Bigram John Zayas (born July 11, 1978), professionally known as DVLP or Develop, is an American
record producer
A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...
, songwriter and
disc jockey
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music fes ...
(DJ). Hailing from
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, DVLP initially embarked on his career in music as one-half of the production team Doe Boys, alongside his cousin Matthew "Filthy" Delgiorno. Working primarily in the
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
,
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Pop music, a musical genre
Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop! (British group), a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Album ...
, and Latin genres, he has produced over 25 songs for American rapper
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
, including the songs "
Fireman
A firefighter (or fire fighter or fireman) is a first responder trained in specific emergency response such as firefighting, primarily to control and extinguish fires and respond to emergencies such as hazardous material incidents, medical in ...
" (2005) and "
Blunt Blowin" (2011). In 2013, he gained major recognition when he produced the
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
single "
Rap God
"Rap God" is a song by American rapper Eminem. The song premiered via YouTube on October 14, 2013, and was released in the United States on October 15, 2013, as the third single from Eminem's eighth studio album, ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'' ...
", which went on to reach number seven on the US
’’Billboard’’ Hot 100 chart.
Early life
Zayas was born in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.
[Ben Detrick, “Develop: Lil Wayne ‘Fireman’,” '' Scratch'', May/June 2006.] He never had any formal musical training, although his family is involved in music.
[Bernard Hacker, “Beat Juggler,” ''Elemental'', June 2006, Issue #74.] He first started DJing at the age of 11, using house and freestyle records. He went on to make mixtapes and perform at high school parties.
Career
Turntablism
While traveling around the world as a founding member of the turntablist collective The Allies (which also included
Craze, J-Smoke, Spictakular,
Infamous,
A-Trak
Alain Macklovitch (born March 30, 1982), known professionally as A-Trak, is a Canadian DJ, record producer, and record executive. He came to prominence in the late 2000s as an international club DJ and remix artist, known for incorporating highl ...
and Klever), he went by the moniker Develop. His emphasis was on beat juggling.
In 1998, he won the
ITF Beat Juggling Championship, defeating Total Eclipse of
The X-Ecutioners
The X-Ecutioners, originally known as X-Men, are a group of American hip hop DJs/ turntablists from New York City, New York. The group formed in 1989 and currently consists of three DJs, including Total Eclipse, DJ Boogie Blind, and DJ Precis ...
in the finals. In 1999, he won the ITF Team Championship, and he was runner-up at the New York
DMC Regional in 1998.
In 2000, The Allies released an EP, ''D-Day''.
Beginnings in Production
In 2000, DVLP decided to end his career as a competitive DJ, in order to focus on producing and songwriting.
[Paul W. Arnold, “Doe Boys: Temperature’s Rising,” '' XXL'', April 2006.] Shortly afterwards, he began collaborating with Filthy (his cousin, Matthew Delgiorno). The duo were known as the Doe Boys.
After taking a few years off to hone his production skills,
his first major production work was on the 2004
Grafh
Philip Anthony Bernard (born August 22, 1982), better known by his stage name Grafh, is an American rapper. His 2007 debut studio album, ''Autografh'', was released through EMI and Virgin. Afterward, he parted ways with both labels.
Grafh has ...
song "Damage is Done." He went on to produce four tracks on
Juelz Santana
LaRon Louis James Sr. (born February 18, 1982), better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper and member of now-defunct hip-hop group, the Diplomats (also known as Dipset). He is best known for his appearances on group coho ...
's ''
What the Game's Been Missing!
''What the Game's Been Missing!'' is the second studio album by American rapper Juelz Santana, released on November 22, 2005, by Diplomat Records and Def Jam Recordings. The album yielded the singles " Mic Check", "There It Go (The Whistle Song ...
'' (2005), also assisting with recording and engineering.
DVLP has gone on to write and produce for Shells,
The Diplomats
The Diplomats (also known as Dipset) were an American Hip hop music, hip hop collective formed in the summer of 1997 by childhood friends Cam'ron and Jim Jones (rapper), Jimmy Jones in Harlem, New York City. The group was originally composed of ...
(aka Dipset),
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...
,
Fabolous
John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), known professionally as Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition for his ability upon performing live on DJ Clue's WQHT, Hot 97 radio show. Jackson then signed ...
,
Cam'ron
Cameron Ezike Giles (born February 4, 1976), known Mononym, mononymously as Cam'ron, is an American rapper. Beginning his career in the early 1990s as Killa Cam, Giles signed with Lance Rivera, Lance "Un" Rivera's Lance Rivera, Untertainment, a ...
,
DJ Clue?
Ernesto Shaw (born January 8, 1975), better known as DJ Clue (often stylized as DJ Clue?), is an American disc jockey (DJ), record producer, radio personality and record executive.
Early life
DJ Clue was born in Queens, New York City to Pana ...
,
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He began recording as a member of Hip-hop, hip hop group D.I.T.C., Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, and pursued a sol ...
