Robert O'Bryant, also known as Waajeed is a

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

-born

music producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

, and one half of the hip hop and R&B group Platinum Pied Pipers, and a founding member of Tiny Hearts. He formed the Bling47 record label in 2002, which has released projects by

J Dilla J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon vari ...

, Waajeed himself, and others. Since 2013, he has preferred the name Jeedo.

Biography

Background

Before producing records, Waajeed studied art and DJed in and around the Detroit music circuit. He was a photographer in the hip-hop scene and designed the cover for Slum Village's " Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1)" and '' Fantastic, Vol. 2,'' among others. Waajeed was an executive producer on Dwele's pre-debut project, ''Rize,'' which led to Dwele getting signed to

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), Tom Newman. It ...

. He has been a close friend of Slum Village, DJing for them and convincing the group to release their first album/demo, '' Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1)'', choosing the group's name and introducing them to

Elzhi Jason Powers (born May 12, 1978), better known by his stage name Elzhi (stylized as eLZhi), is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He is a former member of Slum Village and now records as a solo artist. In his youth, he made numerous vis ...

. Since his earlier records, Waajeed has shifted towards a "darker" sound which he explains in a 2013 interview. "People often ask me what my music is about and they see it as dark or bleak and yes, I do think it’s dark, but it’s also hopeful and optimistic. I make dark music to be a better person ... My music is dark because it’s a reflection of the times too. These are serious times we live in so even at its brightest moments there’s a taint to my work. What’s going on with all the gunplay – this is not a time for happy sing-along shit."

Career

As a producer, Waajeed began in 2000 and landed a handful of tracks on his longtime friends, Slum Village's '' Trinity (Past, Present and Future)'' album. Waajeed's productions have led to him working with some of the industry's most respected artists such as Cee Lo Green,

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Eve ...

Mayer Hawthorne Andrew Mayer Cohen (born February 2, 1979), better known by his stage name Mayer Hawthorne, is an American singer, producer, songwriter, arranger, audio engineer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, California. Cohen performs a ...

and more. In 2007 he released an album called '' The War LP'' which included solo instrumentals as well as new production for

Invincible Invincible may refer to: Film and television * ''Invincible'' (2001 drama film), a drama by Werner Herzog about Jewish cabaret during the rise of Nazism * ''Invincible'' (2001 TV film), a fantasy / martial arts TV movie starring Billy Zane ...

, Tiombe Lockhart, TaRaach, and the late J Dilla. Waajeed has been a featured guest on radio shows including KCRW, BBC Radio 1, and more. In 2010, he released a preview of his remix of

DEDE (American Band) DEDE is an American dream pop and post-rock duo formed in 2009 in Brooklyn, NY, consisting of singer and Wisconsin native Deanne Reynolds and Seattle native Tim K (Tim Kvasnosky). Their music was featured in a psychedelic national Friskies comm ...

's "Phantom" on Soundcloud. In 2011, he joined and co-founded music group Tiny Hearts with producer Tim K and vocalist Dede Reynolds of DEDE. In 2012, he established his second independent label, Dirt Tech Reck. He is currently working on new solo material, as well as a collaborative album with Invincible.

Discography

* '' B.P.M.'' - Waajeed (2002, Bling 47) * '' Triple P'' - Platinum Pied Pipers (2005, Ubiquity) * '' The War LP'' - Waajeed (2007, Fat City) * ''Abundance'' - PPP (2009, Ubiquity)

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official Bling47 site

Dirt Tech Reck official site

Waajeed RBMA video lecture session

RBMA Radio On Demand - Melbourne Marvels - Waajeed (Platinum Pied Pipers, Bling 47)

Groove Merchant Waajeed interview

The Real Frequency Waajeed Interview

Moovmnt Waajeed Interview

Brooklyn Bodega Blog Waajeed Interview
Rappers from Detroit Hip hop record producers Midwest hip hop musicians Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century American rappers