Carlos Sosa (born November 5, 1969), known as DJ Sneak, is a Puerto Rican-born American DJ and record producer raised in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, United States. He is noted as being one of the second wave of
Chicago house
Chicago house refers to house music produced during the mid to late 1980s within Chicago. The term is generally used to refer to the original house music of DJs and producers from the area, such as Ron Hardy and Phuture
History and origins D ...
producers, (alongside
Derrick Carter
Derrick Carter (born October 21, 1969) is an American DJ, record producer and musician from Chicago, Illinois. He is regarded as one of the bestCajmere/Green Velvet, Gemini, James Curd and Paul Johnson) as well as a member of the vanguard of late-1990s United States house producers.
Biography
In 1983, Sneak moved to
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
from Puerto Rico, where his early musical experiences and influences were rooted in
salsa
Salsa most often refers to:
* Salsa (food), a variety of sauces used as condiments
* Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music
* Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music
Salsa or SALSA may also refer to:
Arts and ent ...
, merengue and Latin orchestras. In Chicago, Sneak found inspiration in underground house music, warehouse parties and "old school" mix tapes from the early pioneers,
Farley Jackmaster Funk
Farley may refer to:
People
* Farley (name)
Places Antarctica
* Mount Farley
* Farley Massif
Australia
* Farley, New South Wales
* Farley railway station
England
* Farley, Derbyshire
* Farley, Staffordshire
* Farley, Surrey
* Farley, Wilts ...
,
Ralphi Rosario
Ralphi Rosario is an American house musician and founding member of the influential Chicago DJ group Hot Mix 5.
Biography
When Hot Mix 5 was formed in 1981 on radio station WBMX (now WVAZ), Rosario, the youngest member of the group, was still in ...
,
Steve Hurley
Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen.
Notable people
A–D
* Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people
* Steve Abel (born 1970), New Zealand politician
* Steve Adams (disambiguation), ...
and local radio station shows played on
WBMX
WBMX (104.3 FM broadcasting, FM, "104.3 Jams") is a commercial radio, commercial radio station in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, serving the Chicago metropolitan area and Northwest Indiana. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and airs a classic ...
.
Sneak earned his nickname rocking
graffiti
Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...
-tags and began working at retail stores as an
airbrush
An airbrush is a small, air-operated tool that atomizes and sprays various media, most often paint, but also ink, dye, and make-up. Spray painting developed from the airbrush and is considered to employ a type of airbrush.
History
Up unt ...
artist. His development as a DJ came while working regular mobile DJ jobs and local nightclubs. Sneak focused on his music production and started his independent label – Defiant Records.
In 1994, while still working at local store
Gramaphone Records
Gramaphone Records is a DJ-based vinyl record store in Chicago, Illinois.
History
The store opened in 1969 and originally sold folk music, folk, jazz, and blues music. By the 1980s, the store was selling house music records. The store was the f ...
, Sneak met Cajmere (Green Velvet) owner of Cajual and Relief Records. Cajmere released three of Sneak's catalyst tracks, which helped bring him international recognition.
In
Ibiza
Ibiza (; ; ; #Names and pronunciation, see below) or Iviza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of th ...
, Sneak has participated in several events with
Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound or Ministry of Sound Group is a multimedia entertainment business based in London with a nightclub, shared workspace and private members' club, worldwide events operation, music publisher (popular music), music publishing busin ...
,
Cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this proces ...
, Manumission, and Miss Moneypenny's. Sneak currently resides in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, US.
Lyrics by DJ Sneak are featured in the Daft Punk song, " Digital Love", from their 2001 album, ''
Discovery
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discovery ...
''. In 2001, Sneak launched a new record label Magnetic Recordings, where he has been releasing new music, with compilations to come, along with the introduction of new musical talent.
Discography
Albums
*''Kinky Trax Collection'' (1996)
*''Blue Funk Files'' (1997)
*''Buggin' da Beats'' (1997)
*''Sneak's Ju Ju Beats'' (2001)
*''Housekeepin (2004)
*''House of Om, Vol. 2'' (2005)
*''Thefunkrockdiscopartything'' (2006)
*''Special House Blend'' (2008)
*''The House of House'' (2009)
*''Gangsters Paradise'' (2013)
*''Fabric 62'' (2012)