Benny Benassi
Background information
Birth name	Marco Benassi
Also known as	Benny B., Benny Bee
Born	(1967-07-13) July 13, 1967 (age 44)[1]
Origin	Reggio Emilia, Italy
Genres	House Techno Trance Electro Eurodance
Occupations	DJ, producer, remixer
Years active	Late 1980s–present
Labels	Energy Prod. - D:Vision, Airplay, Ministry of Sound, Ultra
Associated acts	Benassi Bros., Madonna, Chris Brown, Bat67, The Biz, FB, KMC, M&M, Two Men, Skrillex, Gary Go
Website	www.bennybenassi.com

Marco Benassi (born July 13, 1967),^[1] better known as Benny Benassi, is an Italian disc jockey (DJ) and record producer of tech house music. He is best known for his 2002 summer club hit "Satisfaction". On October 28, 2009, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, with Ultra Records artist Benny Benassi placed #26, 13 spots higher than the previous year.^[2]

Career[link]

Benny Benassi at Electric Daisy Carnival 2009.

A native of Reggio Emilia, DJ/producer Benassi, started DJing alongside cousin Alle Benassi in the late 1980s in their hometown, before moving to Larry Pignagnoli's Off Limits production studio in the mid 1990s, creating music for various acts, including Whigfield, J.K. and Ally & Jo.

Benassi first hit the dance floors with projects of his own, in 2001, with the single "I Feel So Fine", released under the name KMC with vocals by Dhany. The track first climbed the charts in Benassi's native Italy, and soon became a #1 hit in the UK club charts.^[1]

Moving from house to electro, "Satisfaction" took Benassi's success worldwide a year later with high-profile DJs like Carl Cox, Darren Emerson, and Roger Sanchez offering praises. The track reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart after the Ministry of Sound record company replaced the original video (an almost still picture of the band, overlayed with graphics) with a video of models using power tools.

Released in 2003, the "campy" and "quirky" Hypnotica was Benassi's solo debut album. At the end of 2004, he won the European Border Breakers Award for Hypnotica, which racked up the most sales for an Italian album outside Italy.

Benassi often works with vocalists Paul French and Violeta, who are collectively known as The Biz. He produced a group with cousin Alle, called Benassi Bros., a project designed to shine the spotlight on the two Biz vocalists, Paul French and Violeta Claudia and other guest singers. A year after the release of Hypnotica, thr album Pumphonia marked their first full length release. And, in 2005, Benassi Bros. released their second album …Phobia.

Some of Benassi's singles have charted high in the United Kingdom and have been played worldwide in clubs. Remixes for OutKast, Goldfrapp, and Felix da Housecat followed. Benassi also remixes music of his contemporaries, such as Tomcraft and Fischerspooner.

In 2005, Benassi founded the record label Pump-Kin Music. The focus of the label is primarily new and unsigned producers. The stated aim of the venture is to give exposure to some of the lesser known DJ/production talent across the world.

In August 2007, Benassi released a remix of Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise". The video for the track was created by Eclectic Method and features a montage of live footage from Public Enemy. It premiered on imeem.com. In February 2008, "Bring the Noise" won a Grammy for best Remix (Dance).

His album Rock 'n' Rave was released on June 16, 2008. The first single from the album was "I Am Not Drunk."

Benassi also broadcasts the one-hour long The Benny Benassi Show on Sirius XM Radio's channel Area.^[3]

In 2009, he worked with Madonna on a remix for her single "Celebration" which was included on the official music video for the song.

In 2010, Benassi released "Electro Sixteen", a video for Benny Benassi vs. "Iggy Pop", “Electro Sixteen,” published by Ultra Records, which is an experimental music video featuring more than 15,000 photographs from his DJ set at New York’s Electric Zoo Festival.^[4]

On May 24, 2010, "Spaceship", which featured Kelis, apl.de.ap and Jean-Baptiste, was selected as the Song of the Day on About.com, with the site calling Benassi's production "tight and melodic, [while] Kelis turns in a fantastic performance." The single was released via digital download on August 21, and charted at #18 on the UK Dance singles chart on August 28."^[5]

On January 23, 2011, Benny Benassi released the music video for "Electroman", a single featuring T-Pain.

Benassi is featured on the track "Beautiful People", off Chris Brown's latest album, F.A.M.E..^{[clarification needed][citation needed]}

On June 7, Benny Benassi released a new album titled Electroman, which includes several singles, such as "Cinema", "Electroman", "Spaceship" and "Control".^[6]

In 2012, working for the second time with Madonna he produced 3 tracks for her studio album MDNA: "Girl Gone Wild", "I'm Addicted" and "Best Friend".

Discography[link]

• Hypnotica (2003)
• Pumphonia (2004)
• ...Phobia (2005)
• Rock 'n' Rave (2008)
• Electroman (2011)

Awards and nominations[link]

• 2011 - Benny Benassi was rated #27 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJS.
• Benny Benassi recently was rated #7 on DJ Poll Top 100 on www.thedjlist.com.
• 2008 - Benny Benassi won the Best Remixed Recording at the 50th Grammy Awards for his remix of Public Enemy's Bring the Noise.
• 2006 - Benny Benassi "Hit my Heart" opened The 2006 Victoria Secret Fashion Show.
• 2004 - Three nominations at Dancestar, Miami and won the best video award.
• 2004 - DJ MAG's Top 100 DJs: Benny became number eighteen, the highest new entry.
• 2004 - European Border Breakers Award for Hypnotica, the Italian album that sold most in Europe outside Italy.
• 2003 - Number one in the Top 100 dance tracks on the Ministry of Sound Internet radio.
• 2003 - DJ MAG tune of the year in UK.
• 2003 - Revelation of the year – Italian Dance Music Awards.
• 2003 - Dance revelation of the year – Danish Music Award.
• 2003 - Nominated for international revelation of the year – NRJ Awards, France.

