Waajeed
Encyclopedia
Waajeed is a Detroit-born music producer, and one half of the hip hop
and R&B group Platinum Pied Pipers
. He formed the Bling47 record label in 2002,which has released his work and projects by J Dilla
and the vocalist Tiombe Lockhart
. The name "Waajeed" means "finder" or "seeker" in Arabic.
Fantastic, Vol. 2
. As a producer, Waajeed began comparatively late (2000), but before long had landed a handful of tracks on the group's Trinity (Past, Present and Future)
album. According to Waajeed, his first MPC
had previously belonged to J Dilla. After the hardware was broken by Questlove, J Dilla said that Waajeed could keep it if he could fix it. His first beats were made on that very same MPC after managing to correct the problem.
pre-debut project, Rize, which ultimately led to Dwele getting signed to Virgin Records
shortly thereafter. He has been a close friend of Slum Village since its earliest days, DJ'ing for them on their earliest tours, convincing the group to release their first album/demo, Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1)
, choosing the group's name, and introducing them to fourth member Elzhi
.
Waajeed's productions have led to him working with some of the industry's most respected artists such as Roy Ayers
and Radiohead
. He is currently working on forthcoming albums by Bling47 artists, Tiombe Lockhart, and Invincible. In 2007 he released a compilation called The War LP.
Waajeed has been a featured guest on many international radio shows, including KCRW.
In 2010, he released preview of his remix of DEDE (American Band)
's "Phantom" on Soundcloud.
He is currently working on the second Platinum Pied Pipers album, as well as a collaborative album with Detroit MC Invincible.
Waajeed currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and R&B group Platinum Pied Pipers
Platinum Pied Pipers
Platinum Pied Pipers is a Detroit-based hip hop and R&B group composed of producer Waajeed , and multi-instrumentalist Saadiq . Their music usually features a rotating and varied array of artists.- Background :The two met through rapper Baatin in 1992...
. He formed the Bling47 record label in 2002,which has released his work and projects by J Dilla
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
and the vocalist Tiombe Lockhart
Tiombe Lockhart
Tiombe Lockhart is an American nu soul and R&B singer and songwriter.-Early life:Lockhart was born in Atlanta, Georgia. At the age of 12 she moved to Los Angeles and completed the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts...
. The name "Waajeed" means "finder" or "seeker" in Arabic.
Background
Before producing records, Waajeed was studying art and DJing in and around the Detroit music circuit. He designed the cover for Slum Village'sSlum Village
Slum Village was a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer J Dilla . J Dilla left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with MCA Records...
Fantastic, Vol. 2
Fantastic, Vol. 2
Fantastic, Vol. 2 is the second album from Detroit's Slum Village, released in 2000. During the time of its release the group was still composed of its earliest members T3, Baatin and Jay Dee....
. As a producer, Waajeed began comparatively late (2000), but before long had landed a handful of tracks on the group's Trinity (Past, Present and Future)
Trinity (Past, Present and Future)
Trinity is the third studio album by Slum Village, released on August 24, 2002.- Overview :Trinity marked the group's first shift away from its original lineup, due to J Dilla's departure following Fantastic, Vol. 2, to pursue a solo career...
album. According to Waajeed, his first MPC
MIDI Production Center
Akai MPCs are a popular series of electronic musical instruments originally designed by Roger Linn and produced by the Japanese company Akai from 1988 onward. Intended to function as a powerful kind of drum machine, the MPCs drew on design ideas from machines such as the Sequential Circuits Inc...
had previously belonged to J Dilla. After the hardware was broken by Questlove, J Dilla said that Waajeed could keep it if he could fix it. His first beats were made on that very same MPC after managing to correct the problem.
Career
Waajeed was an executive producer on Dwele'sDwele
Andwele Gardner , better known by his stage name Dwele is a soul singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:...
pre-debut project, Rize, which ultimately led to Dwele getting signed to Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
shortly thereafter. He has been a close friend of Slum Village since its earliest days, DJ'ing for them on their earliest tours, convincing the group to release their first album/demo, Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1)
Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1)
Fan-Tas-Tic , is the first album by Detroit group Slum Village. It comprises songs from their demo album, which was recorded in 1996 and 1997, but not officially released until 8 years later. It was nonetheless leaked onto the underground circuit and caused "quite a stir" in 1997. The whole...
, choosing the group's name, and introducing them to fourth member Elzhi
Elzhi
Jason Powers is a hip-hop artist from Detroit, Michigan. Many Underground fans know him as "Detroit's Best Kept Secret". As a former member of Slum Village he now records as a solo artist...
.
Waajeed's productions have led to him working with some of the industry's most respected artists such as Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
and Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
. He is currently working on forthcoming albums by Bling47 artists, Tiombe Lockhart, and Invincible. In 2007 he released a compilation called The War LP.
Waajeed has been a featured guest on many international radio shows, including KCRW.
In 2010, he released preview of his remix of DEDE (American Band)
DEDE (American Band)
DEDE is an American dream pop and post-rock duo formed in 2009 in Brooklyn, NY, consisting of singer and Wisconsin native Deanne Reynolds and Seattle native Tim Kvasnosky...
's "Phantom" on Soundcloud.
He is currently working on the second Platinum Pied Pipers album, as well as a collaborative album with Detroit MC Invincible.
Waajeed currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Discography
- B.P.M. - Waajeed (2002, Bling 47)
- Triple PTriple P (album)Triple P is the 2005 debut album by American hip hop and R&B group Platinum Pied Pipers.-Track listing:# "Shotgun Intro" # "Your Day Is Done" # "Deep Inside"...
- Platinum Pied Pipers (2005, UbiquityUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
) - The War LP - Waajeed (2007, Fat CityFat City RecordingsFat City Recordings is an independent record label. It emerged in 1998 from the Fat City Records shop originally situated in Affleck's Palace in the Northern Quarter, Manchester, but which has now moved onto Oldham Street....
) - AbundanceAbundanceAbundance may refer to:In science and technology:* Abundance , the opposite of scarcities* Abundance , growing food with plentiful resources that will not run out -- sunshine, CO2, and waste or brine water....
- PPP (2009, UbiquityUbiquity RecordsUbiquity Records is an American music label that focuses on funk, rare groove, soul, and hip hop and other musical genres. It is located in Costa Mesa, California and has a satellite office based in San Francisco, California...
)
External links
- Official Bling47 site
- Waajeed RBMA video lecture session Pt.1
- Waajeed RBMA video lecture session Pt.2
- RBMA Radio On Demand - Melbourne Marvels - Waajeed (Platinum Pied Pipers, Bling 47)
- Groove Merchant Waajeed interview
- The Real Frequency Waajeed Interview
- Moovmnt Waajeed Interview
- Brooklyn Bodega Blog Waajeed Interview