NEW YORK 鈥� With dark clouds looming behind him, controversial music producer and hitmaker Dr. Luke rose to the top of the Billboard charts last year with Doja Cat鈥檚 ubiquitous funk-pop jam 鈥淪ay So,鈥� along with Saweetie's anthemic bop 鈥淭ap In鈥� and Juice WRLD's Top 5 pop smash 鈥淲ishing Well."
It marked a creative resurgence for the pop prince, who remains embroiled in a lawsuit with Kesha. His chart domination was followed by his first Grammy nomination in seven years 鈥� cementing his comeback.
That has the music world is split 鈥� some believe the art and the person should be separated, while others have blasted the Recording Academy for rewarding the hitmaker with a nomination for one of its top prizes.
But not all of the academy members may have been aware they were voting for Dr. Luke when they completed their ballots this year. That's because he used a moniker 鈥� Tyson Trax 鈥� for Doja Cat's 鈥淪ay So,鈥� which he produced and co-wrote. The hit tune is competing for record of the year, where Dr. Luke is in contention as the song鈥檚 producer.
鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult to say whether or not Grammy voters are aware that 鈥楾yson Trax鈥� is used as a pseudonym,鈥� Harvey Mason Jr., the academy鈥檚 interim president and CEO, said in a statement to The Associated Press. 鈥淲hile it鈥檚 true that the 鈥楾yson Trax鈥� producer credit would be visible on the ballot entry, I would imagine that a lot of voters were making their selection with Doja Cat in mind, thinking primarily about the artistic merits of her performance.鈥�
Doja Cat, who released her debut EP on Dr. Luke's Kemosabe label in 2014 before Kesha's lawsuit, is also nominated for best new artist and best pop solo performance at the March 14 Grammys. Dr. Luke produced multiple songs on her sophomore album 鈥淗ot Pink.鈥� Those include the double-platinum success 鈥淛uicy鈥� and the Gucci Mane-assisted hit 鈥淟ike That,鈥� which reached No. 3 on the R&B charts last year. For those songs, he's credited as Tyson Trax.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know that Tyson Trax was Dr. Luke. I could have looked it up, but I didn鈥檛, and I didn鈥檛 care. It鈥檚 a name and I鈥檓 voting on the artistic merit of the record, so it didn鈥檛 matter,鈥� said Susan Rogers, a professor at Berklee College of Music and Prince鈥檚 former staff engineer who is a Grammy voter.
鈥淵our judgment should be based upon who did the best, most creative, most artistic work during the year; what work is going to advance the state of the industry. That鈥檚 the only thing that we鈥檙e voting on," she said. 鈥淎nytime we bring anything else into that mix 鈥� how we feel about someone personally, whether we like them or dislike them, know them or don鈥檛 know them 鈥� we鈥檙e being unfair to all the others.鈥�
Dr. Luke, 47, has also used the Tyson Trax pseudonym for his contribution to Toronto rapper-singer Benny Mayne鈥檚 鈥淗okey Pokey.鈥� He鈥檚 been referred to as MADE IN CHINA for his work with pop singer Kim Petras. His producer credit on Lil Wayne's 鈥淪himmy鈥� from his 2020 album 鈥淔uneral鈥�? Loctor Duke.
Evan Minsker, news editor for the music publication Pitchfork, admitted that some of his colleagues didn鈥檛 recognize Dr. Luke was Tyson Trax: 鈥淚t鈥檚 their job to be plugged in (and) they didn鈥檛 know Dr. Luke was Tyson Trax.鈥�
鈥淚 think there probably are a lot of cases of (Dr. Luke) sneaking under the radar, people not connecting what his other pseudonyms are with who he is,鈥� Minsker said.
