Austin Garrick, also known as Watts, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, musician and composer from Toronto, Ontario. He has produced for artists such as Ghostface Killah, Redman, Method Man, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Gesaffelstein. [1] [2] He is one half of synth-pop duo Electric Youth (alongside childhood girlfriend Bronwyn Griffin), who first rose to prominence upon the release of their song "A Real Hero", from the acclaimed soundtrack of the motion picture Drive . [3] [4]
Watts grew up in the Oakwood-Vaughan neighbourhood of Toronto. [5] He was born to a Vincentian musician father and a Polish-born mother (of Greek and Russian descent), a doctor. His father, who was a drummer in the reggae band Messenjah, taught him how to play drums when he was two years old, and professionally by the age of five. Nicknamed "Stixs", he would perform around Toronto regularly, opening for reggae band Third World at the age of seven and in front of a crowd of over 50,000 at the Rogers Centre alongside Nelson Mandela, at the age of 12. After his parents got divorced, he started making beats as an alternative to performing.
When Watts became serious about a career as a record producer, he made several trips to New York City. He dropped out of high school in Grade 11 after a meeting with producer/DJ Kevin "K-Cut" McKenzie (of the legendary group Main Source). In New York, K-Cut took Watts under his wing and taught him about making great records, and the music business in the U.S. [5] He later worked with Rashad "Ringo" Smith under the Tumblin' Dice Productions label.
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group and collective formed in the New York City borough of Staten Island in 1992, originally composed of rapper-producer RZA and rappers GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God and Masta Killa. An important act in the East Coast and hardcore hip hop styles, Wu-Tang Clan are regarded as one of the most influential hip hop groups of all time. Their 1993 debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang , is considered one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.
American Recordings is an American record label headed by producer Rick Rubin. The label has featured artists such as Slayer, the Black Crowes, ZZ Top, Danzig, Trouble, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, The Mother Hips, and System of a Down.
Dennis Coles, better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper, songwriter and actor and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success. Ghostface Killah debuted his solo-career with Ironman in 1996, which was well received by music critics. He has continued his success over the following years with critically acclaimed albums such as Supreme Clientele (2000) and Fishscale (2006). His stage name was taken from one of the characters in the 1979 kung fu film Mystery of Chessboxing. He is the founder of his own label Starks Enterprises.
Clifford Smith Jr., better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He is also one half of the hip hop duo Method Man & Redman. He took his stage name from the 1979 film Method Man. In 1996, Smith won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, for "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By", featuring American R&B singer Mary J. Blige.
Reginald "Reggie" Noble, better known by his stage name Redman, is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame in the early 1990s as an artist on the Def Jam label.
Def Jam Vendetta is a 2003 professional wrestling video game that combined hip hop with pro wrestling. It was released for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube under the EA Sports BIG label in North America and Europe, and the EA Games label in Japan. It was EA's first attempt at a wrestling game since the widely panned WCW Backstage Assault. Several hip hop artists were featured in the game, including DMX, Method Man, Redman, Ludacris, N.O.R.E., Capone, Scarface, Ghostface Killah, Keith Murray, WC, Joe Budden and DJ Funkmaster Flex; all of which at the time were artists of Def Jam. Singer Christina Milian was also featured in the game as Angel. A sequel, Def Jam: Fight for NY, was released on September 20, 2004 to largely positive reviews.
True Master is an American hip-hop producer and Wu-Tang affiliate.
Red Gone Wild: Thee Album is the sixth studio album by rapper Redman. It was released on March 27, 2007 via his own label Gilla House Records in conjunction with Def Jam Recordings.
Karl Amani Wailoo, better known by his stage name Saukrates, is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer. He is the cfounder of Capitol Hill Music, and lead singer of the hip-hop/R&B group Big Black Lincoln. He is also a member of Redman's Gilla House collective.
The discography of Method Man, an American hip hop recording artist, consists of six studio albums and 34 singles. Method Man embarked on his music career in 1992, as a member of East Coast hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the Wu-Tang Clan released their highly acclaimed debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (1993), Method Man would be the first member to release his solo debut album. In November 1994, he released Tical, under Def Jam Recordings. His debut album Tical, features his biggest hit single to date, "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By", which features American R&B singer Mary J. Blige and peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. Method Man would then go on to collaborate with fellow East Coast rapper Redman, and subsequently form a duo together.
Digital Dog are an English remix/production duo consisting of Steve Cornish and Nick Mace. The duo also produce under the aliases Jack Rokka and Elek-Tro Junkies.
List of albums released or distributed by Def Jam Recordings.
Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City is the eighth studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan-member Ghostface Killah, released September 29, 2009 on Def Jam Recordings in the United States. He first announced the album in a May 2008 interview, describing it as an R&B-inspired album, similar to his previous work with such artists as Ne-Yo and Jodeci. The album spawned four singles; "Baby", a slow-tempo R&B song with auto-tune vocals by Raheem "Radio" DeVaughn, "Forever", "Let's Stop Playin'" featuring John Legend, and "Guest House", featuring Fabolous & Shareefa. Upon its release, Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City received generally positive reviews from music critics. As of December 12, 2009, the album has sold 64,000 copies in the United States.
Jason Connoy, better known as MoSS, is a Canadian hip-hop record producer from Toronto, Ontario.
Damon Sharpe, born Damon Jared Reinagle, is an American record producer, songwriter and recording artist who works in Los Angeles. He first reached notability as a member of Guys Next Door and has since contributed to various albums that have cumulatively sold over 40 million copies.
Apollo Kids is the ninth studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan-member Ghostface Killah, released on December 21, 2010, by Def Jam Recordings. Guests on the album include several Wu-Tang members and affiliates, as well as Redman, Black Thought, Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz, and Game, among others.
Jordan Young, known professionally as DJ Swivel, is a Grammy Award-winning Canadian music producer, mixer, audio engineer, and DJ. He is a prominent audio engineer best known for working with Beyoncé as her personal recording engineer. He has also worked with BTS, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Fabolous, and Jay Sean among others. He is endorsed by Harman Pro Audio and actively endorses their Lexicon branded products.
Electric Youth is a Canadian synth-pop duo from Toronto, Ontario consisting of Bronwyn Griffin and Austin Garrick.
"Wu Tang Forever" is a song by American rapper Logic, featured as the sixth track on his 2018 album YSIV. The song is a homage to the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan and features all living members of the group: Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, RZA, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, U-God, Masta Killa and GZA, as well as Wu-Tang Clan affiliate Jackpot Scotty Wotty; deceased member Ol' Dirty Bastard received a writing credit. The song shares the same title as the group's second studio album.
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