He Did That! 10 Songs You Didn’t Know Warryn Campbell Produced
Just A Friend 2002 – Mario
For some tackling a classic like Biz Markie’s “Just A Friend’ would present some pressure. But Warryn rose to the occasion with this one. Then again, Markie was there to help write the lyrics for this remake along with Campbell, Harold Lilly and John Smith. Warryn also served as the lone producer of the 2002 debut single for the then R&B newcomer, Mario. The song peaked at 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. It was initially meant for Usher but when his album was shelved, he passed it along. And it ended up being Mario’s big break. In addition to “Just A Friend 2002,” Warryn also wrote and produced two of my favorites from Mario, “C’mon” and “Braid My Hair.” If you look at the album credits, you’ll also find that Alicia Keys provided background vocals and played instruments on his first album Mario.