,
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
,
Pitbull,
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
,
Rick Ross
William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...
,
John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...
and others.
Work with Lil Wayne
DVLP started working with
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
in 2005, after
Juelz Santana
LaRon Louis James Sr. (born February 18, 1982), better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper and member of now-defunct hip-hop group, the Diplomats (also known as Dipset). He is best known for his appearances on group coho ...
introduced them at his studio. The Doe Boys produced three tracks on ''
Tha Carter II
''Tha Carter II'' is the fifth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne. It was released on December 6, 2005, by Cash Money Records, Young Money Entertainment and Universal Records (1995), Universal Records. The recording sessions took place fro ...
'', including the album's lead single, "
Fireman
A firefighter (or fire fighter or fireman) is a first responder trained in specific emergency response such as firefighting, primarily to control and extinguish fires and respond to emergencies such as hazardous material incidents, medical in ...
,"
which reached #10 on the
Billboard Rap chart
Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by ''Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio statio ...
and #32 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Fireman" was Lil Wayne's first single following his split from former producer
Mannie Fresh
Byron Otto Thomas (born March 20, 1969), better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is best known for his production work for Cash Money Records releases, as well b ...
.
[Rob Markman]
“Lil Wayne, Gunplay Get ‘A Little Aggressive’ On Human Being II,”
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
, March 26, 2013. After ''Tha Carter II'', DVLP continued working with Lil Wayne;
he has produced over 25 songs for him through 2013.
In 2011, he dropped the vowels from his moniker and became DVLP. That year, for ''
Tha Carter IV
''Tha Carter IV'' is the ninth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne, released on August 29, 2011, through Cash Money Records, Universal Republic Records and Young Money Entertainment. Recording sessions for the album began in late 2008, sho ...
'', he produced "
Blunt Blowin," which reached #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Lil Wayne recorded the track on his first day back in the studio after being released from prison. Other notable tracks DVLP has produced for Lil Wayne include "What's Wrong With Them" featuring
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
, from 2010's ''
I Am Not a Human Being
''I Am Not a Human Being'' is the eighth studio album by the American rapper Lil Wayne. It had a digital release on September 27, 2010, and on compact disc on October 12, 2010, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Mot ...
'', and "Beat The Shit" featuring
Gunplay, from the 2013 album ''
I Am Not a Human Being II
''I Am Not a Human Being II'' is the tenth studio album by American Rapping, rapper Lil Wayne. It was released on March 26, 2013, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. Recording sessions took place during 2006 to ...
''.
Work with Eminem
DVLP produced
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
's "
Rap God
"Rap God" is a song by American rapper Eminem. The song premiered via YouTube on October 14, 2013, and was released in the United States on October 15, 2013, as the third single from Eminem's eighth studio album, ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'' ...
", released October 15, 2013, as the third single off ''
The Marshall Mathers LP 2
''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'' is the eighth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 5, 2013, by Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. It is his last album to feature the involvement of the i ...
''. DVLP first created the track in 2011, without any particular artist in mind. His manager, Stephen Hacker of Hebrew Hustle, sent the track to Eminem in 2012 after Eminem's management team reached out to Hacker for tracks for his upcoming album. DVLP has since said that he can't imagine any other rapper on the track.
[Emmanuel C.M.]
"Producer DVLP Thinks Eminem Is The Only One Who Could Handle The 'Rap God' Beat,"
''XXL'', November 4, 2013. The song, about Eminem's history and the rappers who have inspired him,
[Kory Grow]
“Eminem Declares Himself a ‘Rap God’,”
''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'', October 14, 2013. was praised as being in line with the quality of Eminem's best offerings.
It reached #1 on the Billboard Rap chart and #7 on the Hot 100 charts. At the inaugural
YouTube Music Awards
The YouTube Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as YTMA) was an awards show presented by the American video platform YouTube to honor the best in the music video medium.
History
For the 2013 edition, the YTMAs were held at Pier 36 in New York C ...
in 2013, Eminem shot a live video for "Rap God."
An official music video for the song, shot in Detroit, was released in November 2013.
Pop Work
DVLP has collaborated with producer
RedOne
Nadir Khayat (, Latn, ar, Nādir Ḵayyāṭ; born 9 April 1972), also known as RedOne, is a Moroccan-Swedish record producer, record executive, singer and songwriter. He has worked in production for high-profile recording artists including La ...
on records by a variety of pop artists. They co-produced
Paulina Rubio
Paulina Susana Rubio Dosamantes (; born 17 June 1971) is a Mexican singer, songwriter and television personality. Referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Golden Girl", she first achieved recognition as a member of the successf ...
's 2012 single "
Me Gustas Tanto
"Me Gustas Tanto" () is a song recorded by Mexican singer Paulina Rubio for her tenth studio album, ''Brava!'' (2011). It was released by Universal Latino as the lead single from the album on September 2, 2011. The track was written by Rubio, N ...