See also[link]

• 'Benassi pumping'

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Benny Benassi

• Official website
• Artist Site at Ultra Records
• Fan site

Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi performing in Denver, Colorado in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi
Born	(1984-01-30) January 30, 1984 (age 28) Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Genres	Alternative hip hop, neo-psychedelia, pop rock
Occupations	Rapper, singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, drums
Years active	2003–present
Labels	GOOD, Universal Republic,[1] Wicked Awesome
Associated acts	WZRD, Dot da Genius, Kanye West, Chip tha Ripper, Ratatat
Website	www.KidCudi.com

Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi^[2] (born January 30, 1984),^[3] better known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( /ˈkɪd ˈkʌdi/ KID KUD-ee), sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American alternative hip hop recording artist, singer-songwriter, guitarist and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. "Day 'n' Nite" was included on Cudi's debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day, which was later certified Gold. In 2010 he released his second studio album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, preceded by the release of two singles "Erase Me" and "Mr. Rager". In October 2010, Cudi announced that he would be forming a rock band with Dot da Genius called 'Wizard', later renamed WZRD. Their self-titled debut album was released on February 28, 2012.^[4] Kid Cudi has sold over 4.6 million digital singles and has worked with Kanye West, Common, David Guetta and other artists signed to the GOOD Music label.^[5]

In 2009 Cudi, along with record producers Patrick "Plain Pat" Reynolds and Emile Haynie launched their record label, Dream On, in partnership with Kanye West's GOOD Music and Universal Motown. On February 26, 2011 Cudi took to his Twitter account to announce that the label had been dissolved due to differences. In April 2011, while performing at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom Kid Cudi announced he was launching his own label: "Wicked Awesome Records".

Biography[link]

1984-2008: Early life and career beginnings[link]

Kid Cudi was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in Shaker Heights and Solon. He is the youngest of four children, with two brothers, Domingo and Dean, and a sister, Maisha.^[6] His father, a house painter, substitute teacher and World War II Air Force veteran was Mexican-Native American, while his mother, a middle-school choir teacher at Roxboro Middle School, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, is African-American.^[7][8] When he was eleven years old, Mescudi's father died of cancer; his passing would have a significant effect on Mescudi's personality and subsequently his music.^[8] Mescudi attended Shaker Heights High School for two years, then transferred to Solon High School, and later earned his GED. Eventually, Mescudi studied film at the University of Toledo then dropped out after a year.^[6]

It was towards the end of high school that Mescudi first began rapping, inspired by alternative hip hop groups such as The Pharcyde and A Tribe Called Quest.^[8] He moved to Brooklyn in New York City to pursue a music career.^[2] In July 2008, Kid Cudi released his first mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi, in collaboration with New York street-wear brand 10.Deep as a free download.^[9] The mixtape quickly caught the attention of Kanye West, which in turn spawned his signing to GOOD Music later that year.

Kid Cudi was featured on Kanye West's 2008 album, 808s & Heartbreak, singing with West on the track "Welcome to Heartbreak", and helping with songwriting on "Heartless" and "Paranoid". "Welcome to Heartbreak" peaked at #87 on the Pop 100,^[10] and music videos for both songs have been released. Cudi was then tipped as an artist to watch for in media such as Rolling Stone, Vibe, The Source, XXL and BBC News's Sound of 2009 poll of up-and-coming acts.^[11] MTV News also reported on Cudi on a series of reports MCs To Watch In 2009.^[12]

Kid Cudi performing at Central Park Summerstage in New York City, in 2008.

His first television appearance was at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, alongside Travis Barker and DJ AM. On February 17, 2009, he appeared on Snoop Dogg's MTV talk show Dogg After Dark performing "Day 'n' Nite" at the end of the show. Two days later on February 19, 2009, Cudi appeared on BET's 106 & Park with Kanye West to debut the video of "Day 'n' Nite". On March 16, 2009 Kid Cudi performed on mtvU's Spring Break special, and the next day he performed three songs on NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly. He has also appeared as a musical guest on The Late Show with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Kid Cudi also made a cameo appearance next to Solange in the video for the song "T.O.N.Y." in February 2009, and later in The Black Eyed Peas' video for "I Gotta Feeling", with David Guetta. He has also been on two magazine covers, Complex (August/September 2009) and URB (August 2009). Bape awarded Cudi his own t-shirt in September 2009, in reward for his music and past employment there when living in New York City.

[edit] 2009–2010: Man on the Moon series

Kid Cudi performing on August 6, 2009.

