Emile Haynie first gained traction through sample-driven rap productions before expanding into the role of producer and songwriter for expansive mainstream pop projects. Born in Buffalo, New York, he grew up near producer Cochise, who served as a mentor. He constructed a home studio and left high school after his freshman year. Following a relocation in the early 2000s to the Sunnyside section of Queens in New York City, he handled a remix of A.G. & Party Arty's "RUGD" in 2001 and produced C-Ray Walz & Plain Pat's "Gear Abby." Over the ensuing years, recording under the name Emile, he accumulated production credits with Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Rhymefest, including the Cochise collaboration "All I Do" that opened Blue Collar. Additional support went to Slaughterhouse, Ice Cube, and longtime associate Kid Cudi throughout the second half of the decade.
Entering the 2010s, Haynie maintained a heavy workload, overseeing most of Cudi's Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager along with Tinie Tempah's "Obsession" and Kanye West's "Runaway." Prior ties to Detroit rappers Proof and Obie Trice facilitated contributions to Eminem's Recovery, which received the Grammy for Best Rap Album the next February. Beginning in 2012 his efforts shifted primarily toward pop and rock releases. Key placements through 2014 included Lana Del Rey's Born to Die, Bruno Mars' "Gorilla" and "Locked Out of Heaven," the Rolling Stones' "Doom and Gloom," Drake's "Too Much," Eminem's "Headlights," and several tracks from FKA twigs' LP1. He later secured a solo deal with Interscope and tracked his debut album, We Fall, during the first half of 2014 while staying in a room at Los Angeles' Chateau Marmont. Drawing from the conclusion of a turbulent romantic relationship, the project featured assistance from artists spanning multiple generations, among them Randy Newman, Brian Wilson, Colin Blunstone, Annie Clark, and returning colleagues such as Del Rey, Jeff Bhasker, and Florence Welch. The album appeared in February 2015.
