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Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978), known professionally as DJ Drama, is an American
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),
record executive A music executive or record executive is a person within a music company, in particular, a record label who works in senior management and makes executive decisions over the label's artists. Their role varies greatly but in essence, they can over ...
and
music promoter A promoter works with event production and entertainment industries to promote their productions, including in music and sports. Promoters are individuals or organizations engaged in the business of marketing and promoting live, or pay-per-view ...
. He initially gained recognition as the DJ for
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
-based rapper
T.I. Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgi ...
, and continued to gain prominence hosting
mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...
s for other hip hop artists. His trademark ''Gangsta Grillz'' series is present on releases of which he has compiled; it has been popularized by artists including
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 ...
,
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
,
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
,
Yo Gotti Mario Sentell Giden Mims (born May 19, 1981), known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper, singer, and record executive. Rooted in Memphis rap, he released five independent albums—''Youngsta's on a Come Up'' (1996), ''From da Dope ...
,
YoungBoy Never Broke Again Kentrell DeSean Gaulden (born October 20, 1999), known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again or NBA YoungBoy, is an American rapper. From Louisiana, United States, Gaulden released eight independent mixtapes and garnered a regional foll ...
,
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 ...
,
Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for ...
,
Meek Mill Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group the Blo ...
, and
Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...
, among others. Alongside record producer and fellow
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
native
Don Cannon Donald Cannon (born August 2, 1979) is an American DJ, record producer, and record executive who served as Vice President of A&R at Def Jam Recordings from 2012 to 2018. With DJ Drama, he is the co-founder of the record label Generation Now, a ...
, he co-founded the record label Generation Now in 2015, an imprint of
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
which has signed artists including
Lil Uzi Vert Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commer ...
and
Jack Harlow Jackman Thomas Harlow (born March 13, 1998) is an American rapper and singer. He began his recording career in 2015, and released several EPs and mixtapes until signing with Don Cannon and DJ Drama's record label Generation Now, an imprint of A ...
. A non-performing hip hop artist, Drama's extensive network in the industry enables his albums to enlist both underground and high-profile artists to perform lyrics or production. His six studio albums, '' Gangsta Grillz: The Album'' (2007) and '' Vol. 2'' (2009), ''
Third Power In arithmetic and algebra, the cube of a number is its third power, that is, the result of multiplying three instances of together. The cube of a number is denoted , using a superscript 3, for example . The cube operation can also be defi ...
'' (2011), ''
Quality Street Music ''Quality Street Music'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop disc jockey DJ Drama. It was released on October 2, 2012, by Entertainment One Music, Aphilliates Music Group, Embassy Entertainment, and Powerhouse Productions. The album fe ...
'' (2012), ''
Quality Street Music 2 ''Quality Street Music 2'' is the fifth studio album by American hip hop disc jockey DJ Drama. It was released on July 22, 2016, by Entertainment One Music, Embassy Entertainment, Aphilliates Music Group and Generation Now. The album serves as a s ...
'' (2016), and '' I'm Really Like That'' (2023), were released independently, and met with moderate critical and commercial reception. Drama was named "DJ of the Year" at the 2013
BET Hip Hop Awards The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta and was first ...
, and won
Best Rap Album The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories ...
at the
61st Annual Grammy Awards The 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 10, 2019, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys hosted. During her opening monologue, Keys brought out Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and fo ...
for his work on Tyler, the Creator's album, ''
Call Me If You Get Lost ''Call Me If You Get Lost'' is the seventh studio album by the American rapper and producer Tyler, the Creator. The album was released on June 25, 2021, through Columbia Records. The album is narrated by DJ Drama and features guest appearances f ...
'' (2021).


