Keith Matthew Boxley (born January 2, 1962), better known as Keith Shocklee or Wizard K-Jee, is an American record producer and DJ. He was an original member of

Public Enemy Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...

and

the Bomb Squad The Bomb Squad was an American hip hop production team known for their work with hip hop group Public Enemy. The Bomb Squad are noted for their dense, distinct, innovative production style, often utilizing dozens of samples on just one track. ...

. He has contributed his talent to several albums including ''

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back ''It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back'' is the second studio album by American Hip hop music, hip hop group Public Enemy, released on June 28, 1988, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. It was recorded from 1987 to 1988 in sessio ...

'' and ''

Fear of a Black Planet ''Fear of a Black Planet'' is the third studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy. It was released on April 10, 1990, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records, and produced by the group's production team The Bomb Squad, who expanded ...

''. Shocklee also co-produced the singles "

Bring the Noise "Bring the Noise" is a song by the American hip hop group Public Enemy. It was included on the soundtrack of the 1987 film '' Less than Zero;'' the song was also released as a single that year. It later became the first song on the group's 198 ...

” and "Fight The Power," which were included on

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

's list of the “500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.”

Early life

Shocklee was born and raised in

Roosevelt, New York Roosevelt (historically known as Greenwich and Rum Point) is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Hempstead, New York, Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the South Shore (Long Island), ...

. He was a childhood friend of rappers

Chuck D Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), known professionally as Chuck D, is an American rapper, best known as the leader and frontman of the hip hop group Public Enemy, which he co-founded in 1985 with Flavor Flav. Chuck D is also a me ...

and

Flavor Flav William Jonathan Drayton Jr. (born March 16, 1959), known by his stage name Flavor Flav ( ), is an American rapper and television personality. Known for his catchphrase "Yeah, boyeeeeee!" when performing, he is a founding member alongside Chuck ...

."Power5 Worldwide",
Power5worldwide.com
", 08-23-2011

Career

Shocklee began his career DJing at various parks, house parties and clubs in New York City during the early 1980s. He also cites Fatback Band's ""

King Tim III (Personality Jock) "King Tim III (Personality Jock)" is a 1979 hip hop song by the Fatback Band from the disco album ''Fatback XII''. Engineered by Delano “Rock” McLaurin and released on March 25, 1979, this song is often cited as the beginning of recorded hip ...

" as the pioneering rap song that triggered his interest in recording. The Bomb Squad's first songs were produced in Shocklee's mother's basement and recorded on tape and

acetate An acetate is a salt formed by the combination of acetic acid with a base (e.g. alkaline, earthy, metallic, nonmetallic, or radical base). "Acetate" also describes the conjugate base or ion (specifically, the negatively charged ion called ...

. He has since gone on to work with the following recording artists:

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip ho ...

Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; , ; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and activist. Her debut studio album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and achieve ...

and many other big-name acts. September, 21 2021 Keith announced his own imprint Spectrum City Records and will be releasing new music.

Discography

The 7A3 * Coolin' in Cali (1988)

* Walking with a Panther (1989)

3rd Bass 3rd Bass is an American hip hop group that was most active in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Formed by MC Serch, Pete Nice, and DJ Richie Rich, the group was notable for being one of the first successful interracial hip hop acts. Along with ...

The Cactus Album ''The Cactus Al/Bum'' (also known as ''The Cactus Cee/D'' and ''The Cactus Cas/Ette'' depending on release format) is the debut album by hip hop trio 3rd Bass, released on Def Jam Recordings on November 14, 1989. The album received positive revie ...

(1989)

Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographe ...

* Cold Hearted Quiverin' (1989)

* Welcome to the Terrordome (1989) * Fight the Power (1989) *

(1990) *

He Got Game ''He Got Game'' is a 1998 American sports drama film written, produced and directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington and Ray Allen. The film revolves around Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington), father of the top-ranked basketball ...

(1998) K-9 Posse * It Gets No Deeper (1989)

Young Black Teenagers Young Black Teenagers (YBT) was an American hip hop group from Long Island, New York that formed in 1989 and released two albums. Despite its name, none of the group's five members were teenagers and all of them were caucasian. Its members ...

* Nobody Knows Kelli / Proud to be Black (1990) *

(1991) * Roll with the Flavor (1993) * Dead Endz Kidz Doin' Lifetime Bidz (1993)

Bell Biv DeVoe Bell Biv DeVoe, also known as BBD, is an American music group from Boston, Massachusetts, formed from members of New Edition, consisting of Ricky Bell (singer), Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe. The band is best known for their debut ...

Poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...

(1990) * BBD (I Thought It Was Me)? (1990) * Let Me Know Something?! (1991)

* AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990) Son Of Bazerk * Change the Style (1991) Debelah * Free (1994) Film & Television Soundtracks *

House Party A house party is a type of party held at the home of the party's host. Organization A house party might be organized several months or just a few hours in advance. News of a party may be spread by personal invitations, word of mouth, pos ...

(1990) *

Juice Juice is a drink made from the extraction or Cold-pressed juice, pressing of the natural liquid contained in fruit and vegetables. It can also refer to liquids that are flavored with concentrate or other biological food sources, such as meat ...

(1991) *

Mo' Money ''Mo' Money'' is a 1992 American comedy-drama film directed by Peter Macdonald, and written by Damon Wayans, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Stacey Dash, Joe Santos, John Diehl, Harry Lennix, Bernie Mac (in his film debut), ...

(1992) * The Meteor Man (1993)

References

External links

Keith Shocklee's Myspace
*
DJ Keith Shocklee Interview
at NAMM Oral History Collection (2020) {{DEFAULTSORT:Shocklee, Keith 1962 births Living people American hip-hop record producers East Coast hip-hop musicians People from Roosevelt, New York American DJs Record producers from New York (state)