Thaddis "Kuk" Harrell is an
American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He was a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself,
Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius
"The Dream" Nash. In 2011, Kuk Harrell and partner Tricky Stewart joined the ranks of Fox's
American Idol along with music mogul
Jimmy Iovine, producing many of the songs performed on television by the contestants and released via
iTunes. 2011 marked the highly anticipated return of
Jennifer Lopez and her album LOVE? in which Kuk served as Album Vocal Producer. Earning his fourth Grammy for the vocal production of
Rihanna's No. 1 Billboard Single "Only Girl In The World", Harrell is also the vocal producer and co-writer of Rihanna's
Grammy-winning single "
Umbrella". A composer and engineer on Beyoncé's chart topping "
Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" from the album
I Am... Sasha Fierce, he is also vocal producer and engineer of the Diane Warren-penned "I Was Here" from
Beyoncé's 2011 album
4. He also produced the majority of the vocals on
Mary J. Blige's Platinum album
Growing Pains, which recently won a
Grammy for "Best Contemporary R&B Album", 2008. The first single from
Growing Pains, "
Just Fine", earned a Grammy nomination for best R&B vocal performance in 2007.