Early life and education

Tyree Simmons was born in
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
and raised largely in
Germantown, Philadelphia Germantown () is an area in Northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded by Palatines, Palatine, Quaker, and Mennonite families in 1683 as an independent borough (Pennsylvania), borough, it was absorbed into Philadelphia in 1854. The area, whi ...
. His father is
black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
, his mother is
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
. At age 13, his sister took him to New York City where he purchased his first mixtape. He began making his own tapes soon after, including one titled ''Illadelph'' which featured artists like
Black Thought Tariq Luqmaan Trotter (born October 3, 1973), better known as Black Thought, is an American rapper, singer, actor and the lead Emcee (hip hop), MC of the hip hop group The Roots, which he co-founded with drummer Questlove in Philadelphia. Regar ...
, Dice Raw, Malik B., and others. He also started experimenting with
turntables A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration Waveform, waveforms are recorded as correspond ...
. Simmons attended Central High School in Philadelphia and graduated in 1996. After high school, he moved to Atlanta to attend
Clark Atlanta University Clark Atlanta University (CAU or Clark Atlanta) is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded on September19, 1865, as Atlanta University, it was the first HBCU in the South ...
(CAU) where he studied
mass communication Mass communication is the process of imparting and exchanging information through mass media to large population segments. It utilizes various forms of media as technology has made the dissemination of information more efficient. Primary examples o ...
. While there, he met two other Philadelphia-raised DJs: DJ Sense and Don Cannon. The three would eventually form the Aphilliates DJ and artist collective. During his studies, Simmons began making and releasing mixtapes under the moniker, DJ Drama. One of his first series (called ''Electric Relaxation'') included a variety of R&B tracks. In 1998, he released his first mixtape (''
Jim Crow Laws The Jim Crow laws were U.S. state, state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, "Jim Crow (character), Ji ...
'') composed exclusively of
Southern hip hop Southern hip-hop, also known as Southern rap, South Coast hip-hop, or dirty south, is a blanket term for a regional genre of American hip-hop music that emerged in the Southern United States, especially in Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee ...
acts like
Outkast Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) was an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin, formerly known as Dré). Widely regarded as one of the greatest an ...
,
Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American hip-hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip-hop group, they went on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mystic Stylez'' became an influen ...
, and
Mystikal Michael Lawrence Tyler (born September 22, 1970), better known by his stage name Mystikal, is an American rapper and actor from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is noted for brash, obstreperous vocal delivery, characterized by a Southern rasp. He si ...
. The success of that tape led DJ Drama to start the mixtape series, ''Gangsta Grillz''. He would go on to graduate from CAU in 2000.


