Daron Jones is a member of the platinum-selling R&B group 112. He is also a producer, who currently has one of the biggest hits on urban charts: Keyshia Cole&'s "I Should Have Cheated." The track is the No. 2 most-played song on urban radio and it peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's R&B charts. Daron also produced Biggie and R.Kelly's club classic, "F**king You Tonight," which is still hot in the clubs. He also has a song on Jamie Foxx's new album and Musiq's upcoming album.
And... in March 2006, he'll drop the first in a series of mix CDs tentatively entitled "DJ Music Presents: R&B Mixtape King: Vol 1," featuring original music from some of hip-hop/R&B's hottest stars, including Free (formerly of BET's "106th & Park"), Don P from Trillville, T.I., David Banner, Mike Jones, Keyshia Cole, Killah Mike, Lil Wayne, Bun B of UGK, Cassidy and of course his band mates, 112.
By the way, Daron also co-wrote "Cupid" from 112's self-titled debut, which would launch their career on Bad Boy Records.
After several Grammy, MTV, Billboard, BET, Soul Train Awards, American Music Award nomination, more than 7 million albums sold domestically, and 15 million worldwide with 112, Daron knows a hit when he hears one.
So it's no surprise he has song, "Forecast," on Jamie Foxx's J Records debut and "Good Love" on Musiq Soulchild's upcoming album. He's produced and written songs for a lot of folks, including Usher's "Separated," from his multi-platinum "8701" album, "Floatin' On Your Love" for The Isley Brothers' "Mission To Please" album, two songs - "Caramel Kisses" and "Love Will Pass You By" - on Faith's "Keep The Faith," "Secret Love" on Kelly Price's "Soul Of A Woman" and "Love Is Such A Crazy Thing" on Pink's multi-platinum album, "Can't Take Me Home." Daron has also produced tracks for hip-hop notables such as Bonecrusher, 8Ball, and the Notorious B.I.G. Star caught up with the busy Daron Jones for a little one-on-one...

Star - What do you think are the main ingredients to a good song, and then, what are the keys to a commercially successful song?
Daron - The main ingredient is an emotional

connection with people. From the beginning when I started doing music, it was all about connecting with people and making them feel good or sad or however the song is relates to them. It's about a personal connection with people. Commercially, there's no way you can put a formula to. It changes from one hit to the next. One main ingredient, though, is that connection with people.

Star - What do you look for in an artist? Or does the song come first, and if so, doesn't that hurt artist development?
Daron - It depends on the situation. Sometimes I feel just a song coming on, while other times the artist is the one that inspires me. They might say something or do something that shows their personality and then I might do something to matches that. Or they might have a story to tell and we work to put it down as a song. As a singer myself, when I'm creating a track or writing a song, I consider the style and sound of the artist. It's like being a fashion stylist, you have to know your client and be able to select songs that will fit their style and image. A song has to fit you like a pair of your favorite jeans. It has to cater to your curves, move when you move and just flow inside you. Nine times out of ten when I'm in the studio, I'm working by myself. A lot of my music and the songs I write are based upon concepts and then the artist I'

Star - How did the Keyshia Cole ("I Should Have Cheated") collaboration come about?
Daron - I wanted to create a song that men and women would identify with, but from a female's perspective. We've all had a moment when we're completely faithful, trying to do the right thing, resisting opportunities, but the person you're with still thinks you're cheating. It makes you feel like just going for yours. I wrote the hook and produced the track and Q (112 band mate) wrote the verses, then we started listening for the right voice. Originally the song was offered to Nivea, but