No I.D.
No I.D. is a Chicago producer and executive who crafted Common’s early albums, mentored Kanye West, and later produced Jay-Z’s “4:44” while running A&R at Def Jam.
Chicago origins
Ernest Dion Wilson was born in Chicago on June 23, 1971. He began making beats in the late 1980s and became the principal musical partner of his friend Lonnie Lynn, then recording as Common Sense, while also giving early guidance to a young Kanye West.
Building Common’s sound
Credited as Immenslope, he produced much of Common Sense’s 1992 Relativity debut “Can I Borrow a Dollar?” alongside the Twilite Tone. He then produced most of “Resurrection” (1994), including “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” whose jazzy, sample-based sound helped define mid-1990s Chicago hip hop. His own album, “Accept Your Own and Be Yourself (The Black Album),” came out on Relativity on September 23, 1997, featuring frequent partner Dug Infinite along with Common and Infamous Syndicate; it yielded the single “Sky’s the Limit,” and Complex later singled out “State to State” and “Real Weight.”
Second wave
After a quieter stretch, he returned to prominence in the late 2000s with Kanye West’s “Heartless” (2008), which reached No. 2 in the United States, and Jay-Z’s “Run This Town” (2009) with Rihanna and West, which won the Grammy for Best Rap Song. He produced Drake’s “Find Your Love,” five tracks on Nas’s “Life Is Good” (2012) including “Daughters,” most of Big Sean’s “Hall of Fame” (2013) and Jay-Z’s “Holy Grail.” In 2017 he was the sole producer of Jay-Z’s album “4:44.”
Executive role
He served as president of GOOD Music from 2008 to 2011, then became executive vice president of A&R at Def Jam and founded ARTium Recordings, whose roster included Vince Staples. He also held an executive post at Capitol Music Group in 2018 and co-founded the group Cocaine 80s with Common, Jhené Aiko and James Fauntleroy.
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