Japhe Tejeda


Japhe Tejeda was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer, best known for co-writing "Don't Wanna Be a Player" and "The Boy Is Mine", as well as other various work with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and his brother Fred Jerkins III. Tejeda, alongside friends Jermaine Paul, Danny Martinez, and Charles Paul, were former members of the R&B vocal quartet 1 Accord, one of the first signees on Shaquille O'Neal's short-lived The World Is Mine imprint in collaboration with A&M Records.
Not much is known about Tejeda's private life, but as reported by close industry friend Fred Jerkins, industry R&B lovers on various blogging platforms, and other frequent collaborators, Tejeda has since died.

Career

1990s: ''1 Accord'' and songwriting

Tejeda and Charles Paul both attended University at Albany, SUNY in the early 1990s, and formed 1 Accord after recruiting Paul's younger brother Jermaine, performing at local Albany talent shows, coffeehouses, and live music venues in New York City. By the time Jermaine had graduated from high school in 1996, and Martinez was added to the group, their demo had landed the group a recording contract with Shaquille O’Neal’s label. After signing with O’Neal and building a relationship with producer Rodney Jerkins, the group was asked to contribute to the soundtrack of Jamie Foxx film Booty Call, as well as other film soundtracks, label compilations, unofficial radio DJ mixtapes, and the debut album of Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz. 1 Accord's 1996 debut album The New Era, executive-produced by Jerkins, was shelved in 1997 after numerous delays, leading Tejeda to move further into songwriting. The group disbanded, and Tejeda would subsequently join Jerkins' camp of songwriters, first appearing as a background vocalist on Jerkins' singles for Simone Hines and Jason Weaver, and then co-writing notable Jerkins productions including "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" from Aaliyah album One in a Million, more than fifty percent of the 1997 debut album for Michael Jackson-signed boyband No Authority, Top 30 Joe single "Don't Wanna Be a Player", and 13-week Brandy/Monica number-one single "The Boy Is Mine", earning Tejeda an ASCAP Pop Award and a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards in 1999. Tejeda subsequently appeared as a co-writer on multiple Jerkins-produced albums in 1998, including blockbuster album Never Say Never, as well as albums KW and 'Bout It. Both hit singles Tejada co-wrote have been sampled on multiple singles by other artists, charting internationally.

Songwriting and production credits

TitleYearArtistAlbum
"Everything's Gonna Be Alright"1996AaliyahOne in a Million
"You Got Me Goin'"1996II D ExtremeFrom I Extreme II Another
"Don't Wanna Be a Player"1997JoeAll That I Am
"Don't Stop"1997No AuthorityKeep On
"Up And Down"1997No AuthorityKeep On
"Girlfriend"1997No AuthorityKeep On
"Please Don't Break My Heart"1997No AuthorityKeep On
"If You Want Me"1997No AuthorityKeep On
"Never Let You Go"1997No AuthorityKeep On
"The Boy Is Mine"1998Brandy & MonicaNever Say Never & The Boy Is Mine
"Never Say Never"1998BrandyNever Say Never
"Put That on Everything"1998BrandyNever Say Never
"Happy"1998BrandyNever Say Never
"Tomorrow"1998BrandyNever Say Never
"I Warned You"1998Keith WashingtonKW
"Tell Me "1998Keith WashingtonKW
"You Let Me Down"1998Keith WashingtonKW
"Still Not A Player" 1998Big PunCapital Punishment
"Are You Missin' My Love?"1998Jesse Powell'Bout It
"Up and Down"1998Jesse Powell'Bout It
"Oogie Boogie"1998MC LyteSeven & Seven
"It's Mine"1999Mobb DeepMurda Muzik
"Why?"2001Ashley BallardGet In The Booth
"Don't Leave"2005N2UIssues
"The Girl Is Mine" 201599 Souls
"Right Back" 2019KhalidFree Spirit
"Playa" 2022A Boogie wit da HoodieMe vs. Myself
"Bionic Boy"2022Jamie Jones
"Mine"2022TinkPillow Talk
"Need Me"2023Lil TeccaTec
"Mazacote"2024Farruko & Ñengo FlowCVRBON VRMOR