Career


2003–2010: Career beginnings and ''Gangsta Grillz: The Album'' series

DJ Drama, alongside Don Cannon and DJ Sense, officially founded the Aphilliates Music Group (AMG) in 2003. The group distributed DJ Drama's ''Gangsta Grillz'' mixtape series, which saw early successes with T.I.'s ''Down With the King'' (2004) and Jeezy's ''Trap or Die'' (2005). By 2005, Drama and his AMG cohorts were hosting radio shows on Atlanta's Hot 107.9 and on
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
Shade 45 Shade 45 is American rapper Eminem's hip-hop station on Sirius XM Radio channel 45 and Dish Network channel 6045. History Eminem established his channel, Shade 45, that plays uncut hip-hop. Eminem also established a new morning show, ''Sway in t ...
channel on
Sirius Satellite Radio Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio ( SDARS) service that operated in the United States and Canada. Sirius launched in 2002, and primarily competed with XM Satellite Radio, until the two services merged in 2008 to form Sirius XM. Li ...
. In late 2005, Drama produced and hosted Lil Wayne's ''
The Dedication ''The Dedication'' is the fifth mixtape by Lil Wayne, hosted by DJ Drama, released March 2005. It is the first mixtape in the Dedication/Gangsta Grillz series and it was produced and hosted by DJ Drama. The mixtape was given its name because as ...
'' mixtape, which would spawn a long series of ''Dedication'' tapes. ''
Dedication 2 ''Dedication 2'' is the sixth mixtape by Lil Wayne, hosted by DJ Drama. It is a sequel to Lil Wayne's previous mixtape, '' The Dedication'', and is second in DJ Drama's '' Gangsta Grillz'' series with Lil Wayne. It is one of the few mixtapes ...
'', released in May 2006, appeared on the
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...
chart and was labeled by ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' as "one of the 10 best recordings of 2006." AMG signed a joint venture deal with
Asylum Records Asylum Records is an American record label, founded in 1971 by David Geffen and partner Elliot Roberts. It was taken over by Warner Communications (now the Warner Music Group) in 1972, and later merged with Elektra Records to become Elektra/As ...
in September 2006. The first artist signed was American rapper
Willie the Kid Willie the Kid (foaled 1937 in Ontario) was a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse best known for winning the eighty-first running of the King's Plate, Canada's most important race and the oldest continuously run race in North America, h ...
. In January 2007, AMG's Atlanta studios were raided by Fulton County police officers, who seized over 80,000 mixtapes, 4 vehicles, and some recording equipment. Both DJ Drama and Don Cannon were taken into custody on
RICO The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO was ...
charges. Hard drives containing tracks from Drama's first "official" album, '' Gangsta Grillz: The Album'', were also seized despite the fact that the album was due to be released "above-board" by
Grand Hustle Records Grand Hustle Records (formerly Grand Hustle Entertainment), also known as Hustle Gang Music, is an American hip hop record label, founded in 2003, by American rapper and record executive T.I. and his manager Jason Geter. The label was distribut ...
via Atlantic Records. No further legal action was ever taken against Drama or Cannon in relation to the raid. Despite the setback, DJ Drama's ''Gangsta Grillz: The Album'' was released in December 2007 on the Grand Hustle label. The album's first
buzz single A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mus ...
, "Takin' Pictures", was released in March 2007 and featured Jeezy, Willie the Kid,
Jim Jones James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American cult leader, preacher and mass murderer who founded and led the Peoples Temple between 1955 and 1978. Jones and the members of his inner circle planned and orchestrat ...
,
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 ...
,
Young Buck David Darnell Brown (born March 15, 1981), better known by his stage name Young Buck, is an American rapper. He signed with Birdman's Cash Money Records in 1997, formed the hip hop collective UTP with Juvenile and Soulja Slim in 2000, and j ...
and T.I. The album's
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
—"
5000 Ones "5000 Ones" is a song by American hip hop artist DJ Drama. The song serves as his debut single and the lead single from his debut studio album '' Gangsta Grillz: The Album''. The hip hop song, produced by Jazze Pha, features vocals from severa ...