," which reached #1 on the
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
Hot Latin Songs
The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin music, Latin songs, published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart ranki ...
chart and #2 on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs chart; and
Pitbull's 2012 single "
Get It Started" featuring
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
, which reached #28 on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs chart, #89 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was
certified gold
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
in Canada. In 2011, as a member of the DJ duo The WAV.s (with
Bilal the Chef), DVLP worked on
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican label Fonovisa where he released three Spanish albums ''Enrique Iglesias (album), Enrique ...
's single "
I Like How It Feels" featuring Pitbull,
[“Enrique Iglesias featuring The WAV.s and Pitbull – I Like How it Feels,”](_blank)
Music Joining Apparel, October 1, 2011. which reached #1 on the Billboard
Dance/Club Play Songs chart, #74 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified platinum in Canada and gold in Australia. DVLP and Bilal the Chef were featured in the song's video, directed by Iglesias.
In 2010, DVLP formed the band Mad Ave Boys, now known as Dameht, producing their debut EP ''Electric Tape''. He also played bass and synth on the release.
Reggaeton
Around 2015, DVLP began producing Latin music for artists including
Fuego,
J Balvin
José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (born 7 May 1985), known professionally as J Balvin, is a Colombian singer. He is one of the best-selling Latin artists, with 35 million records sold worldwide. Balvin was born in Medellín. At age 17, he moved to th ...
,
Justin Quiles
Justin Rafael Quiles Rivera (born March 29, 1990) is an American singer and songwriter. He specializes in reggaeton, although his repertoire also includes genres such as Latin pop and Latin trap.
Quiles has been nominated for Premios Juventud. ...
,
Matt Hunter and
Jencarlos Canela
Jencarlos Canela (born April 21, 1988) is a Cuban-American actor and singer. Canela starred in the telenovela '' Mi corazón insiste en Lola Volcán'', and two other telenovelas.
In September 2013, he began a new project called "Scan Me" on his ...
. He produced two songs on J Balvin's album ''
Energia'', which reached number 1 on the
''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart and won Best Urban Music Album at the
2016 Latin Grammy Awards. DVLP also produced "Ay Mi Dios" by
IAmChino,
Pitbull,
Yandel
Llandel Veguilla Malavé Salazar (born January 14, 1978), best known by his stage name Yandel, is a Puerto Rican singer who is a member of the reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel. He released his first solo album, ''Quien Contra Mí'', in 2003. His s ...
and Chacal, which reached number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Latin Airplay and Tropical Airplay charts.
Transcend.ent
In 2017, DVLP launched the record label and management company Transcend.ent, which is partnered with
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...
. Their first signing was
Matt Hunter.
Looplabs
DVLP is a partner in Looplabs, a cloud-based music studio collaborative allowing musicians to create and share tracks and compositions. In 2016, Looplabs partnered with
Beatport
Beatport is an American electronic music-oriented online music store owned by LiveStyle. The company is based in Denver, Los Angeles, and Berlin. Beatport is oriented primarily towards disk jockey, DJs, selling full songs as well as resources that ...
to provide loops, sounds and samples to Looplabs users with Beatport accounts, and to allow these users to publish tracks to Beatport's streaming platform.
[Leila Cobo]
"Looplabs Teams with Beatport for Sounds and Streaming, Eyes Emerging Markets,"
''Billboard'', January 21, 2016.
Discography
Production Discography
Non-Commercial Release Discography
* Lil Wayne, "Yeah Develop"
* Lil Wayne, "Brand New"
* Lil Wayne, "When They Come For Me"
* Lil Wayne, "Side Bitch"
* Lil Wayne, "305"
* Lil Wayne, "Done It"
* Lil Wayne, "She's A Rider"
* Lil Wayne, "Nigga Wit Money"
* Lil Wayne, "Pump That Bass"
* Lil Wayne, "Damage Is Done"
* Lil Wayne ft.
Mack Maine
Jermaine Anthony Preyan (born January 15, 1982), better known by his stage name Mack Maine, is an American record executive, songwriter, and rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was named president of Lil Wayne's record label Young Money Enter ...
, "Workin' Em"
* Lil Wayne ft. Mack Maine &
Boo, "Open Shop"
* Lil Wayne & Juelz Santana, "I Can't Feel My Face"
* Lil Wayne & Juelz Santana, "Welcome to the Concrete Jungle"
* Lil Wayne ft. Juelz Santana, "
Always Strapped" (original)
* Lil Wayne & Juelz Santana, "Pick & Roll"
* Lil Wayne & Juelz Santana, "Favorite Things"
* Lil Wayne ft.
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1985 and 2024. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "the Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson i ...
, "American Dream"
* The Allies – ''D-Day'' (2000)
* "Banoodles," ''Turntablist Revolution Vol. 1'' compilation (1999, as DJ Develop)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:DVLP
1978 births
American hip-hop record producers
Living people
Businesspeople from New York City
East Coast hip-hop musicians
American hip-hop DJs
Musicians from New York City
Record producers from New York (state)