Cudi's debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day was released on Universal Motown Records on September 15, 2009^[13] and sold 104,419 copies in the first week and charted at #4.^[14] The album's lead single "Day 'n' Nite", Kid Cudi's greatest commercial success thus far, charted well both in the U.S. and in Europe. The second single was "Make Her Say" (originally titled "I Poke Her Face"), which features a sample from Lady Gaga's hit single "Poker Face" and performances by Kanye West and Common.^[15][16]

On February 25, 2009, Cudi self-leaked a "teaser trailer" ^[17] for the upcoming Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen film using his song "Sky Might Fall" in the background, later he posted that he made the trailer himself and was in talks to possibly make it official.^[18]

With Emile Haynie, Cudi produced an exclusive single called "Switchin Lanes" for the video game Midnight Club: Los Angeles, part of its "South Central Premium Upgrade" downloadable content (DLC) which came out March 19, 2009 for the PlayStation 3 and March 27, 2009 for the Xbox 360.^[19]

He revealed information about his future plans via his blog, saying that a possible collaboration with Chip tha Ripper could be followed with a collaboration project with electrorock duo Ratatat.^[20] During the summer of 2009, Cudi joined rapper Asher Roth for the Great Hangover concert tour.^[21] Kid Cudi was featured on the highly anticipated Jay-Z album The Blueprint 3 (2009), on the song "Already Home".^[22] In a late 2009 interview, Cudi announced that the follow-up to his debut album will be a collaboration album called Cudder and the Revolution of Evolution. He stated he has already recorded songs with Snoop Dogg, Travis Barker, Clipse, Cage and Pharrell and would also like to work with Drake, Green Day, Kings of Leon, Robin Thicke, The Killers and The Postal Service on the album. Also it was rumored that Man on the Moon: The End of Day will be followed up by a sequel titled Man on the Moon: The Ghost in the Machine and that the Man on the Moon will be a trilogy, but was not been confirmed.^[23] Kid Cudi was nominated for three 2010 Grammy Awards for his singles, "Day 'n' Nite" and "Make Her Say".^[24] Kid Cudi was featured on Snoop Dogg's re-release of Malice n Wonderland, More Malice (2010), on the song "That Tree",^[25] as well as teaming up with Johnny Polygon to remix Polygon's "The Riot Song" which appears on his mixtape, Rebel Without Applause(2010)^[26] On April 20, 2010, Kid Cudi announced that the name of his second album has been changed from Cudder and the Revolution of Evolution to Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager.^[27][28] On June 11, 2010, Kid Cudi was arrested in the Chelsea neighborhood of the Manhattan borough New York City and charged with felony criminal mischief and possession of a controlled substance.^[29] Despite his arrest, he was released and made it to Manchester, Tennessee in time to play at Bonnaroo.

The lead single for Cudi's second studio album titled "Erase Me" featuring Kanye West and produced by Jim Jonsin, debuted on a Cleveland radio station June 30, 2010 and was officially released to Rhythm/Crossover radio on August 17, 2010.^{[30][31][32][33]} The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 169,000 copies.^[34] In its second week it crossed the 200,000 sales mark.^[35] 2010 also featured Kid Cudi on a number of songs for Kanye West's weekly free music giveaway G.O.O.D. Fridays appearing on "Good Friday", "Christian Dior Denim Flow" and "The Joy", which later became a bonus track on Jay-Z and Kanye West collaborative effort Watch the Throne (2011).

2011-present: New direction and WZRD[link]

In October 2010, Cudi announced that he would be forming a rock band with Dot da Genius tentatively called 'Wizard'.^[36] However, in early 2011, he announced that he would be releasing a mixtape prior to the rock album.^[37] On February 26, 2011 Cudi took to his Twitter account to announce that Dream On, the record label he launched back in 2009 with partners Patrick “Plain Pat” Reynolds and producer Emile Haynie, has been dissolved.^[38] However in an interview with Complex Magazine he explained they were still on good terms: "I wanted to try something new, and I wanted to take control of things myself. Those are still my guys, Pat and Emile, and I'm still going to work with them in the future. When we start working on Man on the Moon III I’ll be calling them up to see if they want to be a part of it. I know Emile is definitely down. We had an issue, but we’re men and we were able to figure it out and move forward. There’s no hard feelings."^[39]

In March 2011, Cudi announced that a music video for "Marijuana" will be released in the spring,^[40] followed by a music video for "Mr. Rager" in the summer of 2011.^[40] As well as a short film inspired by his song "Maniac" with Cage, directed by Shia LaBeouf^[41] will be released in October 2011.^{[dated info][40]}

In April 2011, while performing at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom Kid Cudi announced name of the record label he is launching. The new label, which he will be releasing his third studio album on is called “Wicked Awesome Records”. He also renamed his band on the same occasion to '2 Be Continuum' renaming it from the original 'Wizard'. Kid Cudi explained his reasoning saying: "I needed something more original, something different, but it’s still wizardry at its finest."^[42] On August 12, 2011, Kid Cudi released the music video for "No One Believes Me", directed by Fright Night director Craig Gillespie. Although the song was recorded as a collaborative song with Dot da Genius, the single was released under Kid Cudi's name.^[43] On August 21, Cudi announced that he is no longer releasing the mixtape A Man Named Scott so that he can focus on his rock project and his third solo album Man on the Moon III.^[44] Kid Cudi released a video for Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager's title track "Mr. Rager" on September 8, 2011. The video has received all-positive reviews from critics and fans alike.^[45]

Despite saying he will not do many more features for other artists in Complex magazine's October/November 2011 cover story,^[46] he appeared on Bryan Greenberg's second studio album We Don't Have Forever (2011), Travis Barker's Give the Drummer Some (2011), The Knux's Eraser (2011), and Wale's Ambition (2011) respectively.

On October 30, Cudi released the Maniac, a short horror film co-starring Cage and directed by Shia LaBeouf, through his blog.^[47]

On November 13, 2011, a previously unreleased mixtape of material Cudi had recorded from 2002-2003 titled Rap Hard was released. On November 18, 2011 renamed his band, for the second time to 'WZRD'.^[48] He also announced that the upcoming rock project will be released on his 28th birthday, January 30, 2012.

