The name might not ring a bell, but you will recognize the sounds of Shondrae Crawford's beats.
The Des Moines native, also known as Bangladesh, has produced hits for some of hip hop and R&B's top acts, including Lil Wayne's "A Milli." Crawford has also worked with Ciara, Missy Elliott, Beyonce, and Ludacris.
His journey started in Des Moines, playing basketball at the YMCA and Wilkie House, and sports at Cooper and Good Parks. He played football and basketball at Roosevelt High. Monday, he's getting a key to the city.
Crawford will be the guest of honor at the first Music in the Metro Scholarship Banquet Fundraiser, held at the Boys & Girls Club's Logan Community Center. Music in the Metro is sponsored by Boys & Girls Club, and program founder Rick Galbreath thinks Crawford could help show inner-city youth that someone from Des Moines can make it in the music industry.
"He's one of us," Galbreath said. "I wanted him to come back and let the kids know someone from their area is out there. If he can do it, why can't they? Him coming back gives kids hope that maybe they can be the next Lil Wayne."
Crawford moved to Atlanta when he was 17. He started out cutting hair, then began producing beats for his friend Chris Bridges, better known now as Ludacris. Crawford ended up producing Ludacris's first two albums: "Back for the First Time" and "Word of Mouf," which included hits like "What's Your Fantasy" and "Area Codes."
"He was at a point where he was trying to be a rapper, and that's the easiest way to get into the game," Crawford, 31, said during a phone interview. He suggests building a relationship with a budding performer, like Timbaland did with Missy Elliott or Pharrell Williams with Kelis. Having someone performing over your material will make it easier to present to labels and other artists.
Unlike many producers, Crawford made his name without using samples. He says the trick is to not pick something that will stand out because everyone recognizes it, or to rework it enough so that it sounds like something new.
"I want to create my own sound," Crawford said. "If you're not inspired by something, you need to inspire yourself. I know young producers look up to me, like Timbaland was for me. That's why I don't sample."
The success with Ludacris opened doors for Crawford with bigger artists. Over the years he steadily climbed the musical ladder, working with higher profile acts until 2008, which saw him work with Lil Wayne and Beyonce.
Crawford's parents still live in Des Moines, and he makes it back about once a year to visit them. He said he's flattered to receive a key to the city, but he hopes it's representative of something beyond himself.
"I think a lot of times people in the inner city are not really guided on being successful in life or following their dreams," he said. "People are taught to get a job at Firestone or somewhere like that. I was a big dreamer.
"Hopefully them giving me a key can be motivational to other young African-Americans to pursue their goals. Put a fire in their behind to do something."
