Cody Jordan Fayn, known professionally as ThankGod4Cody, is an American producer, songwriter, and musician, most known for his production work on SZA's acclaimed albums Ctrl and SOS, as well as his 2019 debut album Cody of Nazareth.
Life and career Early life and career beginnings Born in Memphis in the 1990s, Fayne had a Southern, Christian upbringing, and was not allowed to listen to much secular music. It was not until his older sister began secretly burning CDs that he would listen to his first album: Kanye West's 2004 album The College Dropout. After a period of study at Middle Tennessee State University, Fayne moved first to Atlanta and then Los Angeles to enter the music industry at the behest of friend and Top Dawg Entertainment producer Tyran "Scum" Donaldson, hoping to work with fellow Tennessean Isaiah Rashad who Fayne knew through mutual friends. He worked at The Home Depot in the meantime to make ends meet, descending into a brief period of depression when his efforts to produce or write on various iterations of Rashad's future album The Sun's Tirade proved unfruitful. Fayne continued to refine his productions, encountering Rashad's TDE labelmate Solana "SZA" Rowe at an impromptu LA studio meeting. Rowe overheard Fayne's production from an adjacent room and immediately knew she wanted the track for herself, which evolved into her 2014 single "Sobriety". She subsequently asked Fayne to attend her 2016 writing camp held at producer Carter Lang's Michigan lake house, where he crafted notable Ctrl records "Love Galore" (with Lang) and "Broken Clocks", among other contributions.
2018-2023: Protest arrest, Ctrl Deluxe and SOS Post-Ctrl, Fayne did not accept any production or songwriting session requests from other artists, and instead began to work on his own music, releasing debut album Cody Of Nazareth in 2019. In 2020, Fayne was arrested in the midst of the George Floyd protests in Los Angeles County, California, which inspired him to release single "Light My Way", asking a "higher power to light [his] way out [of this dark world]". In 2022, "2AM", a record that Fayne worked on for the original "Ctrl" sessions in Michigan (interpolating "Come and See Me" by PartyNextDoor and Drake), as well as co-written outtakes "Percolator", "Tread Carefully", and an alternate version of "Love Galore", appeared alongside several other tracks on a deluxe version of Ctrl released for its fifth anniversary. Fayne also contributed to 7 songs on SZA's sophomore album SOS, including Billboard top-ten single "I Hate U"and "Conceited". He next co-produced "Pray It Away" from Chloe Bailey's 2023 debut solo album In Pieces.
Discography Studio projects Cody of Nazareth (2019)
Production and songwriting credits
Credits are courtesy of Discogs, Tidal, Apple Music, and AllMusic.
Title Year Artist Album "Sobriety"2014SZA "Easy Bake" (featuring Kendrick Lamar & SZA)2015Jay Rock90059 "Frendz"201620NVR"Looking For God"Loose VoltageVoltage 2: Voice of Love Truth and Good Energy "My Gun" "Praying" (featuring Willie Hyn) "Love Galore" (featuring Travis Scott)2017SZACtrl "The Weekend" "Broken Clocks" "Wavy (Interlude)" (featuring James Fauntleroy) "Looking For Love"Cyhi the PrynceNo Dope on Sundays "Sleep Walking Challenge" (featuring Tha Landlord)StarlitoInsomnia Addict 2 "Cuffing Season"DC the Don "Closer"2019 Free P2Live4U "I Hate U"2021SZASOS "Love Galore (ALT Version)"2022Ctrl (deluxe) "2AM" "Percolator" "Tread Carefully" "Seek & Destroy"SOS "Love Language" "Notice Me" "Gone Girl" "Conceited" "Too Late" "Pray It Away"2023 ChlöeIn Pieces "What Do I Do"2024SZALana "My Turn" "Crybaby" "Kitchen" "Drive" "Take You Down"
Guest appearances + List of guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name Title Year Other performer(s) Album "Wolf River"2017Don Lifted
Awards and nominations Year Work Award ResultRef 2018 BMI 35 Most Performed R&B/Hip-Hop Songs "Love Galore" Soul Train Music Award for The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award "Broken Clocks" 2023 BMI Most-Performed R&B/Hip-Hop Songs "I Hate U" 2024 Grammy Award for Album of the YearSOS
References