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7 music producers who didn't want to stay in the studio

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With Naughty Boy joining us in the Live Lounge (again) this week, never before has it been so apparent that producers are slipping out from behind their desks and taking centre stage, by singing on their tracks, performing with other acts or even becoming social media superstars.

These just a few of the producers becoming known as artists in their own right…

Calvin Harris

The Scottish super producer has enlisted a whole host of artists to sing on his tracks, including Rihanna, Ellie Goulding and John Newman, but every now and then he likes to lay down his own vocals. Speaking to iHeartRadio about most recent single My Way, Calvin said, "I like to sing on a song every two or three years, or so. I just kind of thought it was a bit of a curve ball. I kind of like the idea of just tracking something out without a celebrity guest feature, and I think the vocal works so why not."

DJ Khaled

His list of collabs reads like a who’s who of rap and hip-hop stars (Drake, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj…), but DJ Khaled went mainstream when he became one of the most-followed Snapchat stars in the world, thanks to his “keys to success” pep talks. He even wrote a self-help book called The Keys in 2016, and has most recently been in the studio with Travis Scott, Chance The Rapper and Mariah Carey.

Disclosure

The duo aren’t short of people to sing their tracks, teaming up with the likes of Sam Smith, Lorde and The Weeknd, but occasionally Howard and Guy like to flex their own vocals. In fact, Howard took centre stage for the band’s 2015 single, Jaded.

Diplo

He’s produced songs for everyone from Beyoncé to Britney Spears, but Diplo knows how to put on his own show, as part of both Major Lazer and Jack U. His Major Lazer performances have become infamous, partly because Diplo zorbs over the crowd, ensuring he most definitely isn’t stuck behind the desk. He’s got his own 1Xtra show, Diplo and Friends, and you might have noticed his cameo alongside Channing Tatum in 22 Jump Street. Major.

Skrillex

He fronted emo band From First To Last from 2004-2007, before heading behind the mixing desk, but Skrillex has just reunited with his old group to sing on new track Make War. The song’s release marked Skrillex’s 29th birthday, as well as 10 years since he initially left the band to work on solo projects.

Pharrell

You probably can’t imagine life without Pharrell’s solo material (hello, Happy), N*E*R*D work and his many fashion endeavours. But let’s not forget that he started out as half of production duo The Neptunes, alongside his mate Chad Hugo, making music for Kelis, Britney and *NSYNC. Still producing today, their more recent work has included Axwell Ingrosso’s Dream Bigger and Beyoncé’s Blow.

Kaskade

He’s been releasing music since 2001, but American producer Kaskade didn’t sing on a track until Atmosphere in 2013, which went on to be nominated for two Grammys. Good job he didn’t keep that voice a secret!

January on Radio 1