Johnta Austin

Johntá Moore Austin ( jon-TAY; born June 28, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, record producer, and rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is best known for his production and songwriting work on hometown native Jermaine Dupri's record label, So So Def Recordings during the mid-2000s.

As a recording artist, Austin signed with the label prior to his guest appearance on Dupri's 2005 single "Gotta Getcha", which entered the Billboard Hot 100. The following year, his guest performance alongside Chris Brown on labelmate Bow Wow's 2006 single "Shortie Like Mine" peaked within the top ten of the chart; the following year, his appearance alongside T-Pain on Bow Wow's single, "Outta My System" peaked within the top 40. As a lead artist, Austin released a number of singles—including "Turn It Up" in 2005—in promotion for his debut studio album Ocean Drive, which was never released.

As a staff songwriter for So So Def, Austin's songwriting credits often accompanied Dupri's production, while he also collaborated with producer Bryan-Michael Cox and the duo StarGate. He won two Grammy Awards for his work on the songs "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey and "Be Without You" by Mary J. Blige.