In late 2011, Cudi was mentioned in a viral video by Ben Breedlove about his near death experiences.^[49] After Breedlove's death on December 26, 2011, Cudi commented on his thoughts about inspiring the young kid. "I am so sad about Ben Breedlove," Kid Cudi wrote on his Tumblr blog. "I watched the video he left for the world to see, and him seeing me in detail, in his vision really warmed my heart. I broke down, I am to tears because I hate how life is so unfair. This has really touched my heart in a way I cant describe, this is why I do what I do. Why I write my life, and why I love you all so much. Life is really f---- up sometimes, but I know Ben is at Peace, and I hope he gets a chance to sit and talk with my Dad. We love you Ben. Forever. Thank you for loving me. To Ben’s family, you raised a real hero, he’s definitely mine. You have my love."

In January 2012 Cudi appeared on two songs off Chip tha Ripper's mixtape Tell Ya Friends, "Ride 4 You" which also featured Far East Movement and "GloryUs" which credited the duo as they are collectively known, The Almighty GloryUs, which led to speculation that a project from the two was underway. On January 31, Cudi announced through his Twitter feed that he had completed Man on the Moon III and that his next album was the collaborative effort with Chip tha Ripper.^[50] In 2012 Cudi was featured on the soundtrack to the film The Hunger Games, crafting an original song for the film titled "The Ruler and the Killer". Cudi wrote on Twitter, "I could not have done it with out my producing partners on the project for the film, The legendary and Godly T Bone Burnett and Greg Wells!", referring to "The Ruler and the Killer"^[51]

While working on WZRD, Cudi claims he had writer's block for almost 5 months because of his new sobriety. Something that never has happened to him for such an extended period of time. According to Kid Cudi, bands that inspired the album include Electric Light Orchestra, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana and Pink Floyd. The album includes a song titled "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?", a cover of the same titled song by Nirvana who in turn was inspired by blues guitar legend Lead Belly's rendition of the traditional folk song.^[52]

Acting career[link]

Kid Cudi starred in the new HBO comedy series How to Make It in America until its cancellation after 2 seasons. He is credited under his real name.^[53]

Personal life[link]

On March 26, 2010, his daughter, Vada Wamwene Mescudi, was born.^[54][55]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009)
• Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010)
• Man on the Moon III (2012)^[56]

Collaborative albums

• WZRD (2012) (with Dot da Genius as WZRD)^[37]
• Cruel Summer (2012) (with GOOD Music)^[57]
• The Almighty GloryUS (TBA) (with Chip tha Ripper)

Mixtapes

• A Kid Named Cudi (2008)

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kid Cudi

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DJ Fresh
Background information
Birth name	Daniel Stein
Also known as	DJ Fresh, Fresh, Mosquito, Absolute Zero
Origin	England
Genres	Drum and bass, Dubstep
Occupations	Record producer, DJ, Musician
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Breakbeat Kaos, Data Records, Ram Records, V Records, Valve Recordings
Associated acts	Bad Company UK, Pendulum, Tenor Fly, $pyda, Adam F, Andy C, Deekline & Wizard, Ivory, Soundweapon, Stamina MC, Koko, Ce'Cile, Sigma, DJ Shadow, DJ Hype, Darrison, Mary Byker, Baron, Swift, Valkyrie, Sian Evans, Rita Ora, Dizzee Rascal.
Website	http://www.thedjfresh.com/

DJ Fresh (born as Daniel Stein) is an English Drum & Bass and Dubstep producer and DJ. He was one of the principal members of drum & bass supergroup, Bad Company,^[1] alongside Darren White (dBridge), Jason Maldini, and Michael Wojcicki (Vegas). He also owns and runs the pioneering drum & bass label Breakbeat Kaos with Adam F.

Career[link]

Early success and 'Escape from Planet Monday' (1998 - 2008)[link]

The cover for Escape From Planet Monday

Along with the three other members of Bad Company, Fresh founded the record label BC Recordings, as well as the website Dogs On Acid.^[2] Bad Company are heralded as one of the finest drum & bass acts ever, having produced numerous genre-defining tracks. Undoubtedly their most renowned track is "The Nine", a track released in 1998 when Fresh was just 21 years old. "The Nine" was later voted the greatest drum & bass track of all time by readers of Knowledge Magazine^[3]

Resuming his solo career in 2002, Fresh founded Breakbeat Punk, which merged with Adam F's Kaos Recordings to become Breakbeat Kaos in 2003.^[4] In 2004 Dogs on Acid was given its own imprint.

Fresh has worked with artists ranging from Pet Shop Boys, DJ Shadow, Apollo 440 to Andy C and Grooverider, and has also held a working relationship with the drum and bass trio Pendulum, whom he signed to Breakbeat Kaos in 2005.^[5]

Fresh has had his own tracks included on a number of remix CDs, including the 2006 release Jungle Sound: The Bassline Strikes Back!, Andy C's Nightlife series, DJ Hype's Drum and Bass Warfare, and Goldie's Drum and Bass Classics.

In 2006, Fresh released his first studio album, Escape from Planet Monday, featuring "The Immortal", "X Project", "Nervous" and "All that Jazz" on Breakbeat Kaos.

A 100% Pure Mix of X Project was featured in the video games Wipeout Pulse (2007) and Wipeout HD (2008).

'Kryptonite' and commercial success (2009 - 2011)[link]

The cover for Kryptonite

In 2009 Fresh released a 12" of "Heavyweight" (with Fantasia on the B side) on the Digital Soundboy label. "Heavyweight" had a different style from Fresh's usual output, and gained positive reviews and a general positive response through the underground scene and within various radio stations.^[6] Fresh subsequently released "Hypercaine" (including a remix from Nero) in September 2009,^[7] and made BBC Radio 1's daytime playlist.

