Vincent Le'Carl Berry II | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 1, 1985
Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Alma mater | Morehouse College |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Labels | ASCAP |
Vincent Berry is an American songwriter and producer, best known for writing " Sandcastles" from Beyoncé's 2016 album Lemonade, as well as various songs for Mary J. Blige and Tamar Braxton, among others. [1]
Berry, a Morehouse College student who dropped out in his senior year to pursue songwriting, was homeless at the time he penned what was initially titled "We Built Sandcastles That Washed Away", a song about the end of a decade-long relationship. [2] After several re-writes with the help of additional co-writers Midian Mathers, Malik Yusef, and Beyoncé Knowles, as well as a "tear-filled" pitching session with Parkwood Entertainment A&R executive Teresa LaBarbera Whites, the song was placed onto Knowles' Grammy-winning album with a "more hopeful" ending than was originally created. [3] Berry avoided signing a traditional co-publishing deal for the song, and consequently shares ownership. [4] He has since co-written "Blind", a Tamar Braxton single from her 2017 album Bluebird of Happiness that reached the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay charts. [5]
Songwriting, guitar and production credits
Credits are courtesy of Discogs, Tidal, Spotify, and AllMusic.
| Title | Year | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Kill The Dragon" | 2014 | Kierra Sheard | Graceland |
| "Our Love" | 2015 | Nico & Vinz | Cornerstone |
| " Sandcastles" | 2016 | Beyoncé | Lemonade |
| "Blind" | 2017 | Tamar Braxton | Bluebird of Happiness |
| "How I Feel" | |||
| "Empty Boxes" | |||
| "Find the Love" | Mary J. Blige | Strength of a Woman | |
| " Body" (Featuring Migos) | Sean Paul | Mad Love the Prequel | |
| "Don't Let Go" (Featuring Rico Love) | Bone Thugs | New Waves | |
| "Simple Song" (With Jussie Smollett & Rumer Willis) | Empire Cast | Non-album single | |
| "All to Myself" | 2019 | Baby Rose | To Myself |
| "Lolita" | Take 3 | Star: Original Soundtrack From Season 3 | |
| "Mehr Als Mich" | 2020 | Gentleman | Blaue Stunde |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 59th Annual Grammy Awards | Grammy Award for Album of the Year ( Lemonade) | Nominated | [6] |
References
- ^ Gibbs, Adrienne (March 31, 2017). "Secrets of Sandcastles: Beyoncé's Producer on the Politics of Music". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ D. Kennedy, Gerrick (June 15, 2016). "How a homeless songwriter's story of heartbreak made it into Beyonce's album". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ "From homeless to Beyonce collaborator: Vincent Berry on ASCAP Expo's role in aiding songwriters". americansongwriter.com. February 24, 2017. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ Weinkauf, Gregory (April 25, 2017). "Speaking with Songwriter Vincent Berry: Rising Force at the ASCAP EXPO". HuffPost. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ "Tamar Braxton". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ "Vincent Berry II". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
Vincent Le'Carl Berry II | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 1, 1985
Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Alma mater | Morehouse College |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Labels | ASCAP |
Vincent Berry is an American songwriter and producer, best known for writing " Sandcastles" from Beyoncé's 2016 album Lemonade, as well as various songs for Mary J. Blige and Tamar Braxton, among others. [1]
Berry, a Morehouse College student who dropped out in his senior year to pursue songwriting, was homeless at the time he penned what was initially titled "We Built Sandcastles That Washed Away", a song about the end of a decade-long relationship. [2] After several re-writes with the help of additional co-writers Midian Mathers, Malik Yusef, and Beyoncé Knowles, as well as a "tear-filled" pitching session with Parkwood Entertainment A&R executive Teresa LaBarbera Whites, the song was placed onto Knowles' Grammy-winning album with a "more hopeful" ending than was originally created. [3] Berry avoided signing a traditional co-publishing deal for the song, and consequently shares ownership. [4] He has since co-written "Blind", a Tamar Braxton single from her 2017 album Bluebird of Happiness that reached the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay charts. [5]
Songwriting, guitar and production credits
Credits are courtesy of Discogs, Tidal, Spotify, and AllMusic.
| Title | Year | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Kill The Dragon" | 2014 | Kierra Sheard | Graceland |
| "Our Love" | 2015 | Nico & Vinz | Cornerstone |
| " Sandcastles" | 2016 | Beyoncé | Lemonade |
| "Blind" | 2017 | Tamar Braxton | Bluebird of Happiness |
| "How I Feel" | |||
| "Empty Boxes" | |||
| "Find the Love" | Mary J. Blige | Strength of a Woman | |
| " Body" (Featuring Migos) | Sean Paul | Mad Love the Prequel | |
| "Don't Let Go" (Featuring Rico Love) | Bone Thugs | New Waves | |
| "Simple Song" (With Jussie Smollett & Rumer Willis) | Empire Cast | Non-album single | |
| "All to Myself" | 2019 | Baby Rose | To Myself |
| "Lolita" | Take 3 | Star: Original Soundtrack From Season 3 | |
| "Mehr Als Mich" | 2020 | Gentleman | Blaue Stunde |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 59th Annual Grammy Awards | Grammy Award for Album of the Year ( Lemonade) | Nominated | [6] |
References
- ^ Gibbs, Adrienne (March 31, 2017). "Secrets of Sandcastles: Beyoncé's Producer on the Politics of Music". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ D. Kennedy, Gerrick (June 15, 2016). "How a homeless songwriter's story of heartbreak made it into Beyonce's album". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ "From homeless to Beyonce collaborator: Vincent Berry on ASCAP Expo's role in aiding songwriters". americansongwriter.com. February 24, 2017. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ Weinkauf, Gregory (April 25, 2017). "Speaking with Songwriter Vincent Berry: Rising Force at the ASCAP EXPO". HuffPost. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ "Tamar Braxton". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ "Vincent Berry II". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.