Producer/songwriter Dave Tozer — who worked on John Legend’s critically acclaimed Good Music/Columbia/SUM debut, “Get Lifted” — has secured a publishing pact. Tozer has inked a worldwide co-publishing agreement between his Tozertunes Publishing (BMI) and Famous Music Publishing, a division of Viacom’s Paramount Pictures.
Tozer first hooked up with Legend in Philadelphia, where he moved from his native South Jersey. The two have been collaborating for six years. Among the eight tracks Tozer contributed to Legend’s album are “I Can Change” featuring Snoop Dogg and the Kanye West-produced “Let’s Get Lifted.” On the album’s international version, Tozer’s co-writes include “Money Blown,” on which he plays guitar and bass and provides drum programming.
Tozer describes his songwriting style as “soulful and on the organic side. I like to mix classic R&B/soul with hip-hop and rock.” When he and Legend met, Tozer says, the two jammed on songs by Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson.
“Stay With You,” another “Get Lifted” cut produced and co-written by Tozer, is slated to air on an upcoming episode of UPN’s “Kevin Hill.” In the meantime, Tozer is working with RCA singer Heather Headley and rapper Consequence, who is on West’s Good Music label.