On the 1 August 2010, he re-released his song Gold Dust Featuring vocals from Ce'Cile, Where it peaked 24 in the UK and 39 in Ireland, it marked his first Top 40 hit in both countries. On 16 August, he released his second studio album, "Kryptonite" where it peaked 4 on the UK Dance Chart.

He then released his follow-up single, called "Lassitude" with Sigma and Vocals from Koko. It managed to peak 98 on the UK Singles Chart and 11 on the UK Dance Chart.

Third album, tour and continued commercial success (2011)[link]

The first single from his Third Album, "Louder" was released on July 3, 2011. The song was used as part of a Lucozade Lite advertising campaign in the UK and Ireland. The song features vocals from Welsh singer Sian Evans from the band Kosheen, it peaked number 4 on the Irish Singles Chart and was the first ever Dubstep Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart.

On February 12, 2012 the second single "Hot Right Now" featuring British/Albanian singer Rita Ora which became his second number one in the UK, and the first Drum & Bass song to chart at Number 1 in the UK. The third single from the album, "The Power",features Dizzee Rascal is due to be officially released on June 3rd 2012.

His third album is due for release in September 2012.

FRESH/LIVE[link]

The poster for the FRESH/LIVE tour.

In late 2011, DJ Fresh began a new aspect of his career by launching 'FRESH/LIVE'. This live show incorporates a drummer, guitarist, vocalist, an MC and Fresh himself on keys to perform identical renditions of his studio-produced hits in live settings.

Fresh handpicked the musicians that made up the band, calling on people he had encountered at various stages of his career. On the drums was Kodish, a man with over ten years experience as a drummer in the drum & bass scene, having performed with such eminent acts as Moving Fusion, Bad Company, and Pendulum. Guitarist Richard de Rosa founded the Ska/Swing band Scubaroots, with whom he has performed to thousands of people at countless festivals. Seemingly a master of all trades, he also produced the band's album, was nominated for producer of the year at the 2011 South West Music Awards, and had previously performed on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge with Example and Fresh. Vocalist Fleur exploded onto the scene after performing on X Factor to 9 million TV viewers in 2005 and had also previously performed with Fresh on Live Lounge, and with Ms Dynamite on 1Xtra. The MC comes in the form of Drum and Bass' rising star Messy MC, who has previously performed and toured extensively with Pendulum, The EZ Rollers, Nero, Camo and Crooked and the Hospital Records tour nights Hospitality. He also received the Award for Best Newcomer MC in 2010 at the DNBA Awards and was then subsequently nominated in 2011 for Best MC.

The UK-wide tour completely sold out, taking in seven prestigious venues: The Arches in Glasgow, Alexandra Palace in London, The Big Reunion in Skegness, Manchester Club Academy, Waterfront in Norwich, Concorde 2 in Brighton, and the Student Union in Leeds. FRESH/LIVE is set to return in Spring 2012.

Discography[link]

• Escape from Planet Monday (2006)
• Kryptonite (2010)
• Third Studio Album (2012)

See also[link]

• Breakbeat Kaos
• Drum and bass
• Dogs On Acid
• Dubstep
• Jungle
• Pendulum

References[link]

External links[link]

• DJ Fresh on Myspace
• DJ Fresh discography at Discogs
• DJ Fresh at rolldabeats

DJ Quik
DJ Quik in 2006.
Background information
Birth name	David Marvin Blake [1]
Also known as	Quik
Born	(1970-01-18) January 18, 1970 (age 42)
Origin	Compton, California, U.S.
Genres	West Coast hip hop, G-funk
Occupations	Rapper, DJ, record producer, actor
Instruments	Vocals, synthesizer, keyboards, turntables, drum machine, sampler, talkbox
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Profile (1990–1998) Arista (1999–2001) Ark 21 (2002) Warner Bros. (2003–2004) Mad Science (2005–Present) Fontana (2005–Present) Universal (2001–2003, 2010–Present)
Associated acts	Hill West, AMG, The Fixxers, 2nd II None, Danny Boy (singer), Suga Free, 2Pac, Eazy-E, Kurupt, QDT, Twiztid, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre Teddy Riley, Nate Dogg, Bizzy Bone, Hi-C, Mausberg

David Marvin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an MC and record producer.^[2] According to Quik himself, his stage name reflects his ability to produce records in short time.^[3]

Blake has written, produced, and remixed music for many artists. He has conducted many songs for many mainstream artists.

Early life[link]

Blake was born on January 18, 1970 in Compton, California. He was chiefly inspired by funk and soul artists,^[4] such as Roger Troutman (who even taught him the use of the talkbox, which became a trademark for Quik's sound throughout his career) and George Clinton. Out of respect for his beloved friend, Roger Troutman, he retired the talkbox. David's love for music began at 2, as his mother had an extensive record collection. By age 12 he was already playing instruments, and by the age of 21, he was a platinum-selling artist.

He began selling homemade mixtapes (notably The Red Tape, 1987) after he received a turntable for his 9th grade graduation. He then began doing shows DJing around Southern California, many of which ended in rival gang related altercations. In the 11th grade, Quik dropped out of high school. For a period of about three years he was homeless after his mother lost her home, due to foreclosure. He would later go on to say that after his success in the rap world many of his family members "popped up".^[5]

Music career[link]

Quik Is The Name[link]

Creating a street buzz off his self-made mix tapes, he began to generate interest off many major labels, including Profile Records and Ruthless Records. Later he went on to regret his contract with Profile Records, as Eazy-E offered him a 1-million-dollar advance.^[6] It left Profile Records with no other choice, they sent cease-and-desist letters to Ruthless Records. He signed to Profile Records in the summer of 1990, reportedly as the label's first six-figure signee.^[7] Profile Records implemented tactics including having David appear more mysterious by exaggerating. He brought another act to the label 2nd II None.

