K-Def
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K-Def (full name Kevin Hansford) (born June 17, 1970) is an American,
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
–based,
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- ...
producer/ DJ who has been actively involved in the
music industry The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...
since the early 1990s. He has recently produced music for
artists An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...
such as
Ghostface Killah Dennis David Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang ...
and
Puff Daddy Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, Combs worked as a ...
. K-Def earned critical praise early in his career for his work with
Marley Marl Marlon Lu'Ree Williams (born September 30, 1962), better known by his stage name Marley Marl, is an American DJ, record producer, rapper and record label founder, primarily operating in hip hop music. Marlon grew up in Queensbridge Houses, Queen ...
on the album '' Here Come the Lords'' by the hip hop group
Lords of the Underground The Lords of the Underground (L.O.T.U.G.) is an American Hip hop music, hip-hop trio based in Newark, New Jersey. The group is composed of Dupré Kelly (professionally known as DoItAll) (born January 14, 1971), Al'Terik Wardrick (professionally ...
. Among the songs from that album that benefited from K-Def's production work include the hits " Funky Child" and " Chief Rocka".


Biography

K-Def was also a member of the duo Real Live, which released one album ''The Turnaround: A Long Awaited Drama'' on
Big Beat Big beat is an electronic music genre that usually uses heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns – common to acid house/techno. The term has been used by the British music industry to describe music by artists such as the ...
/
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 ...
in 1996. "Real Live Shit (Remix)" featured
Cappadonna Darryl Hill (born September 18, 1969), better known by his stage name Cappadonna, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan and is a member of the hip hop group Theodore Unit together with Ghostface Killah. ...
,
Ghostface Killah Dennis David Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang ...
, Killa Sin and
Lord Tariq Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz were an American hip hop duo, composed of rappers Sean "Lord Tariq" Hamilton and Peter "Peter Gunz" Pankey, from The Bronx, New York. They are best known for their 1997 single " Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)", which reached ...
. In April 2018,
Rhino Entertainment Rhino Entertainment Company (formerly Rhino Records Inc.) is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus. History Founded ...
issued a digital download of the album. K-Def is mostly known for his blues-soul sampling style. While the majority of his early-mid 1990s productions were produced using the Akai MPC sampler/sequencer, around 1997 he started incorporating computers into his work flow and now exclusively uses a software based setup. In 2004 K-Def produced "Its Over" on the Ghostface Killah release ''
The Pretty Toney Album ''The Pretty Toney Album'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Ghostface. Originally scheduled for a February 2004 release (as found on the cover art for the ''Run'' CD single), the album was released on April 20, 2004, by Def ...
''. He then contributed tracks to another Ghostface project, ''
Theodore Unit Theodore Unit is a collective of Staten Island rappers associated with Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ghostface Killah. The name "Theodore" is derived from "The Open Door", meaning the group acts as an open door to rappers who can prove themselves. It has ...
'', and
Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), known professionally as Ol' Dirty Bastard (often abbreviated as ODB), was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the New York rap group Wu-Tang Clan, which forme ...
's ''The Osirus Mixtape''. He was a contributor to Diddy's 2006 release '' Press Play,'' and, in 2007, he produced a track on
UGK UGK (short for Underground Kingz) was an American hip-hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas, formed in 1987, by Mitchell "Big Mitch" Queen who would eventually leave the group to pursue a football career and Chad "Pimp C" Butler with Bernard "Bun B" ...
's album ''
Underground Kingz ''Underground Kingz'' is the fifth studio album by American hip-hop duo UGK. The album was released on August 7, 2007, by Jive Records. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Lil Jon, Jazze Pha, Swizz Beatz, DJ ...
.'' In 2006, K-Def released an
instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...
album called ''Willie Boo Boo The Fool.'' The album was originally only available on CD and
vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
, but it was digitally re-released in 2008. In 2008, K-Def released a collaborative EP with the rapper Dacapo under the name the Program, which was titled ''The Article''.


