Joseph Hahn (born March 15, 1977) is an American musician, DJ, director, and visual artist best known as the DJ and creative director of the rock band

Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...

, doing the

scratching Scratching, sometimes referred to as scrubbing, is a DJ and Turntablism, turntablist technique of moving a vinyl record back and forth on a phonograph, turntable to produce percussive or rhythmic sounds. A crossfader on a DJ mixer may be used to ...

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 ...

, sampling, and

programming Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program m ...

for all eight of Linkin Park's albums. Hahn and bandmate

Mike Shinoda Michael Kenji Shinoda ( ; born February 11, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and graphic designer. He co-founded the rock band Linkin Park in 1996 and is the band's co-lead vocalist, as well as rhythm guitarist, ...

are responsible for most of Linkin Park's album artwork. Hahn also directed many of the band's music videos.

Early life and education

Joseph "Joe" Hahn was born the youngest of three children'Joe Hahn'
2011) ''Linkin Park American''. Accessed 2011-02-18. in

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

; Hahn has two older sisters. Hahn is a second-generation

Korean American Korean Americans () are Americans of full or partial Korean ethnic descent. While the broader term Overseas Korean in America () may refer to all ethnic Koreans residing in the United States, the specific designation of Korean American impli ...

,Han Hyun-Woo
A Band's Linkin Korea
. ''Chosun Ilbo''. October 23, 2003. Retrieved on March 21, 2010. and he grew up in a predominantly Mexican neighborhood of

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

.Linkin Park's Joseph Hahn releases The Seed on iTunes
. ''Monsters & Critics''. March 27, 2008. Retrieved on March 21, 2010. As a child, Hahn played the violin for a few years in school, then also tried out the guitar for a bit. Hahn graduated from Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale. He then studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena but did not graduate.

Career

Hahn began

deejaying A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music festivals), mobile DJ ...

in high school,Marinel. R. Cruz.
Curse-free music for the young and the restless
. ''Philippine Daily Inquirer''. June 2, 2002. 27. and he studied illustration at the

Art Center College of Design The ArtCenter College of Design is a private art college in Pasadena, California. It was incorporated in 1930 as a degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both the visual arts and design. ...

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

. In college, he met

and joined his band Xero, which would release its self-titled demo album in 1997. The band later became known as Hybrid Theory in 1999 with the EP release of the same name as the band, then was changed again into

during the recording sessions of ''

Hybrid Theory ''Hybrid Theory'' is the debut studio album by American Rock music, rock band Linkin Park, released on October 24, 2000, by Warner Bros. Records. Recorded at NRG Recording Studios, NRG Recordings in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, North Hollywo ...

''. Hahn and Shinoda guested in

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 ...

' hit single " It's Goin' Down". Hahn also guest starred in Shinoda's

Fort Minor Fort Minor was a hip hop side project by American musician Mike Shinoda, who is better known as the rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, producer, and rapper of the rock band Linkin Park. The project's only album, '' The Rising Tied'', was released in ...

's debut album ''

The Rising Tied ''The Rising Tied'' is the only studio album by Fort Minor, the hip hop side project by Linkin Park rapper Mike Shinoda. The album was released on November 22, 2005, through Warner Bros. Records and Shinoda's label Machine Shop Records. Shinod ...

'' on the song "Slip Out the Back". Hahn was called Chairman Hahn on the back cover of Linkin Park's first remix album ''

Reanimation Reanimation may refer to: * Reanimation (facial surgery) * Reanimation (science fiction), reanimation of the dead, as in Frankenstein * Reanimated collaboration, Reanimated collaborations, a type of collaborative Fan labor, fan-made animation proj ...

'' next to the remixes of the songs "With You" and "Cure for the Itch", titled "Wth>You" and "Kyur4 TH Ich", respectively. Hahn has directed several of Linkin Park's music videos, such as those for " Numb", " From the Inside", "

What I've Done "What I've Done" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released as the first single from their third studio album, '' Minutes to Midnight'' (2007), and is the sixth track. The song was released as a radio single on April 1, 2007, as ...

