[Record producer] Biographies & Profiles
Steve Stevens
Steve Stevens is an American guitarist best known for his work with Billy Idol and for winning a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1987 for the "Top Gun Anthem". He has also played with Michael Jackson, Ric Ocasek, Robert Palmer, Vince Neil and many others and was a founding member of the supergroup Bozzio Levin Stevens. Stevens has also been featured on the E! show Married to Rock with his wife Josie Stevens.
Martin Garrix
Martin Garrix, born Martijn Gerard Garritsen in 1996, is a Dutch DJ and music producer who gained iconic fame after topping the DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs list for three consecutive years (2016-2018). He is most recognized for his singles "Animals", "In The Name of Love", and "Scared To Be Lonely" and has performed at a variety of popular music festivals such as Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival and Ultra Music Festival. In 2014, Garrix became the youngest DJ to headline the Ultra Music Festival at just 17. He also resided at Spain's Hï Ibiza and Ushuaïa Ibiza and created his own record label Stmpd Rcrds in 2016 after leaving Spinnin' Records and signing with Sony Music.
Suge Knight
Marion Hugh "Suge" Knight Jr. is an American former record executive and the co-founder of Death Row Records. He is known for his pivotal role in popularising gangsta rap in the 90s, and his association with Tupac Shakur. Knight paid Shakur's bail and signed him to the label in 1995, and Shakur released his most successful album All Eyez on Me in 1996. After its release, Shakur was fatally shot and Knight was injured in the same incident. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg eventually left the label, and Knight was arrested for assault and associated violations of probation and parole. In 2018, he was sentenced to 28 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter in a fatal 2015 hit-and-run. He is a prime suspect in the murder of the Notorious B.I.G.
Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, film and television producer, and creator of the popular TV format Idols who is known for his work with world class talent. In 2020, he signed an exclusive agreement with tech firm TikTok and concluded an agreement with Verizon Communications to develop 5G content, and in 2021 Pearson PLC announced a partnership with Fuller to create a global education business in Performing Arts. He has been named one of 100 most influential people in the world by Time, certified as the most successful British music manager of all time by Billboard, and given an honorary degree by University of Brighton as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is estimated to be worth £445 million according to The Sunday Times Rich List.
DJ Snake
DJ Snake is an Algerian-French music producer and DJ who achieved international recognition in 2013 with the release of "Turn Down for What" and his collaboration with fellow French musician Alesia, "Bird Machine". He went on to work with Diplo on the single "Lean On" and was named as an "Artist to Watch" by FoxWeekly in 2014. In 2018, Billboard named him number nine on their 2018 ranking of dance musicians titled Billboard Dance 100.
Laidback Luke
Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen , better known under his stage name Laidback Luke, is a Dutch DJ and music producer. He notably remixed the Robin S. song, "Show Me Love" which charted at No. 11 on the UK charts in 2009. He is also the founder of Mixmash Records.
Armin van Buuren
Armin van Buuren is a Dutch DJ and record producer who, since 2001, has hosted a weekly radio show, A State of Trance, broadcasted to 84 countries over 100 FM radio stations. As a result of his success with A State of Trance, he has earned a number of awards, such as being ranked the number one DJ by DJ Mag five times, four years in a row, making him the fourth trance artist ever to be nominated for a Grammy Award, and setting the record in the US for most entries on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart with twenty-one.
Clive Davis
Clive Jay Davis is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer who has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer in 2000. His career spans from 1967 to 1973 as the president of Columbia Records, founder and president of Arista Records (1974-2000) until founding J Records, and chair and CEO of the RCA Music Group, J Records, and BMG North America up to 2008. He is credited with signing a number of artists that achieved significant success such as Sly and the Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, and Barry Manilow; and he currently serves as the chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment.
Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs is a Grammy-Award winning American record producer. He is best known for his work with some of the biggest names in the industry such as Nas, Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, Fugees, Fergie, Estelle, Black Thought, and Miguel. His productions are characterized by a unique blend of reggae and soul combined with a contemporary edge. He is recognized for his remarkable ability in creating powerful and unique soundscapes. He has produced several hit singles and albums, and won many awards. In addition to producing music, Salaam Remi Gibbs has also composed for films and television.
