Michael 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 Kanye West, Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, Jay Z, and Desiigner.
Video Mike Dean (record producer)
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. 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.
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. 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 and Travis Scott at their live performances, headlining numerous music festivals, the Watch the Throne Tour, and the Yeezus Tour and Travis Scott's Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight 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, wrote and produced tracks on Desiigner's mixtape New English, and produced Desiigner's single "Tiimmy Turner".
In May 2017, Dean announced he was launching a record label by the name of M.W.A. When asked what made him decide that now would be the best time to unveil his new record label, Dean responded: "Just a lot of new young artists that's been asking to get down with me and have me work on their projects and help them get deals. I figured I'd start a label and sign some new acts. Seems like a good time to start it. I got a studio out here [in Los Angeles] and I'm able to meet a lot of new artists." When asked the meaning of M.W.A., Dean answered: "That's just what I call myself when I DJ. Mexican Wrestling Association. It's something that I've done with the merch, so I just figured I'd keep the name going." He also revealed Dice Soho the first artist he signed to M.W.A.: One of my homies Gustavo Guerra brought [Dice Soho] to me. I think he's gonna be the next wave out of Houston. I picked him up. Dice has a nice swag.
Maps Mike Dean (record producer)
Production discography
1990s
1992
- Bushwick Bill - Little Big Man
- UGK - Too Hard to Swallow
- Willie D - I'm Goin' Out Lika Soldier
1993
- 5th Ward Boyz - Ghetto Dope
- Ganksta N-I-P - Psychic Thoughts
- DMG - Rigormortiz
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
- C-Bo - Enemy of the State
- Outlawz - Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us
- Scarface - Last of a Dying Breed
2001
- Oz (soundtrack)
- Tha Dogg Pound - Dillinger & Young Gotti
- Yukmouth - Thug Lord: The New Testament
- Sherm - Sherm Smoke
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
- Z-Ro - The Life of Joseph W. McVey
- Shyne - Godfather Buried Alive
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
- GOOD Music - Cruel Summer
2013
- Beyoncé - BEYONCÉ
- Jay Z - Magna Carta... Holy Grail
- Kanye West - Yeezus
- Angel Haze - Dirty Gold
2014
- Travis Scott - Days Before Rodeo
2015
- Madonna - Rebel Heart
- Travis Scott - Rodeo
- The Weeknd - Where You Belong
- Freddie Gibbs - Shadow of a Doubt
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
- Kid Cudi - Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin'
- Z-Ro - Legendary
2017
- 2 Chainz - Pretty Girls Like Trap Music
- Vic Mensa - The Autobiography
- Lunice - CCCLX
- Ty Dolla Sign - Beach House 3
- Trippie Redd - Dark Knight Dummo
- Travis Scott & Quavo - Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho
2018
- Migos - Culture II'
Upcoming
- GOOD Music - Cruel Winter
- Sky Ferreira - Masochism
- Travis Scott - AstroWorld
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
See also
- Houston hip hop
References
External links
- Official website
- NPR: Mike Dean on working with Selena, Scarface, and Kanye
- Mike Dean at Grammy.com
Source of the article : Wikipedia