Stephen Ellis Garrett (November 11, 1974 – February 25, 2008), also known as Static Major, was a Grammy Award-winning American recording artist and record producer from Louisville, Kentucky, USA. He was a member of the R&B trio Playa. Static Major gained posthumous fame for writing and appearing on Lil Wayne's 2008 album Tha Carter III on the song "Lollipop". He was a songwriter for several artists, including Ginuwine, Pretty Ricky, and Playa.
Static started his producing career when he signed Swing Mob. Major made a breakthrough working with R&B singer Ginuwine. Major helped produce the song "Pony" which became a major hit and a milestone in both Major's and Timbaland's careers. He later became a member of the Def Jam group Playa, who were most known for their hit single "Cheers 2 U". Playa released an album of the same name in 1997.
Static was frequently a collaborator with R&B group Pretty Ricky, working with them on several songs, including "Juicy", from their 2005 album Bluestars. His most recent work producing music was Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" from the album Tha Carter III. Suppertime is the solo album that Static Major was reportedly set to release on OG Music in 2008. Static worked along with Rudy Sandapa in producing "Fire Lovin'" by R&B musician Pleasure P on his album The Introduction of Marcus Cooper. Static had numerous leaked demos for Pleasure and many other artists including JoJo. "I stay in the streets, that's where I draw my inspiration," Static Major said describing where he gets his inspiration. "If it can't be played in the hood, then it just doesn't work for me. And nobody can hold me on harmony. My whole aura is not your typical R&B aura." Static re-emerged posthumously in 2018 on Drake's album Scorpion on the song "After Dark".
Garrett died suddenly at Baptist Hospital East in Louisville, Kentucky on February 25, 2008. After a number of tests over a 12 hour period, he was diagnosed with a rare condition called myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disorder with hallmark symptoms of muscle weakness and fatigue. Doctors recommended a procedure called plasmapheresis, a treatment similar to dialysis that removes the autoantibodies from the blood using an implanted catheter as a central line through the neck and into the chest area. A large-bore catheter must be inserted into the patient's arm to perform this procedure. No catheter was put in his arm, but he did have one in his neck. When a nurse was instructed to remove it, he went into respiratory distress and did not recover. In an interview with Vibe magazine, his wife disclosed that the catheter was misplaced and punctured a vein causing internal bleeding. The bleeding worsened when removed later by the nurse. This was eventually determined to be the cause of death and Garrett's wife was awarded an undisclosed sum of money in a malpractice lawsuit.