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DJ King Assassin

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DJ King Assassin
Born
Craig S. Venegas Alvarado

(1971-01-15) January 15, 1971 (age 53)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names
  • DJ Raleem
  • Assassin
Occupations
  • DJ
  • producer
  • radio personality
  • director
Years active1989 - Present
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
Labels
WebsiteOfficial website

Craig Venegas Alvarado (born January 15, 1971), known by his stage name DJ King Assassin, is an American disc jockey, producer, and engineer from Los Angeles, California.

Venegas became influential in the west coast hip-hop music scene after having helped pioneer records for 1990s era rap moguls such as 2Pac, Ice-T and Eazy-E.[1][2]

Venegas started producing at an early age, growing up in the California Bay Area. Starting in the 1980s, Venegas influenced the west coast hip-hop music culture by creating sounds for rappers in the Bay Area & L.A California.[3] He connected with former Ruthless Records rapper Kokane and charted on billboard with Dr Kokastien and The Legend Continues.[4]

Throughout his career, Venegas engineered over 300 titles for recording artists signed to Universal Records, EMI, Def Jam, including several of which reached the Billboard charts, respectively. In 2014, he peaked at #7 on the Billboard charts in the US following the release of a mixtape with fellow industry partner Kokane.[5] For several consecutive years, Venegas has been awarded DJ of the Year for his lengthy music contribution in the West Coast Hip Hop Awards.[6][7]

Early life

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Venegas spent most of his early life in California traveling from San Jose, Vallejo, East Palo Alto and Sacramento, where he then relocated back to his native California lifestyle in the city of Los Angeles. As a kid, he won his school's spelling bee at Hillsdale Elementary and later went on to the district of Franklin Mckinley's spelling bee. He also learned to play drums in elementary school, and in eighth grade, how to make music. From that time, he became interested in music as well as breakdancing, in which he won trophies at local fairs and contests throughout the state of California.

Venegas' influences include long-time friend and collaborator 2Pac and Eazy-E, as he has grown up in California.[8][9][10]

Musical career

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1990s-2000s: career beginnings

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Venegas moved where originally his parents are from, in Southern California, and began his career as a record disc jockey, in which he later produced for recording artists signed to Russell Simmons record label Def Jam. In the early part of his career, Venegas produced for several projects from Eazy-E at Kitchen Sync and Echo Sound studios. It was there where, Venegas, a rising producer, teamed up with Tupac Shakur in which he later established a close relationship with the West Coast rapper.[11]

While Tupac Shakur worked on "Me Against The World", Venegas began producing music with Shakur, later witnessing the creation and scratching on original version of "Dear Mama", one of Shakur's most successful hip-hop records. Venegas, thereafter, produced, mixed and mastered an inordinate number of records for hip-hop recording artists in the west coast of the US, influencing the unique funk sound established by rappers like Eazy-E and 2Pac.[12][13]

2010-2015: The King Assassin Show & Mixtapes

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Venegas started his own internet syndicated radio show, The King Assassin Show, which featured appearances from recording artists and other notable figures like Freeway Rick Ross, for example.[14] Throughout the first half of the 2010s, Venegas released numerous mixtapes, some of which featured unreleased music from Tupac Shakur, and others in collaboration with west coast rappers.[15][16]

2016—present: original Dear Mama Recording & Makaveli Film

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In May 2016, following the passing of Afeni Shakur, Tupac Shakur's birth mother, Venegas was featured on TMZ and Billboard magazine where he spoke on his affiliation and relationship with the Shakur estate and the release of the original version of Tupac Shakur's classic record "Dear Mama".[17] In 2016, Venegas announced he will be producing and directing a film loosely based on Tupac Shakur's personal life and music career. The film is expected to be shot in California, and acting cast has not been released yet.[18]

In 2016, following the passing of Tupac Shakur's mother, Alvarado released a rare recording of 'Dear Mama' in honor of her death, which was later picked up by numerous music news outlets including TMZ, XXL and Complex.[19][20]

Guinness book of world records

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Assassin holds the Guinness Book Of World Records for recording the longest hip-hop song in the history followed by Rappers Delight entitled State Of Emergency which features mostly platinum and legendary artists and to be released in 2020.

