DJ Fuze

Last updated
Littlefuze3.jpg

DJ Fuze, is an American Hip-Hop DJ and record producer, who is most known for his work in the 1990s with the multi-platinum, P-Funk-inspired rap group Digital Underground.

Contents

Digital Underground

Fuze co-produced several songs on Digital Underground’s Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum debut album Sex Packets. Most notable of these songs is the Bay Area classic "Freaks of the Industry". He toured with D.U. internationally in 1990, supporting the group's singles "Doowutchyalike" and "The Humpty Dance" (Billboard Rap Chart position #1), and also toured the U.S. on the 1991 Budweiser Superfest tour supporting their follow-up effort This Is An EP Release featuring the single "Same Song" on which a young Tupac Shakur debuted. The following year, D.U. released Sons of the P , which featured the hit singles "Kiss You Back" and "No Nose Job", the latter of which showcased a unique scratching technique that Fuze playfully coined "the bumble-bee scratch", inspired by DJ QBert, and featured prominently in the song's intro. [1] He demonstrated this scratch live at the Apollo Theater in 1992 during a televised performance with Digital Underground. [2]

Tupac

Fuze also collaborated with Tupac on his debut album 2Pacalypse Now . In addition to naming the album, Fuze produced the song "Violent", which is a partial remake of Shabba Ranks' and Cocoa Tea's dancehall hit "Pirate Anthem".

Other work

Raw Fusion

Fuze was also one half of the group Raw Fusion along with fellow DU member Money-B. In 1991, the two scored a minor Bay Area radio hit "Throw Your Hands In The Air", which was the first single from their debut album Live from the Styleetron . The video, which featured cameo appearances by rappers Tupac and Saafir, was the first major video production by directors The Hughes Brothers, who later directed Menace II Society , Dead Presidents , American Pimp , and From Hell.

Luniz

In 1994, Fuze began working with the Oakland duo Luniz, and he produced three songs on their debut multi-platinum release Operation Stackola. Fuze also toured internationally with Luniz during their platinum period, supporting their hit "I Got Five On It".

Dru Down

Fuze also produced the minor Bay Area hit "Can You Feel Me" for Oakland rapper Dru Down in 1996.

Lara Trump

Fuze produced the track, "Anything is Possible", by RNC chair, Lara Trump in 2024. [3]

Film and video appearances

Fuze appeared with Digital Underground in the Hollywood 1991 cult film flop Nothing But Trouble , which starred Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Chevy Chase, and Demi Moore. He also is featured in Digital Underground's videos for "The Humpty Dance", "Doowutchyalike", "Same Song", "Kiss You Back", and "No Nose Job".

Fuze also appeared with Tupac in the Oscar-nominated documentary film Tupac Resurrection as well as in Tupac's first two music videos, "Trapped" and "Brenda’s Got A Baby".

Current activity

Fuze returned to college in 2003 and received a B.A. in International Development from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2007. He began touring again with Digital Underground upon graduating college, and he has also been sitting in with Dave Chappelle since 2008 at the comedian's exclusive Bay Area improv performances. He can now be found working with the youth of Oakland, California, hosting DJ classes through the non-profit organization Youth Radio.

Discography

Production

Appearances

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Pain</span> American hip hop group

House of Pain was an American hip hop trio that released three albums in the 1990s. The group consisted of DJ Lethal, Danny Boy, and Everlast. The group's 1992 hit single "Jump Around" reached number 3 in their native United States of America, number 6 in Ireland and number 8 in the United Kingdom. The group broke up in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital Underground</span> American alternative hip hop group

Digital Underground is an American alternative hip hop group from Oakland, California. Its lineup changed with each album and tour.

<i>2Pacalypse Now</i> 1991 studio album by 2Pac

2Pacalypse Now is the debut solo studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on November 12, 1991 through TNT Recordings and Interscope Records. Recording sessions took place at Starlight Sound Studio in Richmond, California. Production was handled by members of Digital Underground production team The Underground Railroad, namely Big D the Impossible, Shock G, Pee-Wee, DJ Jay-Z, Raw Fusion and Live Squad. It features contributions from Stretch, Angelique, Dave Hollister, Pogo, Poppi, Ray Luv and Shock G among others. The album's title is a reference to the 1979 war film Apocalypse Now.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shock G</span> American rapper (1963–2021)

Gregory Edward Jacobs, known professionally as Shock G and by his alter ego Humpty Hump, was an American rapper and musician who was best known as the lead vocalist of the hip hop group Digital Underground. He was responsible for Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance", 2Pac's breakthrough single "I Get Around", and co-producer of 2Pac's debut album 2Pacalypse Now.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Humpty Dance</span> 1990 single by Digital Underground

"The Humpty Dance" is a song by the American rap group Digital Underground from their debut album Sex Packets. Released as the second single from the album in January 1990, it reached No. 11 on the pop chart, No. 7 on the R&B chart, and No. 1 on the Billboard Rap Singles chart. The song is sung by Shock G's alter ego, "Humpty Hump", marking the character's second musical appearance; the first was Digital Underground's "Doowutchyalike," a pre-album video-single released in the spring of 1989. The song has been sampled by many different artists and producers. In the song's video, a young Tupac Shakur is visible in the background.

