D. Arcelious “Swagg” Harris
Multi-platinum and Gold Grammy and Emmy Award-winning, as well as a five-time Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter, executive, and professor, Swagg R’Celious continues to make an innovative and creative mark on the music industry. The Sony Music Publishing-signed producer/writer has had career-defining opportunities to work with artists, writers, and producers such as H.E.R. (executive produced, co-wrote, and produced her Grammy Award-winning self-titled album and executive produced her second album, I Used to Know Her, which produced singles “Hard Place” and “Could’ve Been,” co-written and co-produced by Swagg), Kehlani, Snoh Aalegra, The Foo Fighters, Teyana Taylor, Wale, and many more.
Respected beyond the genres of hip hop and R&B music, Swagg's humble beginnings rooted in the church have evolved across cultural lines, collaborating with everyone from Korean pop star Hyo Lee to writing the score for the motion picture Stick Up Kids. He also has a strong passion for music education in music technology and has been featured as a guest lecturer at high schools, colleges, and universities. Swagg’s multi-dimensional, cross-genre approach is changing music today and has earned him chart-topping success in hip-hop, gospel, and R&B. Given his way with words, it is not surprising that the ever-evolving producer also enjoys speaking about his experiences and passion for music in workshop settings.
Swagg is passionate about music education. He is an adjunct professor at NYU Steinhardt and has developed courses for the songwriting curriculum—African American Music: Its Origins and Influence on Pop Music & Drums, DAWs & Drum Machine. He is also currently an adjunct professor at The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. His wider vision is to develop a platform that provides equal opportunities for Black and Brown creatives and magnifies the excellence they bring to the music industry. Swagg has just finished serving his term as a national trustee for the Recording Academy and is currently serving as governor for the New York Chapter of the Recording Academy, as well as co-chair of the Songwriters and Composers Committee.
He has ventured out, starting a music production company, Progressive Musik Group (PMG), and a new multimedia company, Water II Wine. His mission is to partner with, cultivate, and help artists and creatives find their voice, embracing disruptors and aspiring to push the creative envelope while providing an environment and infrastructure for creatives to develop their ideas and grow.
Swagg is currently back in the studio with H.E.R., working on her new album as a producer, writer, A&R, and creative consultant, and has a few film projects in the works.