40 (music producer)
Noah James Shebib | |
|---|---|
| Born | Noah James Shebib March 31, 1983 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Other names | 40 |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer, songwriter, music executive, former child actor |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Known for | Extensive production partnership with Drake; co-founder of OVO Sound |
| Notable work | Production on Drake's albums including So Far Gone, Thank Me Later, Take Care, Nothing Was the Same, Views, Scorpion |
Noah James Shebib (born March 31, 1983), widely recognized as 40, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, music executive, and former child actor hailing from Toronto, Ontario. He is best known for his extensive production partnership with fellow Toronto artist Drake, playing a crucial role in shaping Drake's musical output since 2008. Shebib's signature ambient and downtempo production approach has become a defining element of Drake's sound. His production portfolio also features collaborations with artists such as Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Action Bronson, and Jamie Foxx.
In 2012, Shebib joined forces with Drake to establish the OVO Sound label, an imprint under Warner Records. Throughout his career, he has earned two Grammy Awards from a total of 20 nominations.
Early life
Noah James Shebib is the son of Lebanese Canadian filmmaker Donald Shebib and actress Tedde Moore, who is noted for her role in the 1983 film A Christmas Story; Moore was expecting him during its filming. On his maternal side, he descends from prominent Canadian theatre personalities including actor and educator Mavor Moore, theatre innovator Dora Mavor Moore, and economist James Mavor. His father’s heritage includes Irish roots. Shebib has three elder sisters named Zoe, Suzanna, and Chaunce. His education took place at Royal St. George's College followed by Humberside Collegiate Institute.
Acting career
Shebib’s early career was rooted in acting as a child performer, featuring in various television series and movies. His debut acting role was in the 1996 "Go Eat Worms" episode of the Goosebumps show. He secured a recurring part on the Gemini Award-winning drama Wind at My Back. Among his most notable performances was his teenage role in the critically praised film The Virgin Suicides. Additional smaller roles included appearances in The Last Don and Perfect Pie, with the latter marking his final acting project before retiring from the profession.
Music career
At the outset of his music journey, Shebib performed as DJ Chilly alongside MC Elite (Everett MacLean). He later shifted focus to music production, collaborating with Toronto-based artists such as Empire, Knamelis, Stolenowners, Christopher Morales, and Saukrates. His work ethic earned him the nickname "40 Days & 40 Nights," which was eventually shortened to "40," reflecting his habit of working through extended overnight studio sessions.
In 2005, Shebib began working with Aubrey Graham (later known as Drake), then a star on Degrassi, initially serving solely as a recording and mixing engineer without contributing to songwriting. After just three days of collaboration, he dedicated himself fully to Drake’s career with the ambition to "conquer the world together."
Shebib’s major breakthrough occurred in 2008 when he took on the executive producer role for Drake’s mixtape So Far Gone, partnering with Toronto producer Boi-1da. He was responsible for recording and mixing every track on the project and produced key songs like "The Calm," "Houstatlantavegas," "Bria's Interlude," and "Successful." These tracks were instrumental in establishing Drake’s distinctive sound. He continued to contribute to Drake’s debut studio album Thank Me Later and played a significant role in co-producing almost all tracks on the follow-up album Take Care, while also managing recording and mixing responsibilities.
Outside of his work with Drake, Shebib produced Lil Wayne’s "I'm Single" from the mixtape No Ceilings, Alicia Keys’ hit "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)", and JoJo’s track "Demonstrate."
In 2012, Shebib co-launched the OVO record label alongside Drake and Oliver El-Khatib. OVO often premieres music through its blog ahead of official releases; for instance, "Marvins Room" was shared shortly after its creation prior to its single release. More recently, Shebib co-produced Drake’s lead single "Started from the Bottom" along with other tracks.
He has also contributed production work to Drake’s third album Nothing Was the Same, fourth studio album Views, and Scorpion.