" featuring
Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...
, T.I.,
Yung Joc Jasiel Amon Robinson (born September 20, 1980), better known by his stage name Yung Joc, is an American rapper known for his 2006 single " It's Goin' Down", which peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Prior to its release, he sign ...
, Willie the Kid, Jeezy, and
Twista Carl Terrell Mitchell (born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Twista (also known as Tung Twista), is an American rapper. He is best known for his Chopper (rap), chopper style of rapping and for once holding the title of fastest ...
—debuted on
BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...
. The second single, " The Art of Storytellin' Part 4", was released in 2008 and featured
Outkast Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) was an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin, formerly known as Dré). Widely regarded as one of the greatest an ...
and
Marsha Ambrosius Marsha Ambrosius-Billups, born Marsha Angelique Ambrosius (born 8 August 1977) is an English singer and songwriter. She began her music career in the early 2000s with Floetry, achieving both critical acclaim and commercial success. Following the ...
. The album peaked at number 26 on the ''Billboard'' 200. In May 2009, DJ Drama released his second album entitled '' Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2)'', with the singles "
Day Dreaming Daydreaming is a stream of consciousness that detaches from current external tasks when one's attention becomes focused on a more personal and internal direction. Various names of this phenomenon exist, including mind-wandering, fantasies, an ...
" (featuring
Akon Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam (born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon (), is a Senegalese-United States, American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. An influ ...
,
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
and T.I.) and "
Ridiculous To be ridiculous is to be something highly incongruous or inferior, sometimes deliberately so to make people laugh or get their attention, and sometimes unintendedly so as to be considered laughable and earn or provoke ridicule and derision. It c ...
" (featuring
Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...
,
Yo Gotti Mario Sentell Giden Mims (born May 19, 1981), known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper, singer, and record executive. Rooted in Memphis rap, he released five independent albums—''Youngsta's on a Come Up'' (1996), ''From da Dope ...
, Lonnie Mac and
OJ da Juiceman Otis Williams Jr. (born November 23, 1981), better known by his stage name OJ da Juiceman, is an American rapper. He was formerly signed to Gucci Mane's 1017 Records. OJ da Juiceman is also the founder of vanity label 32 Entertainment. Persona ...
). In addition to his own studio albums, DJ Drama also continued working on mixtapes, including those for Gucci Mane (''Mr. Zone 6''),
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
(''In My Zone 2''),
Dead Prez Dead Prez (stylized in lowercase) is an American hip hop duo composed of M-1 and stic.man, formed in 1996 in New York City. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with lyrics focused on both militant social justice, self-de ...
(''Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz''), and
Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean ( ; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, singer, and record producer. Born in Haiti, Jean emigrated to the Northeastern United States, United States as a child. He gained fame as a founding member of the Fugees, a Ne ...
(''
From the Hut, to the Projects, to the Mansion ''From the Hut, to the Projects, to the Mansion'' is a concept album released by Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released on November 10, 2009. The album, Jean's seventh overall, is a collaboration with disc jockey DJ Drama, which tells the story of ...
''), among others. In March 2010, Drama appeared on
T-Pain Faheem Rashad Najm (born September 30, 1984), known professionally as T-Pain, is an American singer and rapper. He is known for popularizing creative use of Auto-Tune pitch correction, often used with extreme parameter settings to create electro ...
's musical television special '' Freaknik: The Musical'', in a voice role as a radio announcer named Mr. Thanksgiving.


