![]() In March 2010, Drama appeared on T-Pain's musical television special Freaknik: The Musical, in a voice role as a radio announcer named Mr. Zone 6), Chris Brown ( In My Zone 2), Dead Prez ( Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz), and Wyclef Jean ( From the Hut, to the Projects, to the Mansion), among others. ![]() In addition to his own studio albums, DJ Drama also continued working on mixtapes, including those for Gucci Mane ( Mr. 2), with the singles " Day Dreaming" (featuring Akon, Snoop Dogg and T.I.) and " Ridiculous" (featuring Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, Lonnie Mac and OJ da Juiceman). In May 2009, DJ Drama released his second album entitled Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. The album peaked at number 26 on the Billboard 200. The second single, " The Art of Storytellin' Part 4", was released in 2008 and featured Outkast and Marsha Ambrosius. The album's lead single-" 5000 Ones" featuring Nelly, T.I., Yung Joc, Willie the Kid, Jeezy, and Twista-debuted on BET. The album's first buzz single, "Takin' Pictures", was released in March 2007 and featured Jeezy, Willie the Kid, Jim Jones, Rick Ross, Young Buck and T.I. ĭespite the setback, DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz: The Album was released in December 2007 on the Grand Hustle label. No further legal action was ever taken against Drama or Cannon in relation to the raid. Hard drives containing tracks from Drama's first "official" album, Gangsta Grillz: The Album, were also seized despite the fact that the album was due to be released "above-board" by Grand Hustle Records via Atlantic Records. Both DJ Drama and Don Cannon were taken into custody on RICO charges. In January 2007, AMG's Atlanta studios were raided by Fulton County police officers, who seized over 80,000 mixtapes, 4 vehicles, and some recording equipment. The first artist signed was American rapper Willie the Kid. Dedication 2, released in May 2006, appeared on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was labeled by The New York Times as "one of the 10 best recordings of 2006." ĪMG signed a joint venture deal with Asylum Records in September 2006. In late 2005, Drama produced and hosted Lil Wayne's The Dedication mixtape, which would spawn a long series of Dedication tapes. By 2005, Drama and his AMG cohorts were hosting radio shows on Atlanta's Hot 107.9 and on Eminem's Shade 45 channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. The group distributed DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz mixtape series, which saw early successes with T.I.'s Down With the King (2004) and Jeezy's Trap or Die (2005). Career 2003–2010: Career beginnings and Gangsta Grillz: The Album series DJ Drama in 2008ĭJ Drama, alongside Don Cannon and DJ Sense, officially founded the Aphilliates Music Group (AMG) in 2003. He would go on to graduate from CAU in 2000. The success of that tape led DJ Drama to start the mixtape series, Gangsta Grillz. In 1998, he released his first mixtape ( Jim Crow Laws) composed exclusively of Southern hip hop acts like Outkast, Three 6 Mafia, and Mystikal. One of his first series (called Electric Relaxation) included a variety of R&B tracks. During his studies, Simmons began making and releasing mixtapes under the moniker, DJ Drama. The three would eventually form the Aphilliates DJ and artist collective. While there, he met two other Philadelphia-raised DJs: DJ Sense and Don Cannon. Īfter high school, he moved to Atlanta to attend Clark Atlanta University (CAU) where he studied mass communication. Simmons attended Central High School in Philadelphia and graduated in 1996. He also started experimenting with turntables. He began making his own tapes soon after, including one titled Illadelph which featured artists like Black Thought, Dice Raw, Malik B., and others. At age 13, his sister took him to New York City where he purchased his first mixtape. Tyree Simmons was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and raised largely in Germantown, Philadelphia. Drama has released five studio albums, curating tracks with both underground and prominent artists, the latest of which being Quality Street Music 2 (2016). ![]() He is also co-founder (with Don Cannon) of Generation Now, an Atlantic Records imprint with artists including Lil Uzi Vert, Jack Harlow, and Skeme on its roster. Numerous high-profile artists have utilized Drama's Gangsta Grillz branding in projects he's compiled, including Lil Wayne, Fabolous, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, Snoop Dogg, Lil Uzi Vert, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, among others.ĭJ Drama is co-founder of the Atlanta-based hip hop collective known as the Aphilliates. and would continue to gain prominence hosting mixtapes, namely his trademark Gangsta Grillz series. He initially gained recognition as the official DJ for Atlanta-based rapper T.I. Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978), professionally known as DJ Drama, is an American disc jockey (DJ), record executive and music promoter.
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