Pardison Fontaine

High-energy rapper and Grammy-winning songwriter Pardison Fontaine is known most as a close associate of <a href="spotify:artist:4kYSro6naA4h99UJvo89HB">Cardi B</a>, having co-written numerous songs his fellow MC has either headlined or assisted as a featured artist. Fontaine leapt from the underground in 2017 as co-composer of the <a href="spotify:artist:4kYSro6naA4h99UJvo89HB">Cardi</a>'s breakthrough number one pop single "Bodak Yellow" and <a href="spotify:artist:02kJSzxNuaWGqwubyUba0Z">G-Eazy</a>'s Top Ten "No Limit," and is also a common link between additional smashes such as "I Like It" (by <a href="spotify:artist:4kYSro6naA4h99UJvo89HB">Cardi</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4q3ewBCX7sLwd24euuV69X">Bad Bunny</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:1vyhD5VmyZ7KMfW5gqLgo5">J Balvin</a>), "Savage Remix" (<a href="spotify:artist:181bsRPaVXVlUKXrxwZfHK">Megan Thee Stallion</a> featuring <a href="spotify:artist:6vWDO969PvNqNYHIOW5v0m">Beyoncé</a>), and "WAP" (<a href="spotify:artist:4kYSro6naA4h99UJvo89HB">Cardi</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:181bsRPaVXVlUKXrxwZfHK">Megan</a>). As a headliner, Fontaine had a Top 40 pop hit with 2018's "Backin' It Up" (joined by <a href="spotify:artist:4kYSro6naA4h99UJvo89HB">Cardi</a>), followed by the 2019 album Under8ed and a handful of additional singles.

Born Jorden Kyle Lanier Thorpe (and often credited as Jordan Thorpe), Pardison Fontaine was devoted to basketball until his first year at Goldey-Beacom College in Wilmington, Delaware. He had a full-ride athletic scholarship but made a "now or never" decision to return to his native Newburgh, New York to work on music. He made his recorded debut in the early 2010s, released his first mixtape, Not Supposed to Be Here, in 2015, and throughout the next two years issued a crop of singles highlighted by "Jumpin Jumpin."

As a songwriter, Fontaine made a major splash in 2017 via "Bodak Yellow," <a href="spotify:artist:4kYSro6naA4h99UJvo89HB">Cardi B</a>'s breakthrough number one hit single. Success behind the scenes continued with <a href="spotify:artist:02kJSzxNuaWGqwubyUba0Z">G-Eazy</a>'s number five hit "No Limit" and <a href="spotify:artist:5CCwRZC6euC8Odo6y9X8jr">Rita Ora</a>'s "Girls," both of which featured <a href="spotify:artist:4kYSro6naA4h99UJvo89HB">Cardi</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:5K4W6rqBFWDnAN6FQUkS6x">Kanye West</a>'s Ye, containing five songs Fontaine had a hand in writing. Success continued in 2018 with "I Like It," a number one single for <a href="spotify:artist:4kYSro6naA4h99UJvo89HB">Cardi</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4q3ewBCX7sLwd24euuV69X">Bad Bunny</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:1vyhD5VmyZ7KMfW5gqLgo5">J Balvin</a>. That September, Fontaine took a step forward as a headliner with "Backin' It Up," released on major-label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Atlantic%22">Atlantic</a>. Yet another <a href="spotify:artist:4kYSro6naA4h99UJvo89HB">Cardi</a> collaboration, the rowdy single reached number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went platinum. In 2019, Fontaine issued solo singles including "Rodman" and "Peach," as well as the album Under8ed, and in 2020 topped the Hot 100 with <a href="spotify:artist:181bsRPaVXVlUKXrxwZfHK">Megan Thee Stallion</a>'s "Savage Remix" (featuring <a href="spotify:artist:6vWDO969PvNqNYHIOW5v0m">Beyoncé</a>) and <a href="spotify:artist:181bsRPaVXVlUKXrxwZfHK">Megan</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4kYSro6naA4h99UJvo89HB">Cardi</a>'s "WAP." "Savage Remix" subsequently won Best Rap Song at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Over the next couple years, Fontaine issued solo singles such as "Wrong wit Me," "By Myself," and "Hoop Earrings," the last two of which were released independently. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi