Roman GianArthur

Roman GianArthur is an R&B-rooted multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and engineer closely associated with Janelle Monáe's Wondaland syndicate. His name first appeared in liner note credits as an engineer on Big Boi Presents...Got Purp?, Vol. 2, released in 2005 with tracks by then-Big Boi protégé Monáe. GianArthur was a major contributor to Monáe's Grammy-nominated 2010 album The ArchAndroid. In 2013, through The Wondaland Arts Society, he released a sun-splashed midtempo funk single, "I-69," and he played a wide assortment of instruments and co-produced most of the tracks on Monáe's The Electric Lady, released later that year. Jidenna's Top 40 pop hit "Classic Man" brought him to the fore in 2015 as a featured artist. Later in the year, that song -- as well as GianArthur's own "iKnow" -- appeared on Wondaland Presents: The Eephus. ~ Andy Kellman