Oliver Heldens
Olivier J.L. Heldens is a Dutch DJ and electronic music producer from Rotterdam who is renowned as a pioneer of the future house genre. His numerous chart successes throughout his career include "Gecko", "Last All Night", "The Right Song", "Fire in My Soul" and "Turn Me On". He is also active as HI-LO, producing bass house songs, and runs his own label, Heldeep Records. As of February 2021, he is the 460th most-streamed artist on Spotify with over a billion cumulative streams.
Tragedy Khadafi
Percy Lee Chapman, also known as Tragedy Khadafi, is an American rapper and record producer from the Queensbridge Housing Projects in Queens, New York City. He is notable for being the first in the Queensbridge projects to create intelligent street music and is credited with coining the phrase "Illmatic" in 1988 on a record called "The Rebel" from Marley Marl's In Control, Volume 1. His production and influence has spawned many other hip hop artists such as Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga, and Nas.
Will.i.am
Will.i.am is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer with four solo albums released. He has also worked as a music producer for many famous artists such as A.R. Rahman, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj. His collaboration with the Black Eyed Peas have resulted in 41 top 40 entries on the UK Singles Chart since 1998 and seven Grammy Awards. Additionally, he has been a judge and mentor on The Voice UK, The Voice Australia, and The Voice Kids, where he won a Latin Grammy, a Daytime Emmy and seven Grammy Awards.
Robin Thicke
Robin Alan Thicke is an American singer, songwriter and record producer best known for his 2013 hit single 'Blurred Lines', which is one of the best-selling singles of all time. He has collaborated with a number of artists, such as Nicki Minaj, 3T, T.I., Christina Aguilera, Jessie J, K. Michelle, and Pharrell, for whom he composed songs for albums such as Usher's Confessions and Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III, while also releasing his own R&B singles, including 'Lost Without U', 'Magic', and 'Sex Therapy'. At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, he received nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and is currently a judge on the Fox musical competition show The Masked Singer. Thicke is a son of actress Gloria Loring and actor Alan Thicke.
ASAP Rocky
Rakim Athelaston Mayers, professionally known as ASAP Rocky, is an American rapper, producer and executive from Harlem. He is best known for his breakout single "Peso" released in 2011, which led to a joint venture record deal with Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records. His first studio album "Long. Live. A$AP" debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, gaining him recognition and leading to further commercial success. This was followed by his second album "At. Long. Last. A$AP" and third album "Testing", both of which achieved international success and earned Rocky two Grammy Award nominations and multiple awards such as the BET Award and MTV Video Music Award Japan. Rocky has also directed music videos for himself and other A$AP Mob members, as well as producing under the pseudonym Lord Flacko.
Tinie Tempah
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu, better known as Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper and owner of the entertainment company Disturbing London. After releasing several mixtapes, his debut album Disc-Overy was released in 2010, going platinum and achieving two Brit Awards for Best British Breakthrough Act and Best British Single. His second album Demonstration was released in 2013, reaching number three on the chart and being certified gold. In 2015, he released the single "Not Letting Go" from his third album, Youth, giving him the most number one singles for any UK rap artist.
Oliver Sykes
Oliver Scott Sykes is a British singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Bring Me the Horizon. He also founded the apparel company Drop Dead Clothing, and created a graphic novel.
Mac Miller
Mac Miller was an American rapper and record producer known for his debut album, Blue Slide Park, becoming the first independently distributed debut album to top the US Billboard 200 since 1995. He founded the record label imprint REMember Music in 2013 after signing with Warner Bros. Records in 2014. Miller went on to release four more studio albums before his death in 2018 at the age of 26 due to an accidental drug overdose. Throughout his career, he was an influential figure in Pittsburgh's hip hop scene, produced music under the pseudonym Larry Fisherman and often had lyrics that referenced his addiction and substance abuse.
Stromae
Belgian singer, rapper, songwriter and producer Paul van Haver, better known as Stromae, gained widespread recognition in 2009 for his blend of hip hop and electronic music, with his hit single "Alors on danse" topping several European charts. In 2013, his second album "Racine carrée" was a commercial success, selling 2 million copies in France and spawning two main singles: "Papaoutai" and "Formidable".
