For more than two decades, Bryan-Michael Cox has been one of the architects of modern R&B, stacking No. 1s, helping albums go diamond, and even earning a Guinness World Record for spending over five consecutive years on the Billboard charts, breaking a mark once held by The Beatles.
This edition of The Gentlemen’s Soundtrack is a tour through some of his most essential work, records that scored late-night drives, helped us through breakups, and love stories we’re still thinking about.
Each track here isn’t just a hit; it’s a masterclass in how Cox builds emotion through chords, melodies, and storytelling.
Usher: U Got It Bad
Arguably one of the definitive slow jams of the 2000s, U Got It Bad is peak Usher and prime Bryan-Michael Cox. Co-written by Usher, Jermaine Dupri, and Cox, with Dupri producing and Cox as co-producer, the record is built on guitar, a slow-burning bass line, and drums that feel like a heartbeat you can’t calm down. The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 twice and is a cult classic in R&B.
Mary J. Blige: Be Without You
If you’re talking about modern R&B standards, Be Without You has to come up. Co-written by Mary J. Blige, Johntá Austin, Jason Perry, and Cox, with Cox handling the main music production, the song is a piano-driven, hip-hop-soul ballad that is one of the greatest R&B songs of the century.
The track was later named the most successful R&B/Hip-Hop song of all time by Billboard in 2017. It also won Grammys for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, with Cox credited as a songwriter and producer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest R&B songs of the 2000s and a masterclass in blending emotional honesty with commercial appeal.
Nivea: Don’t Mess with My Man
Don’t Mess with My Man is B-Cox in his early-2000s bag, bouncy, melodic, and perfectly tailored for the early 2000s. Written by Cox and Brandon Casey (of Jagged Edge) and produced by Cox, the record pairs Nivea’s sweet vocal with a firm warning shot to anyone eyeing her relationship.
Sonically, the track blends bright keys and a groove with harmonies from Jagged Edge, showcasing Cox’s expertise in turning everyday relationship talk into something instantly sing-along ready. It’s fun, feminine, and confident, a perfect example of how Cox helped shape the sound of young, carefree R&B from the era.
Chris Brown: Say Goodbye
Say Goodbye is still regarded as one of Chris Brown’s defining R&B ballads, even though he was a teenager at the time. Written by Cox, Kendrick “WyldCard” Dean, and Adonis Shropshire, and produced by Cox, the ballad appears on Chris Brown’s debut album and was also featured on the Step Up soundtrack.
Aaliyah: Come Over (feat. Tank)
Originally recorded in 1999 and later released on Aaliyah’s posthumous compilation I Care 4 U, Come Over is one of those late-night, call-you-after-your-flight records that live in the quiet part of her catalog. Co-written by Cox alongside Austin, Kevin Hicks, and Phalon “Jazze Pha” Alexander, the track is produced by Cox, Hicks, and Jazze Pha. This track has been sampled and used so much in modern-day R&B, you forget Aaliyah never officially put it out.
Day26: Since You’ve Been Gone
Fresh off Making the Band, Day26 tapped Cox to help define their sound, and Since You’ve Been Gone is one of the clearest examples. Written by Dean, B-Cox, and Shropshire and produced by Cox and Shropshire, the song became the second single from their debut album.
It’s classic late-2000s R&B: stacked harmonies, big emotional chorus, and a beat that feels built for Contemporary R&B. Cox structures the record so each member gets a moment, but the throughline is heartbreak, a man realizing the silence after a breakup is louder than any argument.
Jagged Edge: Promise
Jagged Edge and Cox are one of R&B’s most trusted combinations, and Promise is one of their purest collaborations. Written by the group’s Brian and Brandon Casey alongside Gary Smith, Bert Young, Dupri, and B-Cox, the track sits on J.E. Heartbreak, an album co-produced largely by Dupri and Cox.
Promise spent two weeks at No. 1 on the US R&B chart and peaked at No. 9 on the Hot 100, later landing in the year-end Hot 100 rankings.
Check out The Gentlemen’s Soundtrack below.