Production approach
Shebib has played a crucial role in defining Drake's sound, with their signature "moody, atmospheric vibe" significantly impacting the direction of hip hop. His production style is characterized by "minimalist, ambient, slow-tempo tracks" that emphasize somber synths, simple piano or guitar lines, understated drum patterns, and a cinematic mood. A prime example is "Marvins Room", which is mixed to be "quiet and dark," featuring prominent low-frequency tones while the vocals pierce clearly through the mix.
Personal background
At age 22 in 2005, Shebib was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an experience the National Multiple Sclerosis Society highlights to foster awareness and comprehension of the condition. His mother also battled the same illness. Alongside Zella Wolofsky, he provided care for his father during his final days. On October 12, 2022, Shebib was honored with an honorary Doctorate of Laws (LLD) from York University.
Palestine
In late 2023, Shebib endorsed the Artists4Ceasefire petition calling for an Israeli ceasefire in Gaza. He described feeling "deeply troubled" by the ongoing conflict and personally influenced Drake, who is recognized as one of the most high-profile Jewish artists, to add his signature as well.
Lebanon
Shebib has demonstrated support for Lebanon, reflecting his paternal heritage. Following the 2020 Beirut port explosion, the OVO fashion brand, which Shebib co-owns, released a collection of hoodies and T-shirts. All profits from these items were donated to the Lebanese Red Cross. The apparel prominently displayed the OVO owl logo merged with the Lebanese flag.
Produced singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 |
US R&B/Hip-Hop |
US Rap |
AUS ARIA |
CAN Canadian Hot 100 |
GER Media Control Charts |
IRL Irish Singles Chart |
NZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand |
SWI Swiss Music Charts |
UK UK Singles Chart | ||||
| "Successful" (Drake feat. Trey Songz) |
2009 | 17 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
So Far Gone / Ready |
| "I'm Single" (Lil Wayne) |
2010 | 82 | 38 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I Am Not a Human Being | |
| "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" (Alicia Keys) |
21 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
The Element of Freedom | |
| "Miss Me" (Drake feat. Lil Wayne) |
15 | 3 | 2 | — | 73 | — | — | — | — | — |
|
Thank Me Later | |
| "Fancy" (Drake feat. T.I. & Swizz Beatz) |
25 | 4 | 1 | — | 54 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Fall for Your Type" (Jamie Foxx feat. Drake) |
50 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Over" (Drake) |
14 | 2 | 1 | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — |
|
Best Night of My Life | |
| "I'm on One" (DJ Khaled feat. Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne) |
2011 | 10 | 1 | 1 | — | 67 | — | — | — | — | 78 |
|
We the Best Forever |
| "Headlines" (Drake) |
13 | 1 | 1 | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | 57 |
|
Take Care | |
| "Still Got It" (Tyga feat. Drake) |
89 | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Careless World | ||
| "Take Care" (Drake feat. Rihanna) |
2012 | 7 | 26 | 2 | 9 | 15 | — | 18 | 7 | 50 | 9 |
|
Take Care |
| "Enough Said" (Aaliyah feat. Drake) |
— | 55 | — | ||||||||||
| "Demonstrate" (JoJo) |
— | ||||||||||||
| "Fuckin' Problems" (ASAP Rocky feat. Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar) |
