Chris Godbey is an American songwriter, vocal engineer, producer, and mixer, best known for his frequent work with gospel artist Kirk Franklin (before working alongside producer Timbaland), including Grammy-winning albums Hero, The 20/20 Experience, BEYONCE, The Blueprint 3, Everything Is Love, and The Fight of My Life, among others. Godbey also co-wrote "Take It Easy On Me" from Robin Thicke's 2013 album Blurred Lines, "Walk It Out" from Jennifer Hudson's 2014 album JHUD, and "Yeah, I Said It" from Rihanna's 2016 album Anti.
Career Godbey, originally from Houston, began his music career as an instrumentalist in various Texas-area rock bands prior to attending Baylor University in 1993 to study telecommunications. While attending school, Godbey worked at a small studio in Waco, TX, before beginning employment with recording studio Dallas Sound Lab upon graduation. He began working with Kirk Franklin and several other gospel acts in Dallas, winning two Grammy Awards for Franklin's albums Hero in 2005 and The Fight of My Life in 2007 respectively, both in the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album category. In 2007, Godbey met producer Timbaland through mutual friends, subsequently mixing, engineering, or mastering records, as well as playing bass guitar or programming.
Selected songwriting, programming and production credits Credits are courtesy of Tidal and Spotify.
Title Year Artist Album"Could've Been Me"2000Kirk FranklinKirk Franklin Presents 1NC"Throw Yo Hands Up"2002The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin"Bukowski" (Congleton/Godbey Remix)2004 Modest MouseFloat On (AUS/UK CD Single, EUR Maxi-Single)"Incredible"Anthony EvansEven More"Unity (We Stand)" (Featuring Kirk Franklin)"Imagine Me"2005 Kirk FranklinHero"Fascinated" (Featuring Justin Timberlake & Timbaland)2011FreeSol"Hands In The Air" (Featuring Ne-Yo)2012TimbalandStep Up Revolution: Music from the Motion Picture"Break Ya Back" (Featuring Dev)"Take It Easy On Me"2013Robin ThickeBlurred Lines"I Don't Have to Sleep to Dream"CherCloser to the Truth"Grown Woman" Beyoncé "Walk It Out" (Featuring Timbaland)2014Jennifer HudsonJHUD"Movin’ Bass" (Featuring Jay-Z)Rick RossHood Billionaire"If They Knew" (Featuring K. Michelle)"Yeah, I Said It"2016RihannaAnti"Dust My Shoulders Off" (Featuring Timbaland)Jane ZhangPast Progressive"Smile" (Featuring Timbaland)Yo GottiThe Art of Hustle"Too Much" (Featuring Timbaland)2018 Zayn MalikIcarus Falls"Bow Down (Homecoming Live)"2019BeyoncéHomecoming: The Live Album"Have Mercy"2021Chlöe"Keep Going Up" (With Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake)2023TimbalandTextbook Timbo
Full Mix, engineered and/or mastered projects + Albums with more than 80% Chris Godbey mixing/mastering/engineering credits, showing year released and album name Album Artist Year Label Kirk Franklin Presents 1NCKirk Franklin2000Interscope Records / MCA Records Tha Absolute TruthBig Tuck2006DSR / T-Town / Universal Music Group ThirstyMarvin Sapp2007Zomba / Verity Records Shock Value IITimbaland2009Mosley Music Group / Blackground Records The 20/20 ExperienceJustin Timberlake2013RCA Records The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 22013 Man of the Woods2018 Iconology (EP)Missy Elliott2019The Goldmind Inc. / Atlantic Records In PiecesChlöe2023Parkwood / Columbia Records Everything I Thought It WasJustin Timberlake2024RCA Records ResurrectionChlöe & Timbaland2026Parkwood / Columbia Records
Awards and nominations Year Ceremony Award ResultRef 2006 37th Annual GMA Dove Awards Dove Award for Urban Album of the Year (Hero) 2007 49th Annual Grammy Awards Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album (Hero) 2009 51st Annual Grammy Awards Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album (The Fight of My Life) 2015 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards Most Performed R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ("Tom Ford") 57th Annual Grammy Awards Grammy Award for Album of the Year (Beyoncé)
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