Ozan Yildirim (; born 11 January 1992), professionally known as OZ, is a Swiss record producer and songwriter of
Turkish descent. He has produced for many hip hop artists, including
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals and creatures
* A male duck
* Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
,
Future
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...
and
Travis Scott, including on the number-one hits "
Sicko Mode
"Sicko Mode" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American rapper Travis Scott featuring Canadian rapper Drake, with additional vocals from fellow American rappers Swae Lee and the late Big Hawk. It was originally released by Epic Records on Aug ...
" (2018), "
Highest in the Room" (2019) and "
Life Is Good" (2020). He has received nominations for the
Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rap music genre. Honors in several c ...
for "Sicko Mode" and "
Gold Roses".
Early life
Yildirim grew up in
Wattwil, Switzerland, as a son to
Turkish parents.
He developed an early passion for music, trying himself as a remixer and DJ under the stage name DJ Ladykiller.
At 13 years old, he won an international DJ competition, beating out 63 competitors of all ages and winning a prize money of 300 Euros.
His family moved to the small and rural village of
Gibswil in the
Canton of Zürich
The canton of Zurich is an administrative unit (Swiss canton, canton) of Switzerland, situated in the northeastern part of the country. With a population of (as of ), it is the most populous canton of Switzerland. Zurich is the ''de facto'' Capi ...
, when Yildirim was 15 years old.
According to him, there, he was the only foreigner in school and experienced a great deal of
xenophobia
Xenophobia (from (), 'strange, foreign, or alien', and (), 'fear') is the fear or dislike of anything that is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression that is based on the perception that a conflict exists between an in-gr ...
, leading him to isolate himself and focus on his music.
After school, he completed an
apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulat ...
in retail and began working as a salesman for
washing machine
A washing machine (laundry machine, clothes washer, washer, or simply wash) is a machine designed to laundry, launder clothing. The term is mostly applied to machines that use water. Other ways of doing laundry include dry cleaning (which uses ...
s in the Swiss electronics store chain Fust.
Career
He started producing beats in 2005,
and later uploaded them the internet. His career as a
hip hop producer began in 2012, after being contacted by Austrian rapper
Nazar and subsequently signing a deal with his label Wolfpack Entertainment.
A collaboration began and OZ produced large parts of Nazar's albums ''Narkose'' (2012) and ''Fakker Lifestyle'' (2013).
Starting in 2014, OZ began receiving placements on tracks by US rappers. He would contact rappers via social media and e-mail and send them selections of his beats.
According to OZ, he contacted American record producer
The Beat Bully on
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
and paid him 250
Swiss franc
The Swiss franc, or simply the franc, is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) iss ...
s for rapper
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 ...
's e-mail address.
In a similar manner, he managed to find out rapper
Travis Scott's email address online.
Both times, a placement was the result: in the case of Meek Mill, OZ ended up producing the songs "Been That" (featuring
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 ...
) and "Cold Hearted" (featuring
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 ...
) on the rapper's 2015 album ''
Dreams Worth More Than Money'' and in the case of Travis Scott, he produced the song "Backyard" on his 2014 mixtape ''
Days Before Rodeo''.
At the same time, OZ became more known within
German hip hop
German hip hop (locally known as ''Deutschrap'', ''Deutsch'' meaning German) refers to hip hop music in the German language. Elements of American hip hop culture, such as graffiti art and breakdancing, diffused into Western Europe in the ea ...
, producing top-tier artists such as
Bushido
is a Samurai moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. Its origins date back to the Kamakura period, but it was formalized in the Edo period (1603–1868). There are multiple types of bushido which evolved significantl ...
or
Ufo361 and befriending rapper
Shindy.
He has produced multiple songs on all of Shindy's albums since then and in 2020 recorded the track "Morning Sun" with Shindy, where OZ can also be heard singing.
In 2018, OZ produced his first number-one single by supplying the second part of the beat to the song "
Sicko Mode
"Sicko Mode" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American rapper Travis Scott featuring Canadian rapper Drake, with additional vocals from fellow American rappers Swae Lee and the late Big Hawk. It was originally released by Epic Records on Aug ...
" by Travis Scott.
In 2020, he produced both "
Popstar
A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in popular culture is regarded as constituting a defining characteristic of a given society or era. The usage of the term is largely subjective since there are no definitively object ...
" and "
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
" by
DJ Khaled
Khaled Mohammed Khaled (; born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally a Miami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry ar ...
featuring Drake. Although uncredited, he also supplied the original lyrics and vocal melody to the latter song.
He also solely produced Drake's number-one hit "
Toosie Slide".
His recording studio is located in
Wald, Zürich.
Production discography
Charted songs
Production credits
2013
*
Nazar - OZ Interlude
2014
*
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 ...
– "Ball Drop" (feat.
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 ...
) from ''
The Young OG Project''
*
Travis Scott – "Backyard" from ''
Days Before Rodeo''
*
The Game – "Really" (feat.
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 ...
,
2 Chainz
Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (formerly Tity Boi), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip-hop duo Playaz Ci ...
