Focus...


Bernard Edwards Jr., known professionally as Focus..., is an American record producer from New York City. He gained major recognition upon signing with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment in 2002. During his tenure with the label, Edwards worked with artists including Dre himself, Beyoncé, Eminem, Wu-Tang Clan, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Outlawz, the Game, Joe, Petey Pablo, Marsha Ambrosius and Bishop Lamont, among others. Edwards formed the supergroup Read the PDF with fellow Aftermath producers, Dem Jointz and Mr. Porter in 2022.

Life and career

Focus... is the son of the late Bernard Edwards, co-founder of disco and R&B band Chic. He was born in Manhattan, New York City, and raised in the Tri-State Region. Edwards Jr. credits his father with his love for the production side of music, which he developed from an early age, attending numerous studio sessions with his father.
Focus...' production talents were first recognized by Dr. Dre when an artist Edwards Jr. had produced, Daks, greatly impressed the Aftermath label head. He later signed Focus... so that the two could then continue working together.
Focus... left Aftermath in 2008, after seven years with the label.
In 2013, Focus... returned to Aftermath Entertainment as an official staff producer where he worked side by side with Dr. Dre and collaborators to help craft the Grammy nominated, highly anticipated album Compton. Compton was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Production

1999

;Solé – Skin Deep
  • "I'm Coming"
  • "Spell My Name Right"
  • "Antoine's Interlude"
  • "Young Niggas"
  • "Pain"

    2000

;Joe – My Name Is Joe
  • "Get Crunk Tonight"
;Kandi Burruss – Hey Kandi...
  • "Introduction"
  • "Hey Kandi"
  • "Pants on Fire"
  • "Talking' Bout Me"
  • "Sucka for You"
  • "Outro"

    2001

;Christina Milian – Christina Milian
  • "It Hurts When..."
  • "Twitch"
;Destiny's Child – 8 Days of Christmas
;Various artists – The Wash
  • "Riding High"

    2002

;Truth Hurts – Truthfully Speaking
  • "Next To Me"
  • "Do Me"
;Jennifer Lopez – This Is Me... Then
  • "Dear Ben"
;Petey Pablo – Drumline
  • "Club Banger"
;Montell Jordan – Montell Jordan
  • "MJ V Intro"
  • MJ Anthem
  • Top Or Bottom
  • "Mine, Mine, Mine"
  • Why Can’t We
  • The Rain

    2003

;Sly Boogy – Judgement Day
  • "California"
;Beyoncé Knowles – Dangerously in Love
  • "Yes"

    2004

;Petey Pablo – Still Writing in My Diary: 2nd Entry
  • "Roll Off"
;Mac Dre – Ronald Dregan: Dreganomics
  • "Get Stupid"
;Wylde Bunch – Wylde Tymes at Washington High
  • "Our Lyfe"

    2005

;The Game – The Documentary
  • "Where I'm From"
;112 – Pleasure & Pain
  • "U Already Know"
;Outlawz – Outlaw 4 Life: 2005 A.P.
  • "Real Talk"
  • "If You Want 2"
  • "I Dare U"
;Sway & King Tech – Back 2 Basics
  • "Watch Closer"
  • "I Don't Think So"
  • "We Don't Give A..."
  • "Hands to the Sky"
;Tony Yayo – Thoughts of a Predicate Felon
  • "Eastside Westside"
  • "Project Princess"
  • "Live by the Gun"

    2006

;Sinful – Behind 16 Bars
  • "Yo Soy Honesto"
;Stat Quo – Eminem Presents: The Re-Up
  • "By My Side"

    2007

;Bishop Lamont – N***** Noise
  • "Klansmen"
  • "American Dreams"
;Salah Edin – Nederlands Grootste Nachtmerrie
  • "NGN"
  • "T.H.E.O. "
  • "Het Land Van..."
  • "Geliefd Om Gehaat Te Worden"
  • "Opgeblazen"
  • "0172"
  • "Zwarte Gat Op Het Witte Doek"
  • "Geld"
  • "Hosselaar"
  • "Vrouwtje Is Een Bitch"
  • "Samen Huilen, Samen Lachen"
  • "Koning Ter Rijk"
  • "Oog Om Oog"
  • "Paradijs Is Nu"
;La Fouine – Aller-Retour
  • "Intro"
  • "La Danse Du Ghetto"
  • "C'est Pas La Peine"
  • "Contrôle Abusif"
  • "Laissez-Moi Dénoncer"
  • "Partout Pareil"
;Keke Palmer – So Uncool
  • "The Game Song"
  • "Music Box"

    2008

;Girlicious – Girlicious
  • "Mirror"
;Bishop Lamont – The Confessional
  • "The Confessional"
  • "Better Than You"
  • "The Name"

    2009

;Busta Rhymes – Back on My B.S.
;Slaughterhouse – Slaughterhouse
  • "Lyrical Murderers"

    2010

;Christina Aguilera – Bionic
  • "Morning Dessert"
  • "Sex for Breakfast"
;Bishop Lamont – The Shawshank Redemption/Angola 3
  • "Martin Luther King"
  • "Affirmative Action"

    2011

;Marsha Ambrosius – Late Nights & Early Mornings
  • "Tears"
;Schoolboy Q – Setbacks
  • "Light Years Ahead "
;Jay Rock – Follow Me Home
  • "Bout That"
;Rapper Big Pooh – Dirty Pretty Things
  • "Right With You"
  • "Real Love"
;Outlawz – Perfect Timing
  • "Keep It Lit"

    2012

;50 Cent – 5
  • "My Crown"
;Busta Rhymes – Year of the Dragon
  • "Do That Thing"
;Xzibit – Napalm
  • "Killer's Remorse"
;Skyzoo – A Dream Deferred
  • "Drew & Derwin"
;TheKidJ Presents Handsonhiphop
  • "Love & Hip-hop"

    2013

;TGT – Three Kings
  • "Interlude"
;Slum Village – Evolution
  • "Summer Breeze"
  • "1 Nite"
;Terrace Martin – 3ChordFold
  • "Watch U Sleep"

    2015

;Dr. Dre – Compton
  • "Intro
  • "Loose Cannons"
  • "Issues"
  • "Deep Water"
  • "One Shot One Kill"
  • "Medicine Man"
;Wu-Tang Clan – Once Upon a Time in Shaolin
;Ameriie – Drive
  • "Every Time"

    2016

;DJ Mustard Presents – Cold Summer
  • "Another Summer"
;Damian Lillard – The Letter O
  • "Thank You"

    2018

;Marsha Ambrosius – Nyla
  • "Flood"
  • "I Got It Bad"
  • "Let Out"
  • "Today"
  • "Grand Finale"

    2019

;Little Brother – May the Lord Watch
  • "Black Magic "
  • "Goodmorning Sunshine"
  • "Work Through Me"

    2020

;Busta Rhymes – Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God
  • "Don't Go"
;Eminem – Music to Be Murdered By – Side B
  • "She Loves Me"

    2022

;Diamond D - The Rear View
  • "Live My Life"