8 | 2 | 2 | 78 | 65 | 86 | 65 | 50 |
|
Long. Live. ASAP | |||
| "No Lie " (2 Chainz feat. Drake) |
24 | 1 |
|
Based on a T.R.U. Story | |||||||||
| "Started from the Bottom" (Drake) |
2013 | 6 | 2 | 93 | 36 | 25 |
|
Nothing Was the Same | |||||
| "No New Friends" (DJ Khaled feat. Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne) |
37 | 9 | 106 |
|
Suffering from Success | ||||||||
| "Hold On, We're Going Home" (Drake feat. Majid Jordan) |
4 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 52 | 18 | 9 | 55 | 4 |
|
Nothing Was the Same | ||
| "All Me" (Drake feat. 2 Chainz & Big Sean) |
20 | 6 | 4 | 90 | 86 |
| |||||||
| "Trophies" (Young Money feat. Drake) |
2014 | 50 | 13 | Young Money Rise of an Empire | |||||||||
| "Actin Crazy" (Action Bronson) |
2015 | 'Mr. Wonderful' | |||||||||||
| "My Love" (Majid Jordan feat. Drake) |
'Majid Jordan' | ||||||||||||
| "Summer Sixteen" (Drake) |
2016
6|||1|||1|||25|||12|||97|||71|||46|||63|||23 |
|
|||||||||||
| "Come and See Me" (PartyNextDoor feat. Drake) 55|||21|||||||||| |
|
'P3' | |||||||||||
| "One Dance" (Drake feat. Wizkid & Kyla) 1|||1|||1|||1|||1|||1|||1|||1|||1|||1 |
|
'Views' | |||||||||||
| "Work" (Rihanna feat. Drake) 1|||1||||5|||1|||5|||2|||9|||2 |
|
'Anti' | |||||||||||
| "Glow" (Drake feat. Kanye West)" 2017 54|||30||||37||||65|||9||||55 |
'More Life' | ||||||||||||
| "Signs"
36|||14||||32|||12||||59|||27|||36|||26 |
|
'Non-album single' | |||||||||||
| "Nice for What" (Drake)" 2018 1|||1|||1|||1|||1||||9|||2|||1;;;7;;;1;;; |
|
'Scorpion' | |||||||||||
| "God's Plan"
1;;;1;;;1;;;1;;;1;;;;;;;; |
|
'Scorpion' | |||||||||||
| "Don't Matter to Me" (with Michael Jackson)" 9;;;8;;;;;;;; |
|
'Scorpion' | |||||||||||
| "In My Feelings"
1;;;1;;;1;;;2;;;;;;;;;; |
|
'Scorpion' | |||||||||||
| "No Guidance" (Chris Brown feat. Drake)" 5;;;2;;;7;;;7;;;;19;;17;;29;;6;; |
|
'Indigo' | |||||||||||
| "Money in the Grave" (feat. Rick Ross)" 2019 7;;;3;;;2;;;7;;;5;;;;113;;18;;7;;32;; |
|
'The Best in the World Pack' | |||||||||||
| "Toosie Slide"
2020 1;;;1;;;1;;;3;;;2;;;;;;; |
|
'Dark Lane Demo Tapes' | |||||||||||
| "Laugh Now Cry Later" (feat. Lil Durk)" 2;;;2;;;1;;;1;;;3;;;;;;; |
|
'Certified Lover Boy' | |||||||||||
| "What's Next"
2021 1;;;1;;;7;;;12;;;;14;;4;; |
|
'Scary Hours 2' | |||||||||||
| "Wants and Needs" (feat. Lil Baby)" 2;;;2;;;15;;;;20;;;;24;;10;; |
|
'Scary Hours 2' | |||||||||||
| "Lemon Pepper Freestyle" (feat. Rick Ross)" 3;;;3;;;26;;;;11;;;;-;;;;6;; | |||||||||||||
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, bestowed yearly by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, recognize outstanding achievements in the music industry.
|- |rowspan="1"|2011 |Thank Me Later |Best Rap Album | |- ||2012 |Loud |Album of the Year | |- |rowspan="2"|2013 |Take Care |Best Rap Album | |- |"The Motto" |rowspan="3"|Best Rap Song | |- |rowspan="3"|2014 |"Started from the Bottom" | |- |"Fuckin' Problems (Explicit)" | |- |Nothing Was the Same |Best Rap Album | |- |rowspan="2"|2015 |"0 to 100 / The Catch Up" |Best Rap Song | |- |Beyoncé |Album of the Year | |- |rowspan="1"|2016 |If You're Reading This It's Too Late |Best Rap Album | |- |rowspan="3"|2017 |Views |Album of the Year | |- |"Work" |Record of the Year | |- |"Come and See Me" |Best R&B Song | |- |rowspan="4"|2019 |Scorpion |Album of the Year | |- |rowspan="3"|"God's Plan" |Record of the Year | |- |Song of the Year | |- |Best Rap Song | |- |2020 |"No Guidance" |Best R&B Song | }