His debut album, Quik Is the Name, which was released in 1991, was led by the success of two top 20 R&B singles, "Tonite" and "Born and Raised in Compton." The album ended up reaching 10th on the album charts,^[8] and being certified Platinum by the RIAA.^[9] None of his successive albums reached the success of his debut, though they have been well received. He went on to produce 2nd II None. He later released his second album entitled Way 2 Fonky in 1992. It was certified Gold by October 9. It included the successful singles "Way 2 Fonky" and "Jus Lyke Compton" . The year 1992 Would also see him produce on Paid the Cost the debut album by rap duo Penthouse Players Clique. The year 1993 saw him produce on movie of the same name, I Thought U Knew and Free Us Colored Kids.

The Safe and Sound Era[link]

Before recording Safe + Sound, DJ Quik had previously scrapped an album, which he said was so horrible that he had to smash the masters.^[10]

As DJ Quik began to work on his third album, he started working with Suge Knight again. Their relationship dates back to 1988, before he sought refuge with a major label. He was signed to Suge's independent label Funky Enough Records in 1988.^[11][12][13] The arrangement proved to be short lived. They linked up again in 1993 for another short lived arrangement.

His third album Safe + Sound, released in 1995, made number 14 on the Billboard 200. It featured friends 2nd II None, Kam, Playa Hamm and Hi-C. The album features the singles "Dollaz & Sense" and "Safe + Sound". During the process of the album, Quik was feuding with rapper MC Eiht from Compton's Most Wanted and long time friend AMG. Today, he is on good terms with MC Eiht and Cheddar from B-Town Blythe. Safe + Sound saw Suge being the executive producer. His relationship with Suge led him to produce many of the tracks on Above The Rim, Murder Was The Case, All Eyez On Me, Until the End of Time, Better Dayz and It's About Time for Death Row Records. He also produced a 2nd II None album for Death Row Records, but which was never released.

Quik played a big part on the 2Pac album All Eyez On Me, though he is only credited for producing "Heartz of Men" on that album (in the credits he used his real name, David Blake, because he was under contract to Profile). He also did additional production and mixed half the album in over two days.^[1] Quik made another uncredited appearance on a song with 2Pac named "Thug Passion". He also produced on the albums Dogg Food and Tha Doggfather, although he received no credit. DJ Quik later went to say that he had some of the best times of his life when he worked with the label.

Rhythm-al-ism and beyond[link]

The year 1997 saw Quik produce a track on House of Music, by Tony! Toni! Toné!. The success of the Quik-produced single "Let's Get Down" prompted House of Music to sell over 1 million copies. He also worked with Shaquille O'Neal on his You Can't Stop the Reign album. DJ Quik later discovered Suga Free, a pimp turned rapper in 1997.^[14] Their relationship saw Quik serving as the producer on his debut album, Street Gospel. It reached number 27 on the Billboard R&B albums chart.^[15][16][17] The album fell short of commercial expectations, but was praised by many underground rap fans in California, and is seen as a “street classic” by many of them. The DJ Quik production on this album was considered to be refreshing compared to the stereotypical West Coast G-Funk sound that had dominated most of the early 1990s, as he incorporated elements of jazz, funk, rhythm and blues, and even rock and roll to create instrumentals that caught the ears of many listeners. It was recorded in a record of 28 days.

In 1998 Quik released Rhythm-al-ism his fourth studio album on Profile Records. This record was certified Gold in 1999, and contained the singles "Hand in Hand (featuring 2nd II None and El Debarge) and "You'z A Ganxta". It featured guest appearances by Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg, AMG and Suga Free. That year he went on to produce for The Luniz, Shaquille O'Neal, Deborah Cox and Jermaine Dupri. He also produced on The Kingdom Come by rapper King Tee which ultimately never came out due to label problems. He also faced personal and professional tragedy when his close friend and protégé Darryl Cortez Reed was murdered in 1998. In 1999, there was the release of Classic 220 by 2nd II None, in which Quik played a huge part. Production on Gap Band's Y2K: Funkin' Till 2000 Comz album, Snoop Dogg's No Limit Top Dogg, Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000 and Deep Blue Sea (soundtrack). This was compounded by the death of another friend and rapper Mausberg, subsequently murdered in 2000. That year, saw the release of rapper Mausberg's album, and DJ Quik's Balance & Options. Also production with Whitney Houston, Erick Sermon, 8Ball & MJG, Xzibit and AMG.

After the lackluster sales of only 400,000 units of his fifth album, he was dropped by Arista Records, which had bought Profile Records. He produced for Kurupt, Big Syke, Janet Jackson, and Won G. He produced on Made (soundtrack) in 2001. That year also saw Suge Knight try to get Quik as the in-house producer for Death Row Records. In 2002, he released Under tha Influence under Ark 21 Records which sold only 200,000 units. He also produced Truth Hurts' Top 10 pop hit "Addictive" that year. However, he had used an uncleared Hindi sample on the record, and the copyright holders eventually filed a $500 million dollar lawsuit against Truth Hurts' label, Aftermath Entertainment, that was amicably resolved by Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre. DJ Quik also produced and appeared on another track on Truth Hurts' debut LP, Truthfully Speaking, entitled "I'm Not Really Lookin".^[18] He worked with Talib Kweli, Will Smith, and Shade Sheist that year.