", "

Somewhere I Belong "Somewhere I Belong" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released to US radio on February 24, 2003, as the lead single from their second studio album, ''Meteora'' (2003), and is the album's third track. It entered the top ten o ...

", " Pts.OF.Athrty", "

New Divide "New Divide" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. The song was released as a single and recorded specifically for the soundtrack to Michael Bay's film '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen''. It was written by the band and produced by ...

", "

Bleed It Out "Bleed It Out" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. The song was released as the second single from their third studio album, '' Minutes to Midnight''. The single was released on August 17, 2007. On July 30, 2007, the music video was s ...

" and "

Iridescent Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear gradually to change colour as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Iridescence is caused by wave interference of light in microstruc ...

". He has also directed videos for

Alkaline Trio Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band from Chicago. The band's current members are Matt Skiba (guitar, vocals), Dan Andriano (bass, vocals), and Atom Willard (drums). Founded in late 1996 by Skiba, bassist Rob Doran, and drummer Glenn Por ...

Static-X Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1994. The line-up has fluctuated over the years, but was long-held constant with band founder, frontman, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Wayne Static until his d ...

Story of the Year Story of the Year is an American rock band formed in St. Louis, Missouri, Story of the Year at Allmusic.comAccessed May 17, 2007. in 1995 under the name 67 North. The band eventually changed their name to Big Blue Monkey in 1998, and then subs ...

, and

Xzibit Alvin Nathaniel Joiner (born September 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Xzibit (pronounced "''exhibit''), is an American rapper, actor, television presenter, radio personality, and record executive. He began his musical career in 1992, ...

. In a 2003 interview, he told

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 ...

that film-making was his true passion, and that "doing the music asmore of an extra thing".Jon Wiederhorn. "". MTV. August 11, 2003. Retrieved on March 21, 2010. He is known to add various dramatic effects to the music videos he directs, such as casting a snake in the video for "Iridescent". Outside of his work in music, Hahn provided special effects work on ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...

'' and the miniseries ''

Frank Herbert's Dune ''Frank Herbert's Dune'' is a 2000 science fiction television miniseries, based on the 1965 novel of the same title by Frank Herbert. It is written for the screen and directed by John Harrison, and stars Alec Newman as Paul Atreides, William ...

''. He also directed a short film called ''The Seed'' and acquired the rights to produce a film adaptation of

China Miéville China Tom Miéville ( , born 6 September 1972) is a British speculative fiction writer and Literary criticism, literary critic. He often describes his work as "weird fiction", and is allied to the loosely associated movement of writers called ...

's novel '' King Rat''. Hahn directed the trailer for the video game ''

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

'', featuring Linkin Park's single "

The Catalyst "The Catalyst" is a song by the American rock band Linkin Park. Released on August 2, 2010, it is the first single from their fourth studio album, '' A Thousand Suns'', which was released on September 8, 2010. The music video for the song, direc ...

". Hahn also directed the music video for "The Catalyst", which premiered on August 26, 2010, as well as the music video for Linkin Park's "

Waiting for the End "Waiting for the End" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park, released on October 1, 2010. It is the second single and eighth track from their fourth studio album, '' A Thousand Suns'', which was released on September 14, 2010. A music video ...

" and "

Burning in the Skies "Burning in the Skies" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It was announced as the band's third single from their fourth studio album, '' A Thousand Suns'', on January 20, 2011, and it was released on March 21. A music video for the sing ...

". On April 13, 2011,

confirmed on his blog that the music video for "

" would be directed by Hahn. Hahn became the first Korean American to receive a

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

when the band won the 2002 award for

Best Hard Rock Performance The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards from 1990 to 2011. The academy recognized hard rock music artists for the first time at the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989. The category ...

