When Tricky Stewart heard Rihanna record the “Ella, Ella, Ella, Eh, Eh, Eh,” section of the soon-to-be hit “Umbrella,” he knew that life was about to change for everyone involved.

Christopher “Tricky” Stewart is a songwriter and producer originally from Markham, Illinois. From an early age, he was playing guitar, keyboards and writing songs, thanks to a musical upbringing. Due to a chance meeting with L.A. Reid (then President of Arista Records), Stewart relocated his production company to Atlanta and began working with major label talent.

Tricky Stewart’s biggest breakthrough came when he was hired to write and produce the debut single from breakout artist Mya. This song peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts, and led to a relationship with Interscope. Stewart went on to discover Blu Cantrell, and executive-producer her first album, including the ubiquitous “Oops! (Hit ‘Em Up Style).”

When Tricky Stewart produced and co-wrote “Umbrella,” with long-time collaborators the-Dream and Kuk Harrell, they originally had Britney Spears in mind. The song was then reserved for Mary J. Blige, but contract complications saw the song go to relatively unproven newcomer Rihanna. Tricky was skeptical about Rihanna at first, but when he heard her lay down the “Ella, Ella, Ella, Eh, Eh, Eh,” section of the song, it was obvious — the song was a smash.

“Umbrella” quickly rose to #1 on the charts, and stayed there for 7 straight weeks. The success of “Umbrella” opened doors for everyone involved, launching Rihanna to a new level of fame, allowing The-Dream to release his own solo record Love Hate, and making Tricky Stewart one of the most sought after producers and songwriters in modern hip-hop, pop, and R&B.

Tricky Stewart has gone on to work with some of the biggest names in entertainment today, seeing his production company RedZone Entertainment write songs and produce music for Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Mariah Carey, Justin Bieber, and many more. Let’s run back some of his biggest hits, and bask in the melodic excellence.