| K-Def | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Birth name |
Kevin Hansford |
|
Born |
1971 (age 52–53) |
|
Origin |
New Jersey, U.S. |
|
Genre |
|
|
Occupation(s) |
Record producer |
|
Years active |
1988-present |
|
Label |
Ghetto Man Beats/Music (2006-present) |
|
Associated acts |
A.D.O.R., De' 1, DJ Mark the 45 King, Lords of the Underground, Marley Marl, Raw Poetic, Real Live, Sah-B, World Renown |
Kevin Hansford (born 1971), better known by his stage name K-Def, is an American record producer from New Jersey. He first rose to prominence as a protégé of Marley Marl, and co-produced songs for Lords of the Underground and Intelligent Hoodlum. In the mid-1990s, K-Def produced the majority of three shelved albums: Day One by De' 1, Some 'Ol Sah-B Shit by Sah-B, and the self-titled album by World Renown. In 1996, he released the album The Turnaround: The Long Awaited Drama as a member of duo Real Live.
After providing production work for artists such as Mic Geronimo, Jayo Felony, A.D.O.R., Ol' Dirty Bastard and Ghostface Killah in the late 1990s and early 2000s, K-Def released the instrumental album K-Def Presents Willie Boo Boo "The Fool" in 2006, followed by a slew of similar instrumental releases in the 2000s and 2010s.
K-Def is known for his blues/soul sampling style, which is similar to that of fellow Marley Marl protégé Pete Rock. While the majority of his early-to-mid-1990s productions were made using the Akai MPC sampler, K-Def began using a computer in 1997 and now exclusively uses a software-based set-up.
Career[]
K-Def is from New Jersey. As a child, he listened to radio shows hosted by Afrika Islam and the Awesome Two. In the late-1980s, he developed a connection with the Awesome Two and was brought to DJ at parties in New York. K-Def met rapper Larry-O in 1988 and the two recorded an album on independent label Tav Dash Records. The two marketed the album to receive distribution by a major label but the label executives were "scared" by Larry-O's lyrics.[1]
K-Def's first released contributions were on the 1991 album Life of a Kid in the Ghetto by Ed O.G & Da Bulldogs, which was produced by the Awesome Two. He contributed some scratches and contributed co-production with credit.[1]
Influences[]
K-Def cites Marley Marl, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Large Professor, Prince Paul, Dr. Dre and DJ Mark the 45 King as production influences.[1]
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
- 2006: K-Def Presents Willie Boo Boo "The Fool"
- 2008: Beats from the 90's Vol. 1
- 2009: Beats from the 90's Vol. 2
- 2011: Night Shift
- 2013: The Exhibit
- 2013: One Man Band
- 2014: Tape One
- 2015: Tape Two
- 2016: The Unpredictable Gemini
- 2017: In the Moment
Collaborative albums[]
- 2014: Back to the Beat (with DJ Mark the 45 King)
- 2015: Cool Convos in Quantum (with Raw Poetic)
- 2015: Back to the Beat Vol. 2 (with DJ Mark the 45 King)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Robbie (January 24, 2007). "Jersey Has Breaks! K-Def Interview". Unkut.com. Accessed September 11, 2020.