Ramble Jon Krohn (born May 27, 1976), better known by his stage name RJD2, is an American musician based in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...
. He is the owner of record label RJ's Electrical Connections. He has been a member of groups such as
Soul Position,
MHz Legacy, and Icebird. His stage name derives from the popular ''
Star Wars'' droid
R2-D2.
Life and career
Born in
Eugene
Eugene may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Eugene (actress) (born 1981), Kim Yoo-jin, South Korean actress and former member of the sin ...
, Oregon, Krohn was raised in
Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
, Ohio. He began making music in 1993.
In 2002, RJD2 signed to
El-P
Jaime Meline (born March 2, 1975), better known by the stage name El-P (shortened from his previous stage name El Producto), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Starting his career as a member of Company Flow, he has been a ...
's record label
Definitive Jux and released his debut solo studio album, ''
Deadringer'', to much acclaim. RJD2 later collaborated with rapper
Blueprint under the name
Soul Position, releasing ''
8 Million Stories
''8 Million Stories'' is the first studio album by American hip hop duo Soul Position. It was released on Fat Beats Records under license from Rhymesayers Entertainment on October 7, 2003. It peaked at number 91 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B/Hip-H ...
'' on
Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2003.
He released his second solo studio album, ''
Since We Last Spoke'', on Definitive Jux in 2004. Soul Position's second album, ''
Things Go Better with RJ and AL
''Things Go Better with RJ and AL'' is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Soul Position. It was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment on April 4, 2006. It peaked at number 45 on the ''Billboard'' Independent Albums chart.
Critical re ...
'', was released in 2006 under Rhymesayers Entertainment. 2006 also saw the release of ''
Magnificent City'', his collaborative album with rapper
Aceyalone. ''Magnificent City'' includes "A Beautiful Mine", which has been used in the titles of ''
Mad Men
''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its ...
''.
In 2007, RJD2 released the solo studio album, ''
The Third Hand'', on
XL Recordings. In 2010, he released his fourth solo studio album, ''
The Colossus'', on his own label RJ's Electrical Connections. In 2011, he released the album, ''We Are the Doorways'', under the pseudonym The Insane Warrior.
RJD2 formed Icebird with
Aaron Livingston, vocalist of a Philadelphia-based band called The Mean. The duo's debut album, ''The Abandoned Lullaby'', was released in 2011. In 2013, RJD2 released his fifth solo studio album, ''
More Is Than Isn't
''More Is Than Isn't'' is the fifth studio album by RJD2. It was released on RJ's Electrical Connections on October 8, 2013. It peaked at number 39 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, as well as number 10 on the Heatseekers Albums ch ...
'', on RJ's Electrical Connections.
In 2015, RJD2 released a collaborative album with rapper STS, titled ''STS x RJD2''. His sixth solo studio album, ''
Dame Fortune'', was released in 2016.
In 2020, he released his seventh solo studio album, ''
The Fun Ones
''The Fun Ones'' is the seventh studio album by American musician RJD2. It was released on April 17, 2020, through RJ's Electrical Connections, with distribution via The Orchard. It features guest appearances from Aceyalone, Homeboy Sandman, Jorda ...
'', on RJ's Electrical Connections. It features guest appearances from
Aceyalone,
Homeboy Sandman, Jordan Brown, Khari Mateen, and STS.
He released a course on sampling and arranging, ''RJD2: From Samples to Songs,'' with online music school
Soundfly on July 27, 2021.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Deadringer'' (2002)
* ''
Since We Last Spoke'' (2004)
* ''
Magnificent City'' (2006)
* ''
The Third Hand'' (2007)
* ''
The Colossus'' (2010)
* ''We Are the Doorways'' (2011)
* ''The Abandoned Lullaby'' (2011)
* ''
More Is Than Isn't
''More Is Than Isn't'' is the fifth studio album by RJD2. It was released on RJ's Electrical Connections on October 8, 2013. It peaked at number 39 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, as well as number 10 on the Heatseekers Albums ch ...
'' (2013)
* ''STS x RJD2'' (2015)
* ''
Dame Fortune'' (2016)
* ''Tendrils'' (2018)
* ''
The Fun Ones
''The Fun Ones'' is the seventh studio album by American musician RJD2. It was released on April 17, 2020, through RJ's Electrical Connections, with distribution via The Orchard. It features guest appearances from Aceyalone, Homeboy Sandman, Jorda ...
'' (2020)
* Escape from Sweet Auburn (2022)
(with STS)
Compilation albums
* ''In Rare Form: Unreleased Instrumentals'' (2004)
* ''The Third Hand Instrumentals'' (2007)
* ''Inversions of the Colossus'' (2010)
* ''In Rare Form, Vol. 2'' (2018)
Mix albums
* ''Your Face or Your Kneecaps'' (2001)
* ''Loose Ends'' (2003)
* ''Lobster and Scrimp'' (2003)
* ''Constant Elevation'' (2005)
EPs
* ''Pryor Convictions'' (2000)
* ''
The Horror
''The Horror'' is an EP by RJD2. It was released on Definitive Jux on February 11, 2003.
The EP peaked at number 45 on the '' Billboard'' Heatseekers Albums chart, as well as number 32 on the Independent Albums chart.
Critical reception
Sco ...