. In November 2011, Hahn designed a helmet of

Formula 1 Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

driver

Kamui Kobayashi is a Japanese racing driver and motorsport executive, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe, Toyota and in Super Formula for KC Motorgroup, KCMG. Kobayashi competed in Formula One from to . In end ...

. As of April 2012, Hahn directed a film adaptation of

Eric Bogosian Eric Michael Bogosian (; born April 24, 1953) is an American actor, playwright, monologuist, novelist, and historian. Descended from Armenian-American immigrants, he grew up in Watertown and Woburn, Massachusetts, and attended the University ...

's ''

Mall Mall commonly refers to a: * Shopping mall * Strip mall * Pedestrian zone * Esplanade Mall or MALL may also refer to: Places Shopping complexes * The Mall (Bromley), London, United Kingdom * The Mall (Patna), Bihar, India * The Mall (Sofia) ...

'', based on the novel, which stars and is executive produced by

Vincent D'Onofrio Vincent Philip D'Onofrio (; born June 30, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his supporting and leading roles in both film and television. He has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. His roles include Private Leona ...

. The musical score for the album was handled by

and

Alec Puro Alec Puro (born April 25, 1975), also known as Alec Püre, is an American drummer, songwriter and composer. As well as being the drummer for Deadsy, Puro has composed music for numerous television shows and films. Career Puro is best known for ...

Deadsy Deadsy is an American industrial rock band from Los Angeles. The band is known for its visual appearance and unique musical style the band self-describes as "undercore". The band has released two major studio albums. The band was initially sig ...

for the film. In 2019, he was a judge in the South Korean

JTBC JTBC (shortened from Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company; ; stylized in all lowercase) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on December 1, ...

talent show ''

Superband ''SuperBand'' () is a spin-off of ''Project SuperStar'', a popular singing talent-search competition in Singapore. Contestants are bands of 2 to 6 people. To mark the opening of the first season, a special SuperBand Big Jam where all the 18 band ...

''. In 2022, Hahn composed the original score for the Samurai movie ''Blade of the 47 Ronin'' along with co-contributor Alec Puro.

Discography

With Linkin Park

* ''

'' (2000) * ''

Meteora The Meteora (; , ) is a rock formation in the regional unit of Trikala, in Thessaly, in northwestern Greece, hosting one of the most prominent complexes of Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox monastery, monasteries, viewed locally as se ...

'' (2003) * ''

Minutes to Midnight ''Minutes to Midnight'' is the third studio album by American rock band Linkin Park, released on May 14, 2007, through Warner Bros. Records. The album was produced by Mike Shinoda and Rick Rubin; it is Linkin Park's first studio album produced w ...

'' (2007) * ''

A Thousand Suns ''A Thousand Suns'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band Linkin Park. It was first released in multiple nations on September 8, 2010, and in the United States on September 13, 2010, by Warner Bros. Records. The album was produced by ...

'' (2010) * '' Living Things'' (2012) * '' The Hunting Party'' (2014) * ''

One More Light ''One More Light'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released on May 19, 2017, through Warner Bros. Records and Machine Shop. It is the band's first album to have a title track, as they felt that the song " ...

'' (2017) * ''

From Zero ''From Zero'' is the eighth studio album by American Rock music, rock band Linkin Park. It was released on November 15, 2024, through Warner Records and Machine Shop Records, Machine Shop, and is Linkin Park's first studio album since ''One Mor ...

'' (2024)

Other appearances

Filmography

Music videos

Films

References

External links

*
"Billboard" – Google Books
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hahn, Joe 20th-century American musicians 21st-century American musicians Alternative metal musicians American hip-hop DJs American heavy metal musicians American music video directors American musicians of Korean descent Grammy Award winners Linkin Park members Living people Musicians from Glendale, California Musicians from Los Angeles County, California Artists from Glendale, California Rock DJs American special effects people 1977 births