{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | honorific_prefix = | name = Kerry Brothers Jr. | honorific_suffix = | image = Kerry Krucial Brothers Summer 2022 3.jpg | image_upright = | landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank --> | alt = | caption = Brothers in 2022 | native_name = | native_name_lang = | alias = {{hlist|Krucial|Mr. Brothers}} | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1970|10|01}} | birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
| education = Kingsborough Community College | occupation = {{hlist|Record producer|songwriter|rapper}} | years_active = 1990s–present | label = {{plainlist| * Krucial Noise * KrucialKeys }} | background = non_performing_personnel | genre = {{hlist|Hip hop|R&B|}} {{Infobox person | child = yes | children = 4}} | website = {{URL|https://shop.krucialnoise.com/}} }}
'''Kerry Brothers Jr.''' (born October 1, 1970), also known as '''Krucial''', is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.<ref name="Leroy">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/alicia-collaborator-krucial-goes-solo-20051207|title=Alicia Collaborator Krucial Goes Solo|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Dan|last=Leroy|date=December 7, 2005|access-date=April 4, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Brown">{{cite web |title=Key to Keys: Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, Executive Producer |url=https://sonicscoop.com/2009/12/16/key-to-keys-kerry-krucial-brothers-executive-producer/ |work=SonicScoop|first=Janice|last=Brown|date=December 16, 2009}}</ref> Both natives of New York City, he and singer-songwriter Alicia Keys began a musical partnership in 1998, with songwriting and production work in tandem on several of the latter's earlier releases—''Songs in A Minor'' (2001), ''The Diary of Alicia Keys'' (2003), ''As I Am'' (2007), and ''The Element of Freedom'' (2009). He has won two Grammy Awards: Best R&B Album for his contributions to ''Songs in A Minor'', and Best R&B Song for Keys' 2007 single, "No One".
In 2006, Brothers released his debut extended play (EP) ''Take Da Hood Back''. Brothers co-wrote songs that appeared on the soundtracks of films such as ''Dr. Dolittle'', ''Shaft'', and ''Ali''. He has also worked with other R&B and hip hop acts, including Mario,<ref name=mtv/> Rakim, Angie Stone, Nas, Keyshia Cole, Goapele, Drake and K'naan.<ref name=mtv>{{cite news |author1=Hall, Rashaun |title=Alicia Keys: Inspired by Bono, Impressed by Jamie Foxx |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1497267/alicia-keys-inspired-by-bono-impressed-by-jamie-foxx/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125030818/http://www.mtv.com/news/1497267/alicia-keys-inspired-by-bono-impressed-by-jamie-foxx/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 25, 2018 |access-date=2018-11-24 |work=MTV News |publisher=Viacom |date=February 18, 2005 |ref=mtv}}</ref>
==Early life== Brothers was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Harlem and Far Rockaway, Queens.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Daniel, Christopher |title=Kerry "Krucial" Brothers: A Key Component |url=http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/579/kerry_krucial_brothers_a_key_component/ |website=Blues & Soul |access-date=2018-11-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224164731/http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/579/kerry_krucial_brothers_a_key_component/|archive-date=24 Dec 2010}}</ref>
==Career== Initially a teen rapper, Brothers signed with B-Boy Records as part of the group K-Bee and Ceil B. In 1988, they released the 2-sided single: [https://music.apple.com/us/album/who-am-i/1100567254?i=1100568101 "Who Am I"] and "[https://music.apple.com/us/album/we-are-the-move/1100567254?i=1100568109 We Are The Move]". After their debut album was shelved due to creative differences with the label, the group split up. Brothers then began to producing beats for him to perform on. In the early 1990s, Brothers moved to Harlem, where he frequented open mics. During this time, he was a founding member of the collective "Melanin 2000", who visited Nuyoricans Poet Café and Lyricist Lounge downtown in Greenwich Village. Later on, they performed at Washington Square Park, where he met Alicia Keys {{circa}} 1998, who, at the time, was part of an R&B ensemble.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.okayplayer.com/it-took-alicia-keys-kerry-krucial-brothers-five-years-to-complete-songs-in-a-minor/506868 | title=It Took Alicia Keys & Kerry "Krucial" Brothers Five Years to Complete 'Songs in a Minor' }}</ref><ref name="Leroy"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Kerry "Krucial" Brothers: Ill Street Rhythm & Blues, Pt 1 |url=https://allhiphop.com/features/kerry-krucial-brothers-ill-street-rhythm-blues-pt-1 |first=Grouchy Greg|last=Watkins|website=AllHipHop |access-date=2020-03-01 |date=July 25, 2006}}</ref>
Brothers and Keys took five years to produce, record and write for Keys' debut album, ''Songs in A Minor'' (2001).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.okayplayer.com/it-took-alicia-keys-kerry-krucial-brothers-five-years-to-complete-songs-in-a-minor/506868 | title=It Took Alicia Keys & Kerry "Krucial" Brothers Five Years to Complete 'Songs in a Minor' }}</ref> Both of them co-founded the company KrucialKeys,<ref name="Leroy"/><ref name="Brown"/> and co-founded a recording studio, the Oven Studios, in Long Island.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Oven Studios |url=https://www.mixonline.com/recording/oven-studios-367102|work=Mix|first=David|last=Weiss|date=October 1, 2006}}</ref> He won Best R&B Album at the 2002 Grammy Awards for his contributions to the album, as well as Best R&B Song for her 2007 single, "No One".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/kerry-krucial-brothers/11752|title=Kerry "Krucial" Brothers's GRAMMY Awards history|date=23 November 2020|publisher=GRAMMY}}</ref>
In 2006, Brothers released his debut EP ''Take Da Hood Back''.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Moss, Corey |title=Alicia Keys Collaborator Kerry 'Krucial' Keys Preps EP |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1525280/alicia-keys-collaborator-kerry-krucial-brothers-preps-ep/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125015642/http://www.mtv.com/news/1525280/alicia-keys-collaborator-kerry-krucial-brothers-preps-ep/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 25, 2021 |website=MTV News |access-date=2020-02-07 |date=March 2, 2006}}</ref> Brothers has also co-wrote songs that have appeared on the soundtracks to the films ''Dr. Dolittle'', ''Shaft'', and ''Ali''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/dr-dolittle-2-mw0000005668|title=Dr. Dolittle 2 - Original Soundtrack|access-date=August 1, 2018|publisher=AllMusic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/shaft-2000-original-soundtrack-mw0001993434|title=Shaft [2000 Original Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack|access-date=August 1, 2018|publisher=AllMusic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ali-original-soundtrack-mw0000017275|title=Ali [Original Soundtrack]|access-date=August 1, 2018|publisher=AllMusic}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal| Music|Record production }} * Alicia Keys
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Alicia Keys}} {{Grammy Award for Best R&B Song}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brothers, Kerry Jr.}} Category:African-American songwriters Category:Songwriters from New York (state) Category:Alicia Keys Category:American hip-hop record producers Category:Living people Category:1970 births Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Rappers from Brooklyn