The-Dream

Singer/songwriter Terius Youngdell Nash -- a.k.a. The-Dream -- was responsible for writing some of the music industry's most recognizable hits for the world's most famous musical acts, including Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Beyoncé Knowles. But in spite of this healthy leg-up, having his own imprint on which to release his multiple solo albums and access to a who's who of R&B artists to guest on his sessions, his career as a recording artist never matched his powerful status as a voice for other musicians.

Terius Nash was born in Rockingham, NC on June 14, 1978. His mother moved him to Atlanta at a young age, where he was encouraged to pursue his interest in music and played trumpet, drums, and guitar in school. At fifteen Nash's mother died, and his grandfather, who continued to nurture his musical talent, took him in.

In early 2000 he caught his first break, when Chicago music executive Laney Stewart relocated to Atlanta. Nash wrangled a publishing deal with Stewart based on the strength of his song "Everything," which was included on the second studio album by R&B act B2K, Pandemonium! (2002). It kick-started Nash's writing career, and he started penning under his newly adopted name, The-Dream.

Nash's next break came after he co-wrote "Me Against the Music" (2003), which appeared on Britney Spears' fourth album and became the album's lead single. The song was actually touched by many hands, one of them being Laney Stewart's younger brother, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, who became a regular collaborator with Nash.

The writing partners' next hit was Rihanna's smash "Umbrella" (2007), which was actually written with Britney Spears in mind. The hit was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2008 Grammy Awards. The-Dream signed a recording contract with Def Jam Records in 2007, and made his first bid at solidifying his career as a performer. He co-produced his debut album Love Hate (2007) with "Tricky" Stewart, and rapper Fabolous and Rihanna both made appearances.

All three of the album's singles charted within the top 30 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, but bigger things lay ahead. In 2008 Nash co-wrote the Beyoncé megahit "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," which hit No. One on the US charts. The song was nominated and won Song of the Year at the 2010 Grammy Awards.

Nash's second album, Love vs. Money (2009) was also co-produced with "Tricky" Stewart. Conceived of as the second installment in a trilogy of projects on the theme of love, the record debuted at the No. Two spot on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, and generated four singles, all of which charted. Guest artists included megastars Kanye West and Mariah Carey.

In 2010, Nash co-wrote "Baby," the lead single for then-rising star Justin Bieber's debut album, which entered at No. Five on the Billboard Hot 100.

The third installment of Nash's musical trilogy, Love King (2010) debuted at No. Four on the Billboard 200, but did not chart outside the US, and the record's two singles achieved lukewarm placements. In spite of generally favorable reviews about The Dream's musical chops, there were critiques over his lack of original lyric content.

His fourth studio album Terius Nash: 1977 (2011) was originally released as a free download, and it peaked at No. 29 on the US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 2011 he co-wrote "All of the Lights" for Kanye West, which won Best Rap Song at the 54th Grammy Awards. In 2013, his fifth album, "IV Play" included collaborations with Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige and Kelly Rowland, and debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200.