Sleepy Brown - Career

Career

Patrick Brown was born on January 24, 1970. In his early days, Brown was fascinated with music and often used to carry around an old four-track machine and small keyboard everywhere he went. That earnestness appealed to Wade and Murray when they first met Brown around 1990. A talented keyboardist and advocate for live instrumentation, Brown developed into a multi-instrumentalist, mastering various types of synthesizers and electric pianos; however, his inclination for using samplers and drum machines always kept him rooted in hip hop. A personal milestone for Brown, however, was the opportunity to work with funk legend Curtis Mayfield in 1996, on his final album New World Order. In the early 2000s, Brown gradually ascended from behind the studio boards into the artist spotlight.

Besides his production work, Brown also records as an artist himself, both for his own recordings (including his 2004 single "I Can't Wait" from the Barbershop 2: Back in Business film soundtrack), and on songs with collaborators such as Beyoncé and Big Boi (on the latter's US #1 and UK #7 hit "The Way You Move"). Brown independently released his debut solo album, Sleepy's Theme - The Vinyl Room in 1998. He was slated to release an album on the DreamWorks Records label. called 'For the Grown and Sexy', but the release was scrapped when DreamWorks label folded.

He is now signed to Big Boi's label Purple Ribbon Records and released his second album, Mr. Brown on October 3, 2006. Brown never cut his ties with Organized Noize as shown by Wade's and Murray's contribution to Mr. Brown 's arrangements and unconventional production. However, Pharrell of The Neptunes chipped in for the single "Margarita."

Brown is the son of Jimmy Brown, the lead vocalist and saxophonist for the 1970s funk band, Brick.