Discography


Albums

*'' The Turnaround: A Long Awaited Drama'' (1996), (with Larry-O as Real Live) *''Willie Boo Boo The Fool'' (2006) *''The Article EP'' (2008), (with DaCapo as The Program) *''Beats From The 90's Vol. 1 '' (2008) *''Beats From The 90's Vol. 2 '' (2009) *''Gangster Instrumentals'' (2010) *''Night Shift'' (2011) *''One Man Band'' (2013) *''The Exhibit'' (2013) *''The Meeting EP'' (2013)


Production

*
UGK UGK (short for Underground Kingz) was an American hip-hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas, formed in 1987, by Mitchell "Big Mitch" Queen who would eventually leave the group to pursue a football career and Chad "Pimp C" Butler with Bernard "Bun B" ...
- ''
Underground Kingz ''Underground Kingz'' is the fifth studio album by American hip-hop duo UGK. The album was released on August 7, 2007, by Jive Records. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Lil Jon, Jazze Pha, Swizz Beatz, DJ ...
'' - "Next Up" - ( Jive/SME, 2007) *
KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...
&
Marley Marl Marlon Lu'Ree Williams (born September 30, 1962), better known by his stage name Marley Marl, is an American DJ, record producer, rapper and record label founder, primarily operating in hip hop music. Marlon grew up in Queensbridge Houses, Queen ...
– ''
Hip Hop Lives ''Hip Hop Lives'' is the collaborative studio album by American rapper KRS-One and record producer Marley Marl. It was released on May 22, 2007 via Koch Records. Recording sessions took place at House Of Hits in New York and at Westlake Record ...
'' - "The Teacha" - ( Koch, 2007) * Diddy - '' Press Play'' – "We Gon Make It" - ( Bad Boy/
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
, 2006) *
El Da Sensei William E. Williams, also known as El Da Sensei is an American rapper from Newark, New Jersey. During the 1990s he was a member of the hip hop duo, Artifacts. Since then he has released several solo albums. In 2015, at The 14th Annual Independe ...
– ''
The Unusual ''The Unusual'' is the second solo studio album by American rapper El Da Sensei. It was released on February 28, 2006 via Fat Beats Records. Recording sessions took place at Pete's Crib, Big Trouble In Little China Studios, Safe House Studios, I ...
'' – (Fat Beats, 2006) *
Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), known professionally as Ol' Dirty Bastard (often abbreviated as ODB), was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the New York rap group Wu-Tang Clan, which forme ...
– '' Osirus'' – "Rock It Out" - (Sure Shot, 2005) **"Who Can Make It Happen Like Dirt" **"High In The Clouds" **"Pussy Keep Calling" **"Fuck Y'all" *
Theodore Unit Theodore Unit is a collective of Staten Island rappers associated with Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ghostface Killah. The name "Theodore" is derived from "The Open Door", meaning the group acts as an open door to rappers who can prove themselves. It has ...
– ''
718 __NOTOC__ Year 718 ( DCCXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar, the 718th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 718th year of the 1st millennium, the 18th year of the 8th century, and ...
'' – (Sure Shot, 2005) **"Paychecks" **"Wicked With Lead" **"Pass The Mike" *
Ghostface Killah Dennis David Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang ...
– ''
The Pretty Toney Album ''The Pretty Toney Album'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Ghostface. Originally scheduled for a February 2004 release (as found on the cover art for the ''Run'' CD single), the album was released on April 20, 2004, by Def ...
'' – "It's Over" – (
Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...
/IDJMG/Universal, 2004) *
Jayo Felony B. James Savage (born December 31, 1969), better known by his stage name Jayo Felony, is an American rapper from San Diego, California. Career In 1994, Jayo Felony signed to the label owned by Jam Master Jay from Run-DMC called Jam Master ...
– '' Crip Hop'' - "True'd Up" (Remix) (Loco, 2002) *
Jayo Felony B. James Savage (born December 31, 1969), better known by his stage name Jayo Felony, is an American rapper from San Diego, California. Career In 1994, Jayo Felony signed to the label owned by Jam Master Jay from Run-DMC called Jam Master ...
– Bulletproof Love - True'd Up – (Motown/Universal, 2001) *
Lords of the Underground The Lords of the Underground (L.O.T.U.G.) is an American Hip hop music, hip-hop trio based in Newark, New Jersey. The group is composed of Dupré Kelly (professionally known as DoItAll) (born January 14, 1971), Al'Terik Wardrick (professionally ...
– ''
Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...
'' – "If You" (2000) *
Lord Tariq Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz were an American hip hop duo, composed of rappers Sean "Lord Tariq" Hamilton and Peter "Peter Gunz" Pankey, from The Bronx, New York. They are best known for their 1997 single " Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)", which reached ...
