Chad Elliott, also known as Dr. Ceuss and Big Chad, is an American songwriter, producer, audio engineer, a&r and multi-instrumentalist, best known for co-writing and co-producing Destiny's Child hit single "Jumpin', Jumpin'", "Gitty Up" for Salt-N-Pepa, "15 Minutes" for Marc Nelson, as well as "Steelo", the debut single from 1990s girl group 702, among others.
Elliott began his career as a member of Swing Mob, a prolific collective of artists, songwriters, instrumentalists, and producers that converged in Teaneck, New Jersey and Rochester, New York during the mid-1990s, and was reportedly an early mentor of producer Jermaine Dupri.[1][2] Elliott became a producer and instrumentalist for American R&B quartet Jodeci, while also frequently writing for other artists alongside fellow Swing Mob member Missy Elliott, including debut Raven-Symoné single "That's What Little Girls Are Made Of".[3][4][5] In 1997, Elliott would contribute five songs to Salt-N-Pepa's fifth album Brand New, including lead single "R U Ready".[6] He would also oversee the A&R direction of R&B girl-group Shades' eponymous debut album for Motown Records.[citation needed] In 1999, Elliott produced major single "15 Minutes" for former Boyz II Men member Marc Nelson, reaching the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #4 on the R&B charts.[7]
Elliott received a phone call from Columbia Records A&R Teresa LaBarbera Whites, who wanted him to meet "this great group in Houston" prior to the release of their debut album. He flew to Houston and met for dinner with the group (Destiny's Child) and their manager Mathew Knowles, but was unable to send any productions in time for their album. Elliott, alongside co-writer Rufus Moore and co-producer Jovonn Alexander, subsequently sent a disc of written tracks for potential inclusion on their second album. Elliott was compiling productions for his own rap project at the time, and accidentally sent one of his songs (with no lyrics attached) on the same disc. Beyoncé heard the song, began writing to it, and Knowles sent a rough draft to Elliott, who was impressed with the melodic, syncopated-rap delivery, and the "democratic" message addressed to both men and women. "Jumpin', Jumpin'", the completed product, would secure a placement on blockbuster album The Writing's on the Wall alongside another co-written Elliott song ("If You Leave"), was selected as the fourth and final single of the campaign, and would ultimately become Elliott's highest-peaking and highest-selling song in multiple global markets.[8]
Elliott became an A&R for Sony Music Urban / Columbia Records, coordinating Jagged Edge's eponymous fifth album (2006), Noel Gourdin's 2008 debut album After My Time, Lyfe Jennings' 2008 album Lyfe Change, as well as "I'm Grown", the second single from Star Search winner Tiffany Evans' 2008 eponymous debut album. In 2022, Elliott sold the production rights of his 2-song Destiny's Child catalog to royalty asset management company ICM for an undisclosed sum.[9]
Credits are courtesy of Discogs, Tidal, Apple Music, and AllMusic.