Record problems and a plethora of others almost prompted Quik to retire. The album The Best of DJ Quik: Da Finale was originally going to be his last release. He later stated:

"I just couldn't escape that contract. Basic contracts are supposed to be like 6 or 7 years, or 1 year with like maybe 6 options. The contract I was in was like a 10 or 11 year contract. I wasn't getting paid and I wasn't happy at all. And plus I was going through a bunch of shit.".^[19]

He later decided to come back. In 2003 Jay-Z commissioned Quik to produce on The Black Album. Rapper Chingy worked with Quik on his Jackpot which also proved to be a hit. He worked for Roscoe, Butch Cassidy, Nate Dogg, E-40, TQ and Hi-C. In 2003 he also saw 50 Cent become a bigger star, as the aforementioned Get Rich Or Die Tryin album featured In Da Club which Quik did the drums for.

Ludacris got DJ Quik to produce on The Red Light District in 2004. He was also commissioned for a remix on the 2Pac album Loyal to the Game. He also worked with Knoc-turn'al and Suga Free that year.

Mad Science Recordings: A New Beginning[link]

In September 2005, DJ Quik released his first independent album on his own new label, Mad Science Recordings. The album is titled Trauma and reflects the turmoil in the producer's 'musical' life over the past few years. It was considered a independent success, and it has sold over 100,000 copies.^[20] In recent years he has worked with a 74-piece orchestra, during a collaboration with Marcus Miller, while working on the score to the movie "Head of State". On July 8, 2005 he married the stunning Ms Alicia Hill.

On June 21, 2006, DJ Quik was convicted of assault of his sister and sentenced to five months in prison.^[21] The incident occurred in 2003, when he allegedly "pistol-whipped" her for extorting him, according to police reports. He was released early in October 2006. He went on to say that prison sentence gave him time to reflect on his life, and he later began getting rid of extra baggage.

In late 2007, DJ Quik and AMG formed the group: The Fixxers. Along with the formation of the duo, he dropped the "DJ" from his name for the upcoming album and rapped as "Quik".^[22] In March 2007 they had signed a single deal with Interscope Records for the release of their album Midnight Life and promoted it with "Can You Werk Wit Dat?"^[23] However, the album was scrapped due to unauthorized actions by Hudson Melvin Baxter II (also known as "Hud"), who illegally put it up for sale on the internet in December 2007. The album was then spread across the Internet as a bootleg. In February 2008, Quik finished up mixing and producing for Snoop Dogg's new record Ego Trippin. In the process of working with Snoop Dogg, a production group called QDT was formed. It stands for Quik-Dogg-Teddy and consists of DJ Quik, Snoop Dogg and Teddy Riley. A collaboration album with Tha Dogg Pound member, Kurupt, entitled BlaQKout, was released June 9, 2009.^[24]

The Book of David (2011–Present)[link]

DJ Quik released his eighth studio album The Book of David on April 19, 2011, which included appearances by multiple artists including Ice Cube, Bun B, Bizzy Bone, Jon B., Kurupt, Dwele, and Suga Free, who once again worked with Quik. The album debuted at number fifty-five on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 9,700 copies in the United States.^[25] It also entered at number 5 on Billboard's Top Rap Albums, number 12 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 4 on Independent Albums.^[26] In its second week, it dropped to number ninety nine on the Billboard 200 with sales of 4,200.^[27] TMZ reported that for the album's release party he took over a marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles on April 22, 2011 and in a matter of minutes, the whole place was up in smoke.^[28] DJ Quik performed live with The Roots on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon with guest stars Jason Lee and Emma Roberts on June 10, 2011.^[29]

Kurupt confirmed in a 2011 interview with HipHopDx.com that "Him and DJ Quik next year, we will be working on their next album together, DJ Quik and Kurupt. Every year me and DJ Quik are gonna drop us one of these slizzappers!".^[30]

Snoop Dogg joined forces with DJ Quik, Battlecat, The D.O.C. and others to create four songs for Dr. Dre's Detox. According to Snoop, two of those songs would be solo cuts for Dre while the other two would be collaborations between Snoop and Dre. Two videos were released, both featuring all of these artists collectively working on the project and discussing the need to release quality work.^[31]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Quik Is the Name (1991)
• Way 2 Fonky (1992)
• Safe + Sound (1995)
• Rhythm-al-ism (1998)
• Balance & Options (2000)
• Under tha Influence (2002)
• Trauma (2005)
• The Book of David (2011)

Live albums

• Greatest Hits: Live at the House of Blues (2006)

Collaboration albums

• BlaQKout (2009) – with Kurupt
• TBA (2012) – with Kurupt

Filmography[link]

• DJ Quik: Visualism (2003), himself
• Entourage (2005), himself in the episode "The Bat Mitzvah"
• Keeping Up with the Steins (2006), himself
• Everybody Hates Chris (2007), Hilton "Hilly Hill" Reed in the episode "Everybody Hates DJ's
• Malice n Wonderland (2010), Piano player

Awards and Nominations[link]

American Music Awards

References[link]

This article uses bare URLs for citations. Please consider adding full citations so that the article remains verifiable. Several templates and the Reflinks tool are available to assist in formatting. (Reflinks documentation) (February 2012)

External links[link]

• DJ Quik at the Internet Movie Database
• DJ Quik on Myspace
• DJ Quik & Kurupt Interview with soundhustle.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.1691/title.dj-quik-against-all-odds

Joey Youngman, better known by his stage name Wolfgang Gartner, is a Grammy-nominated American house music producer and DJ. Much of his music prior to 2010 was released through his own record label, Kindergarten,^[1] but he signed with Ultra Records in 2010 and Ministry of Sound in the UK in 2011.^[2]

Background[link]

Youngman created the Wolfgang Gartner name in late 2008 after establishing a moderately successful name as a Deep House DJ. Not wanting to be criticized for such an abrupt departure in style, Youngman created the name anonymously. Gartner's identity was revealed officially in July 2008.^[3] Youngman took the name from the coach of the Cal Poly Mustangs men's soccer team.^[4] The Wolfgang Gartner logo was created in 2010 by New York graffiti artist Eric Haze who created logos for the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy and EPMD.

