It’s appropriate that we take some time to talk about Polow Da Don this week on Friday Mixtape, given that we dedicated last week to his protege Hit-Boy. Though the two have worked together plenty, you’ll find that their styles are very different. Hit-Boy gravitates towards hard-hitting sounds, and big hip-hop beats, while Polow has a more melodic and (dare I say) sensual technique, lending itself well to modern R&B.

Jamal Fincher Jones was born in the southern musical metropolis of Atlanta in 1978. Before becoming Polow Da Don (or Awesome Jones, to some), he spent his formative years watching his cousin Monica skyrocket to super-stardom. Inspired by her success, Polow had his younger sister Karesha teach him rudimentary piano theory, eventually experimenting with an MPC drum machine. Before solidifying himself as a producer, Polow made a run at the industry as an MC in a hip-hop group called Jim Crow. Jim Crow released two albums before being dropped from Interscope Records.

Undeterred, Polow Da Don shifted his focus from MCing to making beats around 2001. The first beat tape he made found its way to the desk of Interscope boss (and American Idol super villain) Jimmy Iovine. Before too long, those beats were being used by artists like Ludacris and the Pussy Cat Dolls. Polow brings a strongly melodic touch to hip-hop and R&B, and has the unique ability of bringing a more mainstream success to urban artists with his sonic treatments.

His success has allowed him to create his own label called Zone 4, with distribution through Interscope and Def Jam. This label is currently home to some of the most promising emerging artists on the urban music scene, including Keri Hilson, Rich Boy, and Roscoe Dash. Let’s take a look back at Polow’s past, present, and future by highlighting some of the best production work in his discography.