According to Okayplayer, the music industry was met with the passing of Dominique Trenier this weekend, a key force behind the likes of D’Angelo and Mark Ronson,
Trenier acted as manager, creative director, and executive producer for popular artists in the ’90s and 2000s. He drove D’Angelo’s 2000 comeback by conceiving the video for “Untitled (How Does It Feel” and producing the album Voodoo, which dominated charts. He has credits on the works of En Vogue, Freddie Jackson, Coolio, Nikka Costa, Debi Nova, and more.
With R. Kelly, Trenier produced the soundtrack for Space Jam, which includes music from R. Kelly, Seal, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, and Method Man. Seal in particular received heavy acclaim for his cover of “Fly Like an Eagle,” which would not have even happened had it not been for Trenier.
Ronson’s debut album also makes the list of the Ternier’s incredible contributions to the industry. Ronson wrote a three-part dedication to him on Instagram: “In the studio, he was the only person who’s opinion I held as important as my own. And I loved him. Being around him. Listening to his brillo-pad rasp wax poetically about music for hours on end—yes, he liked the sound of his own voice as much as we did. I treasure the memory of the late nights we would spend in the studio.”
The cause of death is still unknown. The industry leader was found dead in his home in Los Angeles on Friday, August 5.