J. Cole
Jermaine Lamarr Cole is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he gained recognition for his debut mixtape The Come Up in 2007. He went on to release two additional critically acclaimed mixtapes, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights, before signing to Jay-Z's label, Roc Nation, in 2009. Throughout his career, Cole has released six studio albums, all of which have topped the US Billboard 200 and have been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. He has won several awards, including a Grammy Award, Billboard Music Award and 8 BET Hip Hop Awards. He has also founded Dreamville Records, a non-profit organization called the Dreamville Foundation and Revenge of the Dreamers III, all of which have achieved critical acclaim. Self-taught in piano, Cole produces music for artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Janet Jackson, as well as producing most of his own music. Additionally, he houses single mothers rent-free at his childhood home in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Chief Keef
Chief Keef is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer, who rose to fame during the early 2010s when his local single, "I Don't Like" remixed by Kanye West reached the Billboard Rap Top 20. This resulted in him signing with Interscope, whose debut album Finally Rich featured the singles "I Don't Like" and "Love Sosa", popularizing the Chicago rap subgenre "drill". Despite ongoing legal issues, he has continued to release projects through his own Glo Gang label including Nobody, Back from the Dead 2, Bang 3, and Thot Breaker. Keef is seen as having a great influence on other artists due to his popularity as the progenitor of the "drill" subgenre.
Young Thug
Young Thug, an American rapper, singer, and songwriter, is an influential figure in modern hip hop and trap music. He has released a series of independent mixtapes since 2011 and has gone on to become well-known for singles such as "Stoner", "Danny Glover", "The London", and "Hot". In 2019, he won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year with his contribution to Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” and in 2021, he released the compilation album Slime Language 2 which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Young Thug's second studio album, Punk, was released in October 2021 and entered the Billboard 200 at number one.
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender who, during his recording career, sold over 75 million records worldwide and won three Grammys, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists. Since the 1990s, journalists and alleged victims have accused Kelly of sexually abusing young fans and minors, which led to him being indicted in 2002 on child pornography charges. After the 2019 documentary television series Surviving R. Kelly re-examined these accusations, Kelly was arrested in July 2019 on federal charges and has been a federal prisoner since then. In 2021 and 2022, he was convicted of various offenses including violations of the Mann Act, racketeering, three child pornography charges, and three charges of enticing a minor. He has been sentenced to 30 years in prison and is currently an inmate of Metropolitan Correctional Center, Chicago challenging his convictions.
PartyNextDoor
Jahron Anthony Brathwaite, more commonly known as PartyNextDoor, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. In 2013, he was the first artist signed to rapper Drake's OVO Sound record label in a joint-venture with Warner Records. Following this, he released his first EP, self-titled PartyNextDoor, and went on to have success with the following EPs PartyNextDoor Two, PNDColours, and PartyNextDoor 3 released in 2014 and 2016 respectively. He has also achieved success as a songwriter having written "Work" which peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was released on Rihanna's album Anti, as well as "Wild Thoughts" which peaked at number 2.
Chance the Rapper
Chancellor Johnathan Bennett, better known as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He has garnered critical acclaim and mainstream attention since releasing his second mixtape Acid Rap in 2013 which won him three Grammy Awards and made it the first streaming only album to win the award. His debut studio album The Big Day was released in 2019. Bennett also has a strong connection with the Chicago community where he lives and is a member of the Chicago collective Savemoney and is the vocalist for the band the Social Experiment. He is highly involved in social activism in the community.
Kid Ink
Brian Todd Collins, known professionally as Kid Ink, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles. He has released several albums, EPs, and singles such as Up & Away (2012), Almost Home (EP, 2013), My Own Lane (2014), Full Speed (2015), Summer in the Winter (commercial mixtape, 2015), Promise (2016), RSS2 (2016), 7 Series (EP, 2017), Missed Calls (EP, 2018), YUSO (2018), and Alive (2021). He is best known for his hit singles such as "Show Me", "Iz U Down", "Main Chick", "Body Language", "Hotel", "Be Real", "F with U", and "YUSO".
21 Savage
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, known as 21 Savage, is a rapper based in Atlanta who is originally from London. He gained international acclaim with his collaborative EP Savage Mode and its singles “X” and “No Heart”; he then signed a recording contract with Epic Records, released two albums, Issa Album and I Am > I Was, and featured on Post Malone's hit single “Rockstar” and Drake's “Jimmy Cooks” in 2022, both of which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2019, 21 Savage was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and granted bond with an indefinite deportation hearing. His lawyers have stated that he had been legally residing in the U.S. since before the 2005 H-4 visa.
