User:Therealfocus...

Born in Manhattan and raised in the Tri State area, Focus… was surrounded by music. His father was Bernard Edwards, bass player for Chic '''(“Good Times,” “Le Freak”).  Although his father was often out of town promoting his work, Focus…''' still attended several studio sessions with his father and developed a love for production. Focus… knew from the time he hit second grade that he wanted to be a musician/ producer. His father didn’t approve of the decision because of the volatile nature of the music business.

“It’s an up and down situation,” Focus… says. “When they love you, they love you. When they don’t love you anymore, then you’re pretty much struggling again. My father was definitely a family oriented cat and he didn’t want us to ever have to go through that.”

But Focus… was undeterred and by the time he was 8 had already joined his school band. By the 5th Grade, Focus… was so skilled (he played drums, piano, bass, guitar) that he played in all three of his school’s bands (one was for grades 1-5, the middle school band for grades 6-8 and the other for grades 9-12).

After graduating from high school, Focus… started making moves in the music industry. He started selling beats locally for a couple of hundred dollars to keep food on the table, as well as doing ghost programming when the opportunity would present itself, but things were not moving fast enough for Focus… So, after garnering interest from a number of California musicians, Focus… moved to Los Angeles. After some misunderstandings and minor displacement, he ended up working with producers Jon Nettlesbey and Terry Coffey. Focus… has also worked with Johnny Gill and soon after met and began working with Jason Weaver from the television show “Smart Guy.”  Weaver encouraged Focus… to relocate to Atlanta to work on a few music projects. In 2000, Focus… made the move, one that led to his work with Kevin “She’kspere” Briggs and later, Dr. Dre.

As Focus…’ music industry clout increased, more and more artists began approaching him for beats. He struck up a relationship with the 2Pac’s Outlawz, who were working on new material. “Everybody loves the stuff that they did with Pac,” Focus… says. “I saw a vision for them and I told them that if they gave me a chance, I could show them what they needed to do. I was just asking them to believe in me enough to show them and they did. I was giving them that edge back and giving them the leeway to turn around and do deeper songs instead of more surface songs.”

In 2001, Focus…’ main mentor, Dr. Dre hired him as a non-exclusive Aftermath Entertainment staff producer. “Dre said he liked my style, the way I attacked the music,” Focus… recalls. “He heard East and West Coast in it and he liked the way that I bridged the two. He said I was talented, so he never made me become a mini him, (Dr. Dre). He always took me for who I was and let me be me.”

Focus…’ work has since appeared on The Game’s double platinum The Documentary (“Where I’m From”), 112’s Pleasure & Pain (smash single “U Already Know”), Beyonce’s quadruple platinum Dangerously In Love (“Yes”) and J. Lo’s platinum-plus This Is Me…Then (“Dear Ben”), among others... Fast forward to the year 2003, Bernard Edwards, Jr, better know to his peers as Focus...begin a.Fam Entertainment(which stands for a.Foc-alipitic Family). a.Fam values loyalty, and have a understanding that family does come first. Understand that it's more the just record sales it's about real music, being back the real musicianship to a lost art.