Billboard Charts

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List of albums, with selected chart positions and sales figures

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Title Billboard Charting History Peak chart positions
Spotify + Web
[21] 		Heatseekers
[22][23]
Dr. Kokastien Hosted By Dj King Assassin] Billboard Charts Number 1
  • Released: August 11, 2012
  • Label: Bud E Boy Entertainment
  • Formats: digital download
 1 1
DJ King Assassin Billboard & Spotify 7 --

List of entire singles and albums Discography

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Year Title Note
12inch singles
1990 Lyrical Prophecy - You can't swing this Featured and Production
as DJ Raleem
1990 Charizma And Peanut Butter Wolf
Circa 1990 -1993 		Featured Adlibs
1992 Cisco The Frisco Mc - Audi 5000 Featured and Production
1992 Various What A Remix
Assassin Bring The Drums 		Featured and Production
1998 17 Reasons Various Cisco - Take Me Higher Featured and Production
1993 Ghetto Politics - Ghetto Life E.P Featured and Production
1995 Juvenile Style - The Cavi Production
1996 Assassin Featuring Tupac - Real Bad Boyz Featured and Production
2002 Assassin - Out Of Custody E.P Solo Album and Production
Cassette
1994 Various Strictly For The Streets
A Compilation about the game 		Official LP Features and Production
1994 Assassin - Hitworks Original Cassette release
1996 Assassin - Hitworks
1997 Assassin - Born And Raised In The Bay
1998 Assassin - Armed N Dangerouz
1999 Assassin - Worldwide Game
1999 Assassin - Soldierz At War
Compact disk
1994 Assassin & Tupac's Thuglife - Strictly For The Streets
A Compilation about the game
1996 Assassin - Hitworks
1997 Assassin - Born And Raised In The Bay
1998 Assassin - Armed N Dangerouz
1999 Assassin - Worldwide Game
1999 Assassin - Soldierz At War
1999 Assassin - City Of Dope
2000 Assassin - Revelation 2000
2001 Assassin - Anthology
2002 Assassin - Out Of Custody
2003 Assassin - Hitman For Hire
2004 Assassin - JT The Bigga Figga
Fillmoe 2 San Jo
2006 Assassin - San Quinn - Fillmoe 2 San Jo 2
2007 Assassin - Mopreme Shakur
Black And Brown Pride
2008 Assassin - United Playaz Of The Bay
2008 Assassin - High-Fee Movement
2011 Assassin - West Turf Compilation Kings
Mixtapes
  • 2005: Tupac: The Way He Wanted It Vol. 1
  • 2006: Tupac: The Way He Wanted It Vol. 2
  • 2007: Tupac: The Way He Wanted It Vol. 3
  • 2007: Lil' Prophet & W.G.G. Presents: 2pac: World Wide Mob Figga
  • 2008: Tupac: The Way He Wanted It Vol. 4
  • 2009: Tupac: The Way He Wanted It Vol. 5
  • 2009: Dj King Assassin Presents: Mr. Loco & D.L.E.M.M.A.: 4 Tha Thugz & Guttar Folk
  • 2009: Dj King Assassin Presents: Lokixximo : Enigma Mixtape (Dominican Republic)
  • 2012: Dj King Assassin Presents Pro Reck (D.O.P.E) (Mixtape Album)
  • 2012: Dj King Assassin Presents - Kelo - Gramzzterdam (Mixtape Album)
  • 2012: Dj King Assassin Presents: Slick F.B : New Era (Mixtape Album)
  • 2015: Dj King Assassin Presents: What Would Pac Do ft Kokane, Joe Young, Cold 187 um & 2pac (Single)
  • 2015: Dj King Assassin presents: Kay Nine Tha Boss : "Cruise Control Road 2 Success". (Album)
  • 2016: Lil' Prophet & W.G.G. Presents: 2pac: 20 Years Gone Mixtape (Hosted by DJ 4Five of DPG & DJ King Assassin
  • 2016: Dj King Assassin Presents: O.G Rome Dogg (Rowdoggs) Grindmode Volume 2
  • 2016: Dame Grease & King Assassin : "My Style" Feat. Sheek, Pusha T & Freeway Hip Hop DX Exclusive (Single)
  • 2017: Dj King Assassin Presents: Bugzy Bluntz : Momma Tried (Single)
  • 2018: Dj King Assassin Presents: T$P (Tha Survivalist) : Tales From A Cell (Album)

Filmography

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Television & Major Motion Pictures

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Title Year Role Other notes
The King Assassin Show 2014 Host Starring Role
Savoy Films

Scenes For The Soul

Directors: George Tillman Jr.

