The Love Theme | pt

If Dominic Owen ever has grandchildren, they’ll think he’s like every other grandpa out there. They’ll roll their eyes and think he is inventing tales that never happened, exaggerating the things that did, and generally delusional: “I played a part in launching London’s hiphop scene,” and “I was in Brooklyn before it blew up, working with legends of the game,” and “My multi-platinum selling albums paid for this rocking chair.”

But the difference will be that Dominic has been in all those places, he’s still going places, and it’s no coincidence that everywhere he goes, musical trends follow.

Dominic’s career began in the late 80’s when he produced and released some of the UK’s first hip hop acts. This led to a gig at Brooklyn’s soon-to-be infamous High Class recording studio, where his presence was quickly felt by some of the biggest names in hip hop.

Working with Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, Rakim, Nas, Lil’ Kim, Angie Stone, and Anthony Hamilton, Dominic was on the ground floor of Brooklyn’s meteoric rise to the top, helping to create what are now all-time classic records. Dominic’s work in Brooklyn culminated in his contribution to The Notorious B.I.G’s debut album “Ready to Die”, on which he wrote and produced “Things Done Changed.”

This album went on to critical and commercial success, being ranked as #133 on Rolling Stone’s top 500 albums of all time, being included in Time Magazine’s top 100 albums of all time, and achieving quadruple platinum sales. Never one to rest on his laurels, Dominic moved from Brooklyn back to his native England, where he ushered in another era of influential music.

In Manchester, Dominic worked with more diverse acts including Black Grape and Inspiral Carpets, who in turn spawned the success of the Manchester scene in the mid-nineties when groups like Oasis, Verve, and Chemical Brothers emerged. Today, he remains as prolific as ever, developing new artists from the UK and abroad, releasing music on his Smokersblend label, and writing music under several aliases.

Recently, his work as a producer has helped launch the career of the underground phenomenon Charlie Sloth (another critical and commercial success), his work as one half of Notty Culture has been featured on UK radio, and he is working on a concept called “The Love Theme,” slated for release on Permanent Damage Records in 2010.

After more than twenty years producing, recording, and writing music, Dominic Owen continues to set the tone by staying true to himself and constantly moving forward. Behind him follows a lifetime of personal and professional credits, along with the next trend in music. .