Live Squad was an American hip hop group and production team from Hollis, Queens, New York consisting of brothers Stretch and Majesty and DJ K-Low, best known for their early collaborations with Tupac Shakur.

Ronald Brooks, better known by his stage name Money-B, is an American rapper, best known for being a member of the funk and rap group Digital Underground. He is a member of Raw Fusion with DJ Fuze whom they had two albums, Live From the Styleetron and Hoochified Funk.

<i>Sons of the P</i> 1991 studio album by Digital Underground

Sons of the P is the second studio album by American hip hop group Digital Underground. It was released on October 15, 1991 via Tommy Boy Records. Main recording sessions took place at Starlight Sound in Richmond, with additional recordings done at Unique Recording Studios in New York, Axiom Recorders in Tampa and The Disc Ltd. in Detroit. Production was handled by D.U. in-house production team credited as The Underground Production Squad, with Atron Gregory and member Shock G serving as executive producers. It features contributions from George Clinton, Stretch and Treach.

<i>The Body-Hat Syndrome</i> 1993 studio album by Digital Underground

The Body-Hat Syndrome is the third full-length studio album by American hip hop Digital Underground. It was released on October 5, 1993 via Tommy Boy Records. Production was handled by Digital Underground inner production team, the D-Flow Production Squad. The album peaked at number 79 on the Billboard 200 and number 16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States.

<i>Sex Packets</i> 1990 studio album by Digital Underground

Sex Packets is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Digital Underground, released on March 20, 1990.

<i>No Nose Job: The Legend of Digital Underground</i> 2001 compilation album by Digital Underground

No Nose Job: The Legend of Digital Underground is the first compilation album from the rap group, Digital Underground. It features several of their songs, such as "Same Song" and "The Humpty Dance".

<i>Playwutchyalike: The Best of Digital Underground</i> 2003 compilation album by Digital Underground

Playwutchyalike: The Best of Digital Underground is the second compilation album from rap group Digital Underground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stretch (rapper)</span> American rapper and record producer

Randy Walker, better known by his stage name Stretch, was an American rapper and record producer, working in Live Squad. In the early 1990s, he joined 2Pac's rap group Thug Life. The November 30, 1994, shooting of Shakur led to their split. On November 30, 1995, Walker was shot and killed at the age of 27.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Got 5 on It</span> 1995 single by Luniz featuring Michael Marshall

"I Got 5 on It" is a mobb music song by American rap duo Luniz featuring R&B singer Michael Marshall, released in May 1995 as the lead single from the duo's debut album, Operation Stackola (1995). The song reached number two in Germany, number three in the United Kingdom and number eight in the United States. It is a drug anthem about the consumption of marijuana; its title and chorus refer to the practice of splitting the cost of a marijuana purchase and claiming five dollars' worth of it. The single was certified Platinum by the RIAA on October 31, 1995 and sold one million copies domestically.

<i>This Is an EP Release</i> 1991 EP by Digital Underground

This Is an EP Release is the first extended play by American hip hop group Digital Underground. It was released on January 15, 1991 through TNT Recordings and Tommy Boy Records. Production was handled by Digital Underground themselves. The EP peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and number 7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. It was certified gold on March 18, 1991 by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 500,000 units.

<i>Beginnings: The Lost Tapes 1988–1991</i> 2007 compilation album by 2Pac

Beginnings: The Lost Tapes 1988–1991 is a compilation album consisting of unreleased recordings of American rapper Tupac Shakur. The album was originally released on April 18, 2000, in bootleg form under the title The Lost Tapes: Circa 1989, but the selling was quickly halted due to not receiving approval from then head of the Tupac estate, Afeni Shakur. The track "Panther Power" was issued on the Resurrection soundtrack before finally receiving the blessing of Afeni Shakur and being reissued in 2007, under Koch and Amaru Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doowutchyalike</span> 1989 single by Digital Underground

"Doowutchyalike" is a song performed by Digital Underground. The song was released independently by the group in 1989 and later included on their debut studio album Sex Packets. Produced and co-written by group leader Shock G, the song peaked at #19 on the Billboard rap chart in 1990.

Katari Terrance Cox better known by his stage name Kastro, is an American rapper. A cousin of 2Pac, Kastro would perform alongside him in the former's rap group, the Outlawz, and is featured on many of the late rapper's songs such as "Made Niggaz", and "Hail Mary". When he was in elementary school, he introduced his friend, and future Outlawz rapper, Malcolm Greenridge, later named E.D.I. Mean, to 2Pac.

<i>Live from the Styleetron</i> 1991 studio album by Raw Fusion

Live from the Styleetron is the debut studio album by Oakland-based hip hop group Raw Fusion. The group was fronted by Ron Brooks, known as Money-B, an active member of Digital Underground who produced this album as a side project with fellow group member David Elliot, known as DJ FUZE. Among many featured artists was a young unknown performer named Tupac Shakur who would later become a legendary figure in the world of hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Same Song</span> 1991 single by Digital Underground

"Same Song" is a song by American rap group Digital Underground—featuring future music legend Tupac Shakur in his recording debut—from the soundtrack for the movie, Nothing But Trouble. The song is included on their EP album, This Is an EP Release, as well as on the Tupac: Resurrection soundtrack.

References

  1. "Digital Underground". New.music.yahoo.com.
  2. "No Nose Job Live at the Apollo - Digital Underground". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQML0_YASCI