Gartner hosted the first episode of MTV's dance music show "Clubland" which aired on September 22, 2011. ^[5] A portion of the episode was filmed at his home in Los Angeles, where he gave a tour of his studio and introduced music videos.

Music[link]

A total of eight of Gartner's songs have held the #1 position on the Beatport Top 10 Chart.^[6] His single "Wolfgang's 5th Symphony" was the highest selling song on Beatport.com in 2009. Gartner received a Grammy nomination for his remix of Andy Caldwell's "Funk Nasty" in the Best Remixed Recording (Non Classical) Category in 2010.

On September 20, 2011 Gartner released his first full length album Weekend in America. The album featured vocal cameos from Omarion, Jim Jones & Cam'ron, will.i.am and Eve. It peaked at #2 in iTunes' dance chart and #1 in Beatport's album chart. Gartner also collaborated with Deadmau5 on "Animal Rights" and with Skrillex on "The Devil's Den." These collaborations were released on Deadmau5's 4x4=12 album and Skrillex's Bangarang, respectively.

Gartner's music has been featured in a number of video games including the racing game Midnight Club: Los Angeles ("Squares" and "Montezuma"), snowboarding game Stoked ("Circles"), and as downloadable content for Activision's DJ Hero ("Wolfgang's 5th Symphony"). His music has also been featured in the TV shows Teen Wolf ("Illmerica") and The Secret Circle ("Get Em"), and in the movie Limitless ("Hook Shot").

Gartner was nominated for four International Dance Music Awards in January 2011, including Best Electro/Tech House Track, Best Progressive Track, Best Breakthrough DJ and Best Breakthrough Artist.^[7] That same month Gartner announced a new video for the single Illmerica.^[8] Forever, a collaboration with will.i.am, was released on April 12, 2011. The music video received regular rotation on MTV UK, MuchMusic (Canada), and AMtv in the USA. The single received virtually no commercial radio airplay in America, while reaching A-List rotation on BBC Radio 1 in the UK.

DJ Career[link]

Gartner has performed at a number of music festivals including Coachella 2010, Electric Daisy Carnival 2010 and 2011, Ultra Music Festival 2010, 2011, and 2012, Parklife (Australia) 2011, Creamfields (UK) 2011 and tours extensively around the world. In 2010, Gartner debuted as a featured guest on BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix series, hosted by DJ/producer Pete Tong.^[9] He is ranked #7 in the "America's Best DJ" poll and #56 in the "DJ Mag Top 100" poll.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

2011[link]

• Weekend in America

Singles & EPs[link]

2007[link]

• Shapes EP

2008[link]

• Candy EP
• Play Dub
• Hot For Teacher EP
• Killer / Flam Mode
• Montezuma / Frenetica
• Bounce / Get It
• Emergency
• Hook Shot
• Flashback (feat. MC Flipside)

2009[link]

• Montezuma – Remixes
• Yin / Yang (with Francis Preve)
• Push & Rise
• Wolfgang's 5th Symphony / Grey Agenda
• Fire Power / Latin Fever

2010[link]

• Undertaker
• Conscindo (with Mark Knight)
• Animal Rights (with Deadmau5) (UK chart peak: #72)^[10]
• Illmerica (UK chart peak: #158)^[11]
• Space Junk

2011[link]

• Forever (feat. will.i.am) (UK Chart Peak #43)
• Hell Yeah! (with Mark Knight)
• Ménage à Trois
• The Devil's Den (with Skrillex)
• Still My Baby (feat. Omarion)

2012[link]

• There and Back
• We Own The Night (With Tiësto feat. Luciana)
• Redline
• Flexx

Remixes[link]

2008[link]

• Cold Act Ill (Wolfgang Gartner's Monster Mix, and Club Mix) – Classixx
• Helium (Wolfgang Gartner Remix) – Bass Kleph & Anthony Paul
• Funk Nasty (Wolfgang Gartner Remix) – Andy Caldwell
• Cruel World (Wolfgang Gartner Kindergarten Slam Mix) – Ron Reeser & Dan Saenz
• Me & Myself (Wolfgang Gartner Remix) – Ben DJ (feat. Sushy)
• Play (Wolfgang Gartner Remix, and Dub) – Jin Sonic & Dive

2009[link]

• Heartbreaker (Wolfgang Gartner Remix) – MSTRKRFT (feat. John Legend)
• I Will Be Here (Wolfgang Gartner Remix) – Tiësto & Sneaky Sound System
• Cruelty (Wolfgang Gartner Remix) – Alaric
• 3 (Wolfgang Gartner Remix) – Britney Spears
• Morning After Dark (Wolfgang Gartner Remix) – Timbaland (feat. Nelly Furtado & SoShy)
• Imma Be (Wolfgang Gartner Club Mix) – The Black Eyed Peas