Krayzie Bone
Anthony Henderson , better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper, singer, producer, and entrepreneur. He is a member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
RZA
RZA is an American rapper, actor, filmmaker, and record producer best known for being the de facto leader of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, producing most albums for the group and its respective members. He has released solo albums under the alter-ego Bobby Digital and scored a number of films, most notably Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2. He has received wide recognition for his music production style, which is characterised by the use of soul samples and sparse beats, earning him spots on lists such as "The 20 Greatest Producers in the Magazine's Twenty-Year History" and "The 50 Greatest Producers Ever". Additionally, RZA has written and directed films, acted in numerous films and TV series, and was a founding member of the horrorcore group Gravediggaz.
Vince Staples
Vincent Jamal Staples is an acclaimed American rapper and singer signed to Motown and Blacksmith Records. He first rose to prominence with appearances on albums by members of Odd Future, as well as his collaborative mixtape Stolen Youth with producer Mac Miller. He has since released four studio albums, Hell Can Wait (2014), Summertime '06 (2015), FM! (2018) and Vincent (2021), along with the extended play Ramona Park Broke My Heart in 2022, all of which have been met with critical acclaim. Staples is renowned for incorporating avant-garde, dance and electronic influences into his music.
Juicy J
Juicy J is an American rapper and record producer from Memphis, Tennessee, who is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia. Juicy J is known for his Top 40 singles: Mike Will Made It's "23", Usher's "I Don't Mind" and his own single "Bandz a Make Her Dance", and is also the younger brother of frequent collaborator and fellow rapper Project Pat. He has released 4 solo albums and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for his single "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp". He has worked closely with Wiz Khalifa and Katy Perry, receiving a Grammy Award nomination for his feature on Perry's single "Dark Horse". Juicy J is still releasing music independently through his last album The Hustle Continues.
Ryan Lewis
Ryan Scott Lewis is a multi-talented American artist who has achieved success as a record producer, DJ, videographer, photographer, graphic designer, music video director, rapper, and songwriter. He is best known for his work with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, a duo he formed with rapper Macklemore in 2006. Lewis has produced and directed the music videos for their hit songs such as "Same Love", "Thrift Shop", and "Can't Hold Us". He has also designed promotional graphics used by the duo.
Armaan Malik
Armaan Malik is an Indian singer, songwriter, record producer, voice-over artist, performer, dancer and actor. His career began as a contestant in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs in 2006, where he finished in 8th place. His repertoire includes singing in Hindi, Telugu, English, Bengali, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu and Malayalam. He is represented by Warner Music India and Arista Records, and has a record label with Warner called Always Music Global. His first film appearance was in Kaccha Limboo in 2011. He is the brother of renowned music composer Amaal Mallik.
Joey Badass
Joey Badass is an American rapper, singer and actor from Brooklyn, New York City. He is a founding member of the hip-hop collective Pro Era and has released three mixtapes as well as numerous solo projects. His debut mixtape 1999 was released to critical acclaim in June 2012, and was followed by Rejex in September and Summer Knights in July 2013. In January 2015, his debut studio album, B4.Da.$$, was released. In 2016, he made his television debut on the USA Network series Mr. Robot. He followed this up with his second and third studio albums, All-Amerikkkan Badass and 2000, which were released in April 2017 and July 2022 respectively.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross is an American singer and actress who rose to prominence as the lead singer of The Supremes. She was part of the most successful Motown act during the 1960s and one of the world's bestselling girl groups, who had twelve number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Following her departure from the Supremes, Ross embarked on a successful solo career, with the hit album Diana Ross and the number-one single "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". She released multiple top-ten hits and achieved several global number-one singles, such as "Upside Down", "Endless Love" and "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". Ross achieved mainstream success as an actor, winning a Golden Globe Award for her role in Lady Sings the Blues. She was named the "Female Entertainer of the Century" by Billboard and had a record-breaking 33 consecutive years of having a UK top 10 hit. She has over 100 million record sales worldwide and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, receiving a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
Mike Shinoda
Michael Kenji Shinoda is an American musician, singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer, artist and graphic designer. He co-founded the rock band Linkin Park in 1996 and created the hip-hop-driven side project, Fort Minor, in 2004, whilst he was the band's collaborative vocalist, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, primary songwriter and producer. He is also the co-founder of Machine Shop Records, has painted several pieces of artwork, and released his debut solo album Post Traumatic in 2018, which was about his feelings following the death of his bandmate Chester Bennington.
Jonas Blue
Guy James Robin , known professionally as Jonas Blue, is an English DJ, record producer, songwriter, and remixer based in London. He is widely known for recruiting young artistes for his dance productions, which blends pop music.