Robert Teitel

1995
 Soundtrack Featuring Tupac Shakur

Real Bad Boys

Joshua Dreams Films

Producer Soundtrack

Oprah Winfrey Show 2015 Special Guest Live television
TMZ Live[24] 2016 Special Guest Live television

Radio

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Title Year Role Other notes
The King Assassin Show 2014 Host Web syndicated
98.2 The Beat 2016 DJ Web syndicated

References

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  1. ^ Mench, Chris (2016-05-05). "West Coast Legend DJ King Assassin Releases Original "Dear Mama" Record". Complex.
  2. ^ Ivey, Justin (2016-05-05). "DJ King Assassin: Tupac's Original "Dear Mama" ft. Yo-Yo". XXL Mag.
  3. ^ Wilson, Scooby (2015-02-04). "DJ King Assassin Presents: "What Would Pac Do" Ft. Kokane, Joe Young, Big Hutch (Above The Law) & Tupac". AllHipHop.
  4. ^ Sikorski, David (2016-05-15). "DJ King Assassin unveils original release of Tupac's "Dear Mama"". Earmilk.
  5. ^ "Billboard Chart History - DJ King Assassin". Billboard. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  6. ^ "DJ KING ASSASSIN, KOKANE, ICE CUBE, ABOVE THE LAW - West Coast Hip Hop Awards". West Coast Hip Hop Awards. 2014-08-14.
  7. ^ Rohn, Jake (2016-12-15). "Listen To Previously Unheard 2Pac Verse From "How Long Will They Mourn Me?"". HipHopDX.
  8. ^ Young, Joe (2016-12-21). "DJ King Assassin Presents 2Pac featuring Kokane". Hip Hop Weekly.
  9. ^ Constantinou, Anton (2015-09-13). "SLEPT-ON SUNDAYS: DJ KING ASSASSIN – THE MAN BEHIND THE BEST OF THE WEST". HLN.
  10. ^ "Billboard Magazine: January 2011 Print Issue". Billboard. 2011-01-07.
  11. ^ "Meet Tupac's OG Producer: DJ King Assassin". ThisIs50. 2009-04-06. Archived from the original on 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  12. ^ Brow, Jason (2016-05-06). "Tupac's Original Version Of 'Dear Mama' Surfaces Days After Mother's Death". Hollywood Life.
  13. ^ "DJ King Assassin - Original Version Of Tupac's 'Dear Mama' Surfaces". iHeartRadio. 2016-05-08. Archived from the original on 2017-01-07. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  14. ^ "The King Assassin Show – Jake Rohn, Darius McCrary, Donovan Wonder, and Freeway Rick Ross". Tradio. 2014-08-12. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  15. ^ Constantinou, Anton (2015-09-13). "SLEPT-ON SUNDAYS: DJ KING ASSASSIN – THE MAN BEHIND THE BEST OF THE WEST". HLN.
  16. ^ "Dame Grease & DJ King Assassin Ft. Sheek Louch, Pusha T & Freeway – "My Style"". 98.3 Vibe. 2016-06-19.
  17. ^ Stutz, Collin (2016-05-05). "Tupac's Original Version of 'Dear Mama' Surfaces". Billboard.
  18. ^ "Makaveli The Movie - Trailer". IMDb. 2016-08-16.
  19. ^ Wicks, Amanda (2016-05-06). "Listen to the Original Demo Version of Tupac's 'Dear Mama' By DJ King Assassin". Radio.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-19. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  20. ^ Johnson, Cherise (2016-12-17). "Hip Hop Week In Review: J. Cole, Kanye West, DJ King Assassin & Soulja Boy". HipHopDX.
  21. ^ "Spotify-Web - Billboard US Chart History". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  22. ^ "US Chart History - Billboard". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  23. ^ "Kokane". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-03-08. Dr. Kokastien Hosted By DJ King Assassin Chart History #1
  24. ^ "TMZ Live: DJ King Assassin Speaks On Tupac Shakur's Death and Career". TMZ. 2016-05-04.
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