– This Cold World (2000) *
Craig Mack Craig Jamieson Mack (May 10, 1970 – March 12, 2018) was an American rapper and record producer. He is best known for his tenure with Bad Boy Records, during which he released his 1994 single " Flava in Ya Ear" (1994), which peaked within the ' ...
– Please Listen To My Demo (2000) * Artifacts – It's Gettin Hot (Remix) – (Big Beat/Atlantic, 1997) * Mic Geronimo – '' Vendetta'' – "For Tha Family" – ( TVT, 1998) * World Renown – How Nice I Am – (Warner Bros., unreleased, 1995) *DE'1 – I'm Rather Unique - (Reprise/Warner Bros., 1995) *
A.D.O.R. Eddy Castellanos Sr. (September 26, 1969 – January 1, 2025), known professionally as A.D.O.R., was an American hip hop artist whose work includes the Pete Rock-produced hit "Let It All Hang Out" (Atlantic, 1992), and "One for the Trouble" (Atl ...
"One for the Trouble" – (Atlantic, 1994) *
Nonchalant Tanya Pointer, also known as Nonchalant is an American female Rapping, rapper and songwriter from Washington, D.C. who was signed to MCA Records. Nonchalant is best known for her hit single "5 O'Clock (Nonchalant song), 5 O'Clock", which peak ...
"5 O'Clock" (Remix) – (MCA, 1995) *
Shabba Ranks Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon OD (born 17 January 1966), better known by his stage name Shabba Ranks, is a Jamaican dancehall musician. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was one of the most popular Jamaican musicians in the world. Throu ...
- Ting A Ling (Remix) - '' Rough & Ready Volume 1'' (
Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...
/SME, 1994) * Da Youngsta's – '' No Mercy'' ( East West America/Atlantic, 1994) **"Mad Props" **"Backstabbers" **"Stayed Away" **"Illy Philly Funk" **"Reality" *
Lords of the Underground The Lords of the Underground (L.O.T.U.G.) is an American Hip hop music, hip-hop trio based in Newark, New Jersey. The group is composed of Dupré Kelly (professionally known as DoItAll) (born January 14, 1971), Al'Terik Wardrick (professionally ...
– '' Keepers of the Funk'' – (
Pendulum A pendulum is a device made of a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced sideways from its resting, equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate i ...
/
EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
, 1994) **"Steam From The Knot" ** "What I'm After" **"No Pain" **"Frustrated" ** "Faith" **"What I'm After" (Remix) *
Lords of the Underground The Lords of the Underground (L.O.T.U.G.) is an American Hip hop music, hip-hop trio based in Newark, New Jersey. The group is composed of Dupré Kelly (professionally known as DoItAll) (born January 14, 1971), Al'Terik Wardrick (professionally ...
– '' Here Come the Lords'' – (Pendulum/ Elektra, 1993) **"From The Bricks" **" Funky Child" **"Mad Skillz" **"Lotug" **"Lord Jazz Hit Me One Time" ** Chief Rocka" *
Positive K Positive K (sometimes stylized as +K) (born Darryl Gibson on August 9, 1967) is an American MC and songwriter from the Bronx, New York City, New York, and one of the original artists of the First Priority Music camp. He is best known for his hi ...
- "Ain't No Crime" (K-Def DL Mix) – (Island/PolyGram, 1993) *Sah-B - Some Od' Sah-B Shit – (Reprise/Warner Bros., 1994) *
Tragedy Khadafi Percy Lee Chapman (born August 13, 1971), known by his stage name Tragedy Khadafi (formerly Intelligent Hoodlum), is an American rapper and record producer. Hailing from the Queensbridge Housing Projects in Queens, New York City,Brown, Marisa. ...
– "Street Life" - Return of The Life (Remix) – (Tuff Break/A&M/PolyGram, - 1993) *
Tragedy Khadafi Percy Lee Chapman (born August 13, 1971), known by his stage name Tragedy Khadafi (formerly Intelligent Hoodlum), is an American rapper and record producer. Hailing from the Queensbridge Housing Projects in Queens, New York City,Brown, Marisa. ...
– '' Tragedy: Saga of a Hoodlum'' – (Tuff Break/ A&M/ PolyGram, 1993) **"Shalom A Leck" **"Pass The Teck" **"Uunderground" **"Funkmode" **"Grand Groove" **"Mad Brothas Know His Name" *
Monie Love Simone Johnson (born Simone Gooden) (born 2 July 1970), better known by her stage name Monie Love, is an English rapper, actress, and radio personality known for her singles during the late 1980s and the 1990s. Love is a radio personality for u ...
- ''
In a Word or 2 ''In a Word or 2'' is the second and final studio album by English rapper Monie Love. It was released on 23 March 1993 by Warner Bros. Records and was mostly produced by Marley Marl with his protege K-Def remixing two tracks. Prince cowrote an ...
'' – (
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
, 1993) **"There's a Better Way" **"For da Children" **"Let a Woman be a Woman"


References

{{Reflist


External links


K-Def's official website
Musicians from New Jersey American hip-hop record producers 1970 births Living people Wu-Tang Clan affiliates