2011–present: ''Third Power'' and ''Quality Street Music'' series, Generation Now record label

Drama released his third album, ''
Third Power In arithmetic and algebra, the cube of a number is its third power, that is, the result of multiplying three instances of together. The cube of a number is denoted , using a superscript 3, for example . The cube operation can also be defi ...
'' in October 2011. It featured the single, " Oh My" (featuring Fabolous,
Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he signed with the local independent label Rostrum Records to re ...
, and
Roscoe Dash Jeffery Lee Johnson Jr. (born April 2, 1990), better known by his stage name Roscoe Dash, is an American rapper. He is best known for his guest appearance alongside Wale on Waka Flocka Flame's 2010 single "No Hands," which peaked at number 13 o ...
), and reached number 95 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 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...
. He followed that with the release of his fourth album, ''
Quality Street Music ''Quality Street Music'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop disc jockey DJ Drama. It was released on October 2, 2012, by Entertainment One Music, Aphilliates Music Group, Embassy Entertainment, and Powerhouse Productions. The album fe ...
'', in late 2012. The album was preceded by the singles " We in This Bitch" and " My Moment". The album peaked at number 15 on the ''Billboard'' 200, which is the highest a DJ Drama album has gotten on the chart to date. In August 2013, Drama co-founded The Academy, a DJ incubator and art collective, with Don Cannon and DJ Sense. The Academy announced its first roster of 23 DJs in September of that year. In January 2014, it was announced that DJ Drama would join the A&R at Atlantic Records. Within his first year, he had signed several artists to the label, including
Kap G George Ramirez (born July 31, 1994), better known by his stage name Kap G, is a Mexican-American rapper. He is best known for his 2016 single "Girlfriend (Kap G song), Girlfriend", which received RIAA certification, platinum certification by the ...
, Spenzo, and Que. Throughout this time, he continued hosting and producing mixtapes for artists like
50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...
(''
The Lost Tape ''The Lost Tape'' is a mixtape by American rapper 50 Cent. The mixtape, hosted by DJ Drama, is 50 Cent's first "Gangsta Grillz" mixtape. It was released as a Free downloads, free download on May 22, 2012. Background ''The Lost Tape'', release ...
''),
Nipsey Hussle Ermias Joseph Asghedom (born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom; August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle, was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and activist. Emerging from the West Coast hip-hop scene in the mid-20 ...
('' Crenshaw''), Snoop Dogg ('' That's My Work Volume 3''), and
Big K.R.I.T. Justin Lewis Scott (born August 26, 1986), known professionally as Big K.R.I.T. (a backronym for King Remembered in Time), is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, he began his musical career in 2005. He was sign ...
(''It's Better This Way''). In 2015, DJ Drama and Don Cannon founded the Atlantic Records imprint, Generation Now. One of their first signees was
Lil Uzi Vert Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commer ...
, and Drama served as an executive producer on Uzi's 2015 debut commercial mixtape, ''
Luv Is Rage ''Luv Is Rage'' is the debut commercial mixtape by American rapper Lil Uzi Vert. It was released on October 30, 2015, by Generation Now and Atlantic Records. The mixtape includes features from Young Thug and Wiz Khalifa. A sequel was released on A ...
''. Generation Now also signed Skeme to the label that year. In July 2016, Drama released his fifth studio album, ''Quality Street Music 2'', with the single " Wishing" featuring Chris Brown, Skeme, and Lyquin. Generation Now had its first number one record on the ''Billboard'' 200 with
Lil Uzi Vert Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commer ...
's August 2017 debut studio album, ''
Luv Is Rage 2 ''Luv Is Rage 2'' is the debut studio album by the American rapper and singer Lil Uzi Vert, released on August 25, 2017, through Generation Now and Atlantic Records. The album's production was handled by various producers, including Lil Uzi Vert t ...
''. DJ Drama served as executive producer on the album. Other acts signed to Generation Now by Drama include
Skeme Lonnie Kimble (born January 3, 1990), better known by his stage name Skeme, is an American rapper from Inglewood, California. Skeme has collaborated with various West Coast rappers such as the group Black Hippy, Bizzy Bone, The Game, Dom Kenne ...
, Lyquin,
Jack Harlow Jackman Thomas Harlow (born March 13, 1998) is an American rapper and singer. He began his recording career in 2015, and released several EPs and mixtapes until signing with Don Cannon and DJ Drama's record label Generation Now, an imprint of A ...
, Lil James, and Killumantii. In 2021, Drama narrated
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
's album ''
Call Me If You Get Lost ''Call Me If You Get Lost'' is the seventh studio album by the American rapper and producer Tyler, the Creator. The album was released on June 25, 2021, through Columbia Records. The album is narrated by DJ Drama and features guest appearances f ...
'', and was credited as a feature on the first track Sir Baudelaire. The album's "intros" and sound was partly inspired by Drama's "Gangsta Grillz" series, and is often credited as a nod to that "mixtape" sound. A further instalment of the Gangsta Grillz series, ''D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape'', was released on March 31, 2022, in collaboration with
Dreamville Dreamville Records is an American record label founded by American rapper J. Cole and his manager Ibrahim Hamad. The label is currently distributed through Interscope Records, a unit of Universal Music Group. The roster includes Bas, Cozz, Omen ...
and
J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born in a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained attention as a rapper following the release of his d ...
.


