Mike Dean (record producer)
Mike Dean | |
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Birth name | Michael "Mike" George Dean |
Also known as |
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Born |
Houston, Texas, United States | March 1, 1965
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | |
Instruments | |
Years active | 1983–present |
Labels |
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Associated acts | |
Website |
www |
Michael "Mike" George Dean (born March 1, 1965), is an American hip hop record producer, audio engineer and multi-instrumentalist from Houston, Texas. Dean is best known for recording and mixing songs for major artists across the American hip hop industry such as Jay Z, Travis Scott, and Kanye West.
Career
Mike Dean started doing collaborations with numerous Texan artists, including Selena, for whom Dean served as musical director and producer. Dean first became widely known for pioneering the Dirty South sound in the 1990s, particularly in work for artists from Rap-A-Lot Records.[1][2] Dean has most notably worked alongside Scarface of the Geto Boys, Do or Die, Tha Dogg Pound, Yukmouth of the Luniz, C-Bo, Nate Dogg, Tech N9ne, UGK, Z-Ro, Devin the Dude, Outlawz and 2Pac.[3]
Dean went on to mix, produce and master widely throughout American hip hop. He has become known for his work with Kanye West. After initially contributing to the mixing of West's albums The College Dropout and Late Registration, Dean contributed as producer on West's Graduation, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Yeezus, and The Life of Pablo albums.[4] He also co-produced with West on his collaboration album with Jay-Z, Watch the Throne. Dean was an additional producer on "Mercy" and "Higher" on GOOD Music's 2012 compilation album Cruel Summer. Dean has made particularly heavy contributions on West's last albums, and is credited on most tracks.
In recent years, Mike Dean has served as a regular guitarist and keyboardist for Kanye West at his live performances, headlining numerous music festivals, the Watch the Throne Tour, and the Yeezus Tour. Dean has also been a frequent collaborator with Travis Scott. Dean's production has appeared on every one of Scott's musical bodies of work from 2013 to the present. In 2016, Dean mastered Frank Ocean's visual album Endless, and wrote and produced tracks on Desiigner's mixtape New English[5] and produced Desiigner's single "Tiimmy Turner".[6]
Production discography
1990s
1992
1993
1994
- 5th Ward Boyz - Gangsta Funk
- Big Mello - Wegonefunkwichamind
- Big Mike - Somethin' Serious
- Blac Monks - Secrets of the Hidden Temple
- Odd Squad - Fadanuf Fa Erybody!!
- Scarface - The Diary
1995
- 5th Ward Boyz - Rated G
- Jamal - Last Chance, No Breaks
- Menace Clan - Da Hood
1996
- 3-2 - Wicked Buddah Baby
- Do or Die - Picture This
- Facemob - The Other Side of the Law
- Ganksta N-I-P - Psychotic Genius
- Geto Boys - The Resurrection
1997
- 3X Krazy - Stackin' Chips
- Big Mike - Still Serious
- Scarface -The Untouchable
- Seagram - Souls on Ice
1998
- A-G-2-A-Ke - Mil-Ticket
- Devin the Dude - The Dude
- Do or Die - Headz Or Tailz
- Ganksta N-I-P - Interview with a Killa
- Yukmouth - Thugged Out: The Albulation
2000s
2000
2001
- Oz (soundtrack)
- Tha Dogg Pound - Dillinger & Young Gotti
- Yukmouth - Thug Lord: The New Testament
- Sherm - Sherm Smoke [7]
2002
- Big Syke - Big Syke
- Daz Dillinger - This Is The Life I Lead
- Devin the Dude - Just Tryin' ta Live
- E-40 - Grit & Grind
- Hussein Fatal - Fatal
- Kastro & E.D.I. - Blood Brothers
- King Tee - Thy Kingdom Come
- Scarface - The Fix
- Young Noble - Noble Justice
2003
- Yukmouth - Godzilla
2004
2005
- Geto Boys - The Foundation
- Pimp C - Sweet James Jones Stories
- Z-Ro - Let the Truth Be Told
2006
- Juvenile - Reality Check
- Pimp C - Pimpalation
- Z-Ro - I'm Still Livin'
2007
- Kanye West - Graduation
- Scarface - Made
2008
- Kanye West - 808's and Heartbreak
2009
- Mike Jones - The Voice
- UGK - UGK 4 Life
2010s
2010
- Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
- Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager
- Z-Ro - Heroin
2011
- Kanye West & Jay-Z - Watch the Throne
2012
2013
- Beyoncé - BEYONCÉ
- Jay Z - Magna Carta... Holy Grail
- Kanye West - Yeezus
- Angel Haze - Dirty Gold
2015
2016
- Beyoncé - Lemonade
- Kanye West - The Life of Pablo
- Desiigner - New English
- Frank Ocean - Endless and Blonde
- Travis Scott - Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight
- Ty Dolla Sign - Campaign
- Yung Lean - Warlord
- 2 Chainz - Hibachi for Lunch
Upcoming
- G.O.O.D. Music - Cruel Winter
- Sky Ferreira - Masochism
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
Year | Nominee/work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | Late Registration (as engineer/mixer) | Best Rap Album | Won |
Album of the Year | Nominated | ||
2008 | Graduation (as engineer) | Nominated | |
Best Rap Album | Won | ||
"Good Life" (as songwriter) | Best Rap Song | Won | |
2012 | My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (as engineer/mixer) | Best Rap Album | Won |
2013 | "Ni**as In Paris" (as songwriter) | Best Rap Song | Won |
2014 | "New Slaves" (as songwriter) | Nominated | |
2015 | "Bound 2" (as songwriter) | Nominated | |
2016 | "All Day" (as songwriter) | Nominated | |
Beauty Behind the Madness (as producer) | Album of the Year | Nominated |
See also
References
- ↑ "Mike Dean On Working With Selena, Scarface And Kanye". Retrieved 2015-08-30.
- ↑ Pablo, J. "Kanye Producer Mike Dean Talks Yeezus". Retrieved 2015-08-30.
- ↑ HipHopDX. "Producer's Corner: Mike Dean". Retrieved 2015-08-30.
- ↑ "Beat Construction: Mike Dean". Retrieved 2015-08-30.
- ↑ Schwartz, Danny (28 June 2016). "5 Producers You May Not Know On Desiigner's "New English"". Hotnewhiphop. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ↑ Boykins, Austin (29 June 2016). "Desiigner Teases Upcoming "Timmy Turner" Track With Mike Dean". Hypebeast. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ↑ "Sherm - Sherm Smoke". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-05-17.