鈥淩egardless of who he is and what his various names are, clearly there is some kind of proven result in what Dr. Luke and Doja Cat did together,鈥� he continued. 鈥淚 think while maybe some people didn鈥檛 know, I wouldn鈥檛 be surprised if some people did and just don鈥檛 really have a hard time falling asleep at night after putting his name through.鈥�
Dr. Luke was last in Grammy contention in 2014 when he competed for non-classical producer and record of the year for his work on Katy Perry鈥檚 鈥淩oar.鈥� He emerged as the protege of pop music maestro Max Martin, who produced 23 No. 1 hits throughout his career, working with everyone from pop idols such as Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and N鈥橲ync to contemporary stars like Adele, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd.
Together, Martin and Dr. Luke crafted hits for Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Pink and Kesha, who he signed in 2005. Eventually Dr. Luke stepped into the forefront, helming successes for Miley Cyrus, Pitbull, Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida, logging 17 No. 1 hits.
Dr. Luke has gotten a taste of his former life on top of the charts, with every major label 鈥� including Sony Music, Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group 鈥� launching a hit with him last year. In addition to his work with Doja Cat, Juice WRLD, Saweetie and Lil Wayne, he also produced 鈥淏lind鈥� for rapper DaBaby and co-wrote 鈥淏roken Glass鈥� for hit DJ-producer Kygo. This year he produced another hit for Saweetie with 鈥淏est Friend," which is currently No. 10 on the rap charts.
鈥淚 think (the Grammys) set themselves up a little bit to fail because instead of having this big celebratory moment, there were a lot of questions all of a sudden. 鈥楬ow come you got Dr. Luke in (one of) the big four (categories)?' That鈥檚 pretty surprising,鈥� Pitchfork鈥檚 Minsker said. 鈥淚 can see why this is the moment for (鈥楽ay So鈥�) and I also was surprised to see that it would be nominated in such a way that (Dr. Luke) would get an award at this stage in his life.鈥�
Kesha, 34, has accused Dr. Luke of sexual assault during their yearslong partnership, allegations he vigorously denies. The court case continues, despite a New York judge dismissing Kesha鈥檚 sexual abuse-related claims in 2016 on procedural grounds; no ruling was made on whether the allegations were true. Kesha lost another round when a judge said she made a defamatory statement about Dr. Luke in a 2016 text message telling Lady Gaga the producer had also raped Perry.
Kesha鈥檚 lawyers are appealing the ruling, which didn鈥檛 resolve other aspects of his defamation and breach-of-contract suit, including the crucial question of whether Kesha鈥檚 rape allegation is true. The judge said that鈥檚 for a jury to decide at trial.
Fiona Apple, who is nominated for three Grammys, slammed the academy for Dr. Luke鈥檚 inclusion this year. She questioned the organization because three years ago, they invited Kesha to perform 鈥淧raying鈥� 鈥� the deeply emotional and touching piano tune arguably about her experience with Dr. Luke 鈥� at the show. Kesha was joined onstage by Cyndi Lauper, Andra Day, Bebe Rexha, Camila Cabello, Julia Michaels and the Resistance Revival Chorus for the widely praised performance.
The song appeared on the album 鈥淩ainbow,鈥� which was released on Dr. Luke's label but was the first time she created music commercially without him. The music even earned Kesha her first pair of Grammy nominations.
Berklee鈥檚 Rogers explained that 鈥渁s a member of the female sex ... we have to be sensitive and tolerant of women who make accusations of sexual impropriety or coercion or any number of things that they might be victim of. We have to listen to them. We have to be credulous. We have to believe them.
鈥淲e also have to recognize it鈥檚 a two-sided conversation,鈥� she continued. 鈥淏oth sides have the right to express themselves. I don鈥檛 dismiss Kesha鈥檚 (claims) ... I don鈥檛 dismiss the fact that she had a rough time with Dr. Luke 鈥� what I鈥檓 saying is that I recognize that it has absolutely nothing to do with my vote as a member of the Recording Academy.鈥�
Mesfin Fekadu, The Associated Press