Discography

* ''I Told U So'' (with
Yo Gotti Mario Sentell Giden Mims (born May 19, 1981), known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper, singer, and record executive. Rooted in Memphis rap, he released five independent albums—''Youngsta's on a Come Up'' (1996), ''From da Dope ...
) (2006) * '' Gangsta Grillz: The Album'' (2007) * ''There Is No Competition'' (with
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 ...
) (2008) * ''The City Is In Good Hands'' (with
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
) (2008) * '' Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2)'' (2009) * ''Cocaine Konvicts'' (with
French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Moroccan Arabic, Arabic: IPA pronunciation, æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he immigrated to New York ...
) (2009) * ''There Is No Competition 2: The Funeral Service'' (with Fabolous) (2010) * ''
Third Power In arithmetic and algebra, the cube of a number is its third power, that is, the result of multiplying three instances of together. The cube of a number is denoted , using a superscript 3, for example . The cube operation can also be defi ...
'' (2011) * '' There Is No Competition 3: Death Comes in 3's'' (with Fabolous) (2011) * ''
Quality Street Music ''Quality Street Music'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop disc jockey DJ Drama. It was released on October 2, 2012, by Entertainment One Music, Aphilliates Music Group, Embassy Entertainment, and Powerhouse Productions. The album fe ...
'' (2012) * ''
Quality Street Music 2 ''Quality Street Music 2'' is the fifth studio album by American hip hop disc jockey DJ Drama. It was released on July 22, 2016, by Entertainment One Music, Embassy Entertainment, Aphilliates Music Group and Generation Now. The album serves as a s ...
'' (2016) * ''It's tha World'' (2018) * ''12 AM in Atlanta 2'' (with 24hrs) (2020) * ''Fame or Feds 3'' (with Hardo & Deezlee) (2021) * ''What Would Big Do 2021'' (with
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 ...
) (2021) * ''Call Me If You Get Lost'' (with
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
) (2021) * ''Let Me Go Or Else: Gangsta Grillz Edition'' (2022) * ''Gangsta Grillz: We Set the Trends'' (with
Jim Jones James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American cult leader, preacher and mass murderer who founded and led the Peoples Temple between 1955 and 1978. Jones and the members of his inner circle planned and orchestrat ...
) (2022) * ''The World Is Yours: Gangsta Grillz'' (with Badda TD) (2022) * ''Misguided'' (with
OMB Peezy Le'Paris Kentae Dade (born February 2, 1997), known professionally as OMB Peezy, is an American rapper based in Sacramento, California. He is originally from Mobile, Alabama. Background and career OMB Peezy was born Le'Paris Dade in Mobile, Ala ...
) (2022) * ''Results Take Time'' (with Symba) (2022) * ''Gangsta Grillz: I Still Got It'' (with Snoop Dogg) (2022) * ''Snofall'' (with
Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for ...
) (2022) * ''God Save the Rave'' (with David Sabastian) (2022) * ''Book of David'' (with
Dave East David Lawrence Brewster Jr. (born June 3, 1988), known professionally as Dave East, is an American rapper. East began his career in 2010, and gained attention in 2014 for his eighth mixtape, ''Black Rose''. Its release caught the attention of fe ...
& Buda & Grandz) (2022) * ''Paint the City'' (with Icewear Vezzo) (2022) * ''Kill Us Both'' (with Ayilla) (2022) * ''Rollin Stone'' (with J. Stone) (2023) * '' Coke Boys 6'' (with French Montana) (2023) * ''Back on Dexter'' (with
Kash Doll Arkeisha Antoinette Knight (born March 14, 1989), known professionally as Kash Doll, is an American rapper and actress from Detroit, Michigan. Signed to Republic Records, she is best known for her singles "For Everybody" (2017) and "Ice Me Ou ...
) (2023) * ''I'm Really Like That ''(2023) * ''Gangsta Grillz: Mvrda Gang'' (with YOVNGCHIMI) (2023) * '' Insano'' (with
Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ; formerly stylized as KiD CuDi), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Clevelan ...
) (2024) * ''Greatest of All Trappers: Gangsta Grillz Edition'' (with
Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...
) (2024) * ''Still Praying'' (with
Westside Gunn Alvin Lamar Worthy (born July 27, 1982), known professionally as Westside Gunn, is an American Rapping, rapper and fashion designer. He co-founded the Independent record label, hip-hop record label Griselda Records in 2012 with his paternal half- ...
) (2024)


Generation Now

Generation Now is an American
record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...
imprint founded in 2015 by DJ Drama and
Don Cannon Donald Cannon (born August 2, 1979) is an American DJ, record producer, and record executive who served as Vice President of A&R at Def Jam Recordings from 2012 to 2018. With DJ Drama, he is the co-founder of the record label Generation Now, a ...
. The name of the label derives from a 2004 mixtape Drama and Cannon curated.


Recognition and awards


References


External links


Official website

Gangsta Grillz website

The Aphilliates

DJ Drama
at
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 ...
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Drama, DJ 1978 births Living people African-American DJs Atlantic Records artists MNRK Music Group artists East Coast hip-hop musicians American hip-hop DJs Mixtape DJs American music industry executives Musicians from Philadelphia Clark Atlanta University alumni American curators Central High School (Philadelphia) alumni