'' (2003)
* ''The Mashed Up Mixes'' (2004)
* ''Tin Foil Hat'' (2009)
* ''The Glow Remixes'' (2011)
Singles
* "June" / "The Proxy" (2001)
* "Rain" / "Find You Out" (2002)
* "Here's What's Left" (2002)
* "Let the Good Times Roll" (2002)
* "The Horror" / "Final Frontier (Remix)" (2003)
* "Sell the World" / "Ghostwriter (Remix)" (2003)
* "1976" (2004)
* "Through the Walls" (2004)
* "Exotic Talk" (2004)
* "Fire" (2005)
* "Superhero" (2006)
* "You Never Had It So Good" (2007)
* "No Helmet Up Indianola" (2020)
Guest appearances
*
Pigeon John – "The Last Sunshine" from ''
And the Summertime Pool Party'' (2006)
*
Lushlife + CSLSX – "Toynbee Suite" from ''
Ritualize'' (2016)
Productions
*
Aesop Rock – "Kill 'Em All Remix" (2001)
*
Cage – "Among the Sleep" from ''
Movies for the Blind'' (2002)
*
Mos Def
Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...
/
Diverse
Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to:
Business
*Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce
* Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers
...
/
Prefuse 73 – "Wylin Out (RJD2 Remix)" (2002)
*
Souls of Mischief – "Spark" (2002)
*
El-P
Jaime Meline (born March 2, 1975), better known by the stage name El-P (shortened from his previous stage name El Producto), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Starting his career as a member of Company Flow, he has been a ...
– "Lazerfaces' Warning (RJD2 Remix)" from ''Fandam Plus'' (2002)
*
Massive Attack – "
Butterfly Caught
"Butterfly Caught" is a song on English trip hop collective Massive Attack's fourth full-length album, '' 100th Window''. It was released as the second single from this album on 16 June 2003. The song was written by Neil Davidge and Robert Del Na ...
(RJD2 Remix)" (2002)
*
Murs – "Sore Losers" from ''
The End of the Beginning'' (2003)
*
Viktor Vaughn – "Saliva" from ''
Vaudeville Villain'' (2003)
*
The Weathermen – "5 Left in the Clip (RJD2 Remix)" from ''
The Conspiracy'' (2003)
* Cage – "Weather People" from ''
Weatherproof'' (2003)
*
Nightmares on Wax
George Evelyn (born 15 January 1970), better known by his stage name Nightmares on Wax or DJ E.A.S.E., is an English DJ and record producer from Leeds. His music has been released by Warp Records. He is based in Ibiza. Nightmares on Wax were o ...
– "70s 80s (RJD2 Remix)" (2003)
*
Elbow – "Fugitive Motel (RJD2 Mix)" (2003)
*
Tame One – "Up 2 No Good Again" from ''When Rappers Attack'' (2003)
*
CunninLynguists – "Seasons" from ''
SouthernUnderground'' (2003)
* Diverse – "Certified", "Uprock", "Big Game", "Explosive" and "Under the Hammer" from ''
One A.M.'' (2003)
*
Aceyalone – "Lost Your Mind" and "Moonlit Skies" from ''
Love & Hate'' (2003)
* Babbletron – "The Clock Song" from ''Mechanical Royalty'' (2003)
*
Vast Aire – "9 Lashes (When Michael Smacks Lucifer)" from ''
Look Mom... No Hands'' (2004)
*
Leak Bros – "Gimmesumdeath" from ''
Waterworld
''Waterworld'' is a 1995 American post-apocalyptic action film directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It was based on Rader's original 1986 screenplay and stars Kevin Costner, who also produced it with Ch ...
'' (2004)
*
Hikaru Utada – "
Devil Inside (RJD2 Remix)" (2004)
*
Leela James – "Music (RJD2 Remix)" (2005)
* Cage – "Shoot Frank" from ''
Hell's Winter'' (2005)
*
Astrud Gilberto – "The Gentle Rain (RJD2 Remix)" from ''Verve Remixed 3'' (2005)
*
The Go! Team
The Go! Team are an English six-piece band from Brighton, England. The band initially began as a solo project conceived by Ian Parton; however, after the unexpected success of The Go! Team's debut album, ''Thunder, Lightning, Strike'', Parton re ...
– "Huddle Formation (RJD2 Remix)" from ''Ladyflash Remixes'' (2006)
*
Pigeon John – "The Last Sunshine" from ''
And the Summertime Pool Party'' (2006)
*
Cool Calm Pete – "Black Friday" from ''
Lost'' (2006)
*
Aceyalone – "Never Come Back", "Angelina Valintina" and "Impact" from ''
Grand Imperial'' (2006)
*
Jack Peñate – "Learning Lines" from ''
Matinée'' (2007)
*
Yo La Tengo – "Here to Fall (RJD2 Remix)" from ''Here to Fall: Remixes'' (2010)
*
J-Live
Jean-Jacques Cadet (born February 22, 1976), better known by his stage name J-Live, is an American rapper, DJ, and record producer.
Life and career
J-Live released his debut studio album, '' The Best Part'', in 2001. It featured production by ...
– "Great Expectations" from ''S.P.T.A.'' (2011)
* CunninLynguists – "The Format" from ''
Strange Journey Volume Three
''Strange Journey Volume Three'' is a 2014 mixtape by American hip hop group CunninLynguists. It peaked at number 37 on ''Billboard''s Heatseekers Albums chart.
Track listing
The CD version and the vinyl version do not include "Hot".
Personnel
...
'' (2014)
*
Son Little – "Cross My Heart (RJD2 Remix)" from ''Things I Forgot'' (2014)
*
Tycho Tycho is a masculine given name, a latinization of Greek Τύχων, from the name of Tyche ( grc-gre, Τύχη, link=no), the Greek goddess of fortune or luck.
The Russian form of the name is '' Tikhon'' (Тихон).
People
Given name
* Tych ...
– "Apogee (RJD2 Remix)" from ''Awake Remixes'' (2016)
*
Homeboy Sandman – "Gumshoe" from ''
Kindness for Weakness'' (2016)
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rjd2
1976 births
American hip hop record producers
Living people
Musicians from Eugene, Oregon
Musicians from Ohio
Definitive Jux artists
XL Recordings artists
MHz Legacy members
Soul Position members