Crow. They signed with Epic Records in 1999 and released two albums—Crow's Nest (1999) and Right Quick (2001)—before being dropped from the label.
Although disappointed, Jones formed a Southern hip hop group with Bubba Sparxxx, Sean P, Pastor Troy, G Rock, and Timbaland; however, they split up without any releases. [1] Jones began producing instrumentals in 2001. His first beat tape made its way to Interscope Records founder, Jimmy Iovine, and its contents were ultimately used for the singles " Runaway Love" by Ludacris, " Buttons" by the Pussycat Dolls, and "This Is the Life" by Tru-Life. [2]
Since then, Jones has produced numerous hit singles for various artists throughout the following decade, including " Love In This Club" for Usher (2008), " Glamorous" and " London Bridge" for Fergie (2006), " Anaconda" for Nicki Minaj (2014), " Forever" for Chris Brown (2008), " Baby By Me" for 50 Cent (2009), " Throw Some D's" for Rich Boy (2007), " Promise" for Ciara (2006), and " John" for Lil Wayne (2011), among others. The former three songs peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, while others each found success on the chart. Also known as a charismatic hype man, Jones' backing vocals can be heard on many of his productions.
Jones is also the founder of the record label Zone 4, which was briefly an imprint of Iovine's Interscope Records label and named after a section in his Atlanta hometown. Established in 2007, the roster included recording artists such as Keri Hilson, Lloyd, Kane Brown, Ayo & Teo, Roscoe Dash, Veronica Vega, Rich Boy, and Ester Dean among others. Outside of music, Jones has ventured into local radio broadcasting, and founded his own line of alcoholic beverages in 2022. [3]
In September 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump gave Jones a shout-out at a rally in Atlanta. Jones later substantiated his support for the President with a video posted on Instagram. [4]
In 2019, via his company Young Country Holdings, Jones entered the broadcasting industry by purchasing the Nashville-area radio station WYCZ and its FM translator for $100,000. On June 6, 2019, the station launched a new hybrid country, pop, and urban format curated by Jones, YoCo 96.7. [9] [10] [11]