,
Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), known professionally as Soulja Boy (formerly Soulja Boy Tell 'Em), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to prominence with his self-released 2007 debut single, "Crank That ...
&
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 ...
) from ''
Blood Moon: Year of the Wolf''
*
Summer Cem – "Nike Airs" from ''HAK''
2015
*
DJ Khaled
Khaled Mohammed Khaled (; born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally a Miami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry ar ...
– "
How Many Times" from ''
I Changed a Lot''
*
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 ...
– "Been That" (feat.
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 ...
), and "Cold Hearted" (feat.
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 ...
) from ''
Dreams Worth More Than Money''
*
G-Eazy
Gerald Earl Gillum (born May 24, 1989), better known by his stage name G-Eazy, is an American rapper. Based in Oakland, California, he began his career in 2006 and released two independent studio albums before signing with RCA Records to releas ...
– "Random" from ''
When It's Dark Out''
*
Chinx – "Hey Fool" (feat.
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 ...
& Zack) from ''Welcome to JFK''
*
Logic
Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the study of deductively valid inferences or logical truths. It examines how conclusions follow from premises based on the structure o ...
– "I Am the Greatest" from ''
The Incredible True Story''
*
Jeremih
Jeremy Phillip Felton (born July 17, 1987), known professionally as Jeremih ( ), is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer. He embarked on a musical career after meeting record producer Mick Schultz in 2008, and signed a recording contract wi ...
– "Giv No Fuks" (feat.
Migos
Migos () were an American hip hop group founded in Lawrenceville, Georgia, in 2008. The group was composed of rapper Quavo, his nephew Takeoff, and their "cousin" friend Offset. Quavo is from Athens, Georgia, while Offset and Takeoff were bo ...
) from ''
Late Nights: The Album''
2016
*
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals and creatures
* A male duck
* Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
– "U With Me?" from ''
Views''
* Ali Bumaye – "Best Friends" (feat. Bushido) and "Missgestalten" from ''Rumble in the Jungle''
*
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 ...
– "Offended'' (feat.
Young Thug
Jeffery Lamar Williams II (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern hip hop music, hip hop and trap music ...
&
21 Savage
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is an American-British rapper. Born in London and raised in Atlanta, he began his recording career in 2013 and released three independent mixtapes to regiona ...
) and "Outro" (feat.
Lil Snupe &
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 ...
) from ''
DC4''
*
Dreezy – "See What You On" from ''
No Hard Feelings''
*
Travis Scott – "the ends" and "outside" from ''
Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight
''Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight'' is the second studio album by American rapper Travis Scott. It was released on September 2, 2016, through Grand Hustle Records and distributed by Epic Records. Originally promoted by the fake mixtape ''Days Be ...
''
*
Shindy – ''Dreams''
ull album*
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 ...
– "Drove U Crazy" (feat.
Bryson Tiller
Bryson Djuan Tiller (born January 2, 1993) is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. He began his career in 2011 with his debut mixtape, ''Killer Instinct Vol. 1''. He gained mainstream recognition following the release of his 2015 single ...
) from ''
The Return of East Atlanta Santa''
*
6lack – "Rules" from ''
Free 6lack
''Free 6lack'' is the debut studio album by American singer 6lack. It was released on November 18, 2016, by LVRN and Interscope Records. The album was supported by two singles: " Ex Calling" and " Prblms". It was nominated at the 60th Annual G ...
''
2017
*
Khalid – "Saved," "Let's Go," and "Keep Me," from ''
American Teen''
* Travis Scott & Quavo /
Huncho Jack – "Dubai Shit" (feat.
Offset) from ''
Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho''
*
Bushido
is a Samurai moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. Its origins date back to the Kamakura period, but it was formalized in the Edo period (1603–1868). There are multiple types of bushido which evolved significantl ...
– "Moonwalk"
*
DRAM
Dram, DRAM, or drams may refer to:
Technology and engineering
* Dram (unit), a unit of mass and volume, and an informal name for a small amount of liquor, especially whisky or whiskey
* Dynamic random-access memory, a type of electronic semicondu ...
– "I Had a Dream," "Crumbs" (feat.
Playboi Carti
Jordan Terrell Carter (born September 13, 1995, or 1996), known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern Hip hop music, hip hop a ...
), and "Eyeyieyie," from ''
Big Baby DRAM''
* G-Eazy – "Shake It Up" (feat. 24hrs,
MadeinTYO and
E-40
Earl Tywone Stevens (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. Stevens is a founding member of the rap group The Click (band), The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 27 stud ...
)
2018
*
Nav – "Champions" (feat. Travis Scott) from ''
Reckless''
* Logic – "Contra" and "Wizard of OZ" , from ''
Bobby Tarantino 2''
* Trippie Redd - "UKA UKA," "BANG!," "Shake It Up," "Gore," and "Missing My Idols," from ''
Life's a Trip''
* 6lack – "Cutting Ties"
*
Smokepurpp
Omar Jeffery Pineiro (born May 15, 1997), known professionally as Smokepurpp, is an American rapper. He first became known in the SoundCloud rap scene for his 2017 single "Audi (song), Audi", which received RIAA certification, platinum certificat ...
&
Murda Beatz – "Big Dope" from ''
Bless Yo Trap
''Bless Yo Trap'' is a collaborative mixtape by American rapper Smokepurpp and Canadian record producer Murda Beatz, released on April 13, 2018, by Alamo and Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label based in S ...
''
* RIN (Rapper) – "Avirex," "Burberry/SuperParisLight," "Oldboy," "XTC," and "Outro" from ''
Planet Megatron''
*
Lil Baby
Dominique Armani Jones (born December 3, 1994), known professionally as Lil Baby, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence following the release of his 2017 mixtapes ''Harder than Hard'' and ''Too Hard'' — the for ...
– "Bank" (feat.
Moneybagg Yo
DeMario DeWayne White Jr. (born September 22, 1991), known professionally as Moneybagg Yo, is an American rapper known for his melodic trap and Southern hip hop music style.
White signed with fellow Memphis rapper Yo Gotti's record label, ...
) from ''
Harder Than Ever''
*
Travis Scott – "
Sicko Mode
"Sicko Mode" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American rapper Travis Scott featuring Canadian rapper Drake, with additional vocals from fellow American rappers Swae Lee and the late Big Hawk. It was originally released by Epic Records on Aug ...
" from ''
Astroworld''
*
Tory Lanez
Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson (born July 27, 1992), known professionally as Tory Lanez, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and record producer. First discovered by Sean Kingston, he received initial recognition for his mixtape ''Conflicts of My S ...
– "FeRRis WhEEL" (feat. Trippie Redd) from ''
Love Me Now?
''Love Me Now?'' is the third studio album by Canadian musician Tory Lanez. It was released on October 26, 2018, through Mad Love Records and Interscope Records. This is the follow-up release to his second album '' Memories Don't Die'' whic ...
''
* Trippie Redd – "Can't Love," "Love Scars 3," "A.L.L.T.Y. 3" (feat. Baby Goth), "Emani Interlude" (feat. Emani22), "Wicked", "Loyalty Before Royalty," and "1400 / 999 Freestyle" (feat.
Juice WRLD
Jarad Anthony Higgins (December 2, 1998 – December 8, 2019), known professionally as Juice Wrld (pronounced "juice world"; stylized as Juice WRLD), was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He emerged as a leading figure in the emo rap ...
) from ''
A Love Letter to You 3''
*
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 ...
– "
24/7
In commerce and industry, 24/7 or 24-7 service (usually pronounced "twenty-four seven") is service that is available at any time and usually, every day. An alternate orthography for the numerical part includes 24×7 (usually pronounced "twenty- ...
" (feat.
Ella Mai
Ella Mai Howell (born 3 November 1994) is an English R&B singer and songwriter. Her musical career began at London's British and Irish Modern Music Institute in 2014, during which time she auditioned as part of a trio on the 11th season of ...
) from ''
Championships''
2019
*
Shindy – "DODI"
*
Zacari
Zacari Moses Pacaldo I (born April 8, 1994), known mononymously as Zacari, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his guest appearance on American rapper and Top Dawg Entertainment labelmate Ke ...
– "Midas Touch"
* Tory Lanez – "Freaky"
*
Shindy – ''Drama''
* Nav – "To My Grave" from
''Bad Habits''
*
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals and creatures
* A male duck
* Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
– "Omertà" from
''The Best in the World Pack''
*
Dreamville –
"Got Me" (featuring
Ari Lennox,
Omen
An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient history, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages ...
,
Ty Dolla Sign
Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Griffin gai ...
and Dreezy) from ''
Revenge of the Dreamers III''
*
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 ...
– "
Gold Roses" (featuring Drake) from ''
Port of Miami 2''
* Trippie Redd — "Throw It Away", "Be Yourself", and "Lil Wayne", from ''
!''
* Travis Scott – "
Highest in the Room"
*
Young M.A. – "Bipolar"
* Killumantii - "Kill Em"
*
Tinashe
Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( ; born February 6, 1993), known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena, California, as a child, where she pursued w ...
- "
Story of Us" from ''
Songs for You''
2020
*
Future
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...
-
"Life Is Good"
*
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals and creatures
* A male duck
* Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
- "
Toosie Slide"
*
Shindy - "What's Luv" and "Sony Pictures"
*
UFO361 - "Bad Girls, Good Vibes"
*Drake - "Time Flies" from ''
Dark Lane Demo Tapes''
*Drake - "Losses" from ''
Dark Lane Demo Tapes''
* DJ Khaled - "
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
" (featuring Drake)
* DJ Khaled - "
Popstar
A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in popular culture is regarded as constituting a defining characteristic of a given society or era. The usage of the term is largely subjective since there are no definitively object ...
" (featuring Drake)
*
Gunna - "Relentless" (featuring
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 ...
) from ''
Wunna (Deluxe)''
2023
* Jack Harlow - "Lovin on Me" (Single)
References
{{Authority control
Living people
Swiss record producers
1992 births
Swiss people of Turkish descent
Swiss male songwriters
Swiss DJs
People from Toggenburg