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Mike Dean (record producer)

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Mike Dean
Birth nameMichael George Dean
Also known as
  • Freaky Dean
  • Vador
  • Synth God
Born (1965-03-01) March 1, 1965 (age 59)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Record producer
  • audio engineer
  • songwriter
  • multi-instrumentalist
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • keyboards
  • piano
  • bass guitar
Years active1983–present
Labels
Websitetherealmikedean.com

Michael George Dean (born March 1, 1965) is an American record producer, audio engineer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his synthesizer-heavy instrumentation and audio mixing for high-profile music industry artists. Beginning his career in 1992, he was first credited on releases for Texas-based rappers such as Scarface, Willie D, and Geto Boys, although he has since worked with artists including The Weeknd, Beyoncé, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, Jay-Z, Drake, Madonna, Selena Gomez, Playboi Carti, and Lana Del Rey, among others. As a non-performing lead artist, Dean has released five solo studio albums: 4:20 (2020), 4:22 (2021), Smoke State 42222 (2022), 4:23 (2023), and 424 (2024).

Career

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Dean started doing collaborations with numerous Texan artists, including Selena, for whom Dean served as musical director and producer. He began his career in hip hop while producing two albums as a part of the Houston-based group, Def Squad, along with group member Norris Burse (Champ) and Kenny Bomer (KB) under the Mr. Henry/ Ichiban labels. Dean first became widely known for pioneering the Dirty South sound in the 1990s, particularly in work for artists from Rap-A-Lot Records.[1][2] 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.[3]

Dean went on to mix, produce, and master widely throughout American hip hop. He has become known for producing 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 albums Graduation, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Yeezus, The Life of Pablo, Ye, and Donda.[4] 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. Despite a fallout in 2022 with West, Dean is credited to have worked on at least the first of West's expected 3 studio albums with the song "Back To Me" on Vultures 1 featuring Freddie Gibbs.

In recent years, Mike Dean has served as a regular guitarist and keyboardist for West and Travis Scott at their live performances, headlining numerous music festivals, the Watch the Throne Tour, the Yeezus Tour, and Scott's Birds Eye View Tour as well as the Astroworld – Wish You Were Here Tour. Dean has also been a frequent collaborator with Scott. Dean's production has appeared on every one of Scott's musical bodies of work since 2013. 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".[5][6]

In May 2017, Dean announced he was launching a record label by the name of M.W.A.[7] 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."[7] 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."[7] 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."[7]

He released an instrumental mixtape, 4:20, on April 20, 2020.[8] On May 20, 2021, Lana Del Rey's single "Wildflower Wildfire" was released, which was produced by Dean. In an interview with Anthony Fantano before the song's release, Dean said that he was "planning on working with [Del Rey] a lot".[9]

Since 2022, Dean has had several further collaborations with the Weeknd, who Dean has worked with on the Weeknd's 2015 album Beauty Behind the Madness, as well as his single "Where You Belong" for the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. Dean contributed live arrangements to the Weeknd's co-headlining performances with Swedish House Mafia at the 2022 Coachella festival. Dean has since been an opening act on the Weeknd's After Hours til Dawn Tour, during which his arrangements have been included in the Weeknd's shows. Dean also created a remix for the Weeknd's song "Starry Eyes" from his album Dawn FM, which Dean has performed live in his opening sets on the tour; he later filled in for LJ Jones, The Weeknd's bass and keyboards player during the European and Latin American legs of the tour. He played synthesizers and saxophone. Dean contributed the musical arrangements for the "After Hours Nightmare" Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses at Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood. In 2023, Dean contributed live arrangements to Metro Boomin's performances at Coachella, during which the Weeknd appeared as a special guest; Dean also appeared as a guest musician during 070 Shake's performance during the second weekend of the festival. He co-wrote and produced the Weeknd's single "Double Fantasy" (featuring Future) for the soundtrack of the Weeknd's HBO series The Idol, which Dean is part of the starring cast of, and premiered on June 4. Dean released his fourth mixtape, 4:23, which the Weeknd co-produced, on April 29.

Discography

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Studio albums

  • 4:20 (2020)[10]
  • 4:22 (2021)[11]
  • Smoke State 42222 (2022)[12]
  • 4:23 (2023)
  • 424 (2024)

Live albums

  • Echoplex (Live 2021) (2021)

Production discography

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1980s

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  • Def Squad, Texas

1990s

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1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

2000s

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2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010s

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2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020s

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2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2023 The Idol Himself Guest star [29]

Awards and nominations

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Grammy Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2005 The College Dropout (as engineer/mixer) Album of the Year Nominated [30]
2006 "Gold Digger" (as engineer/mixer) Record of the Year Nominated
Late Registration (as engineer/mixer) Best Rap Album Won
Album of the Year Nominated
2008 Graduation (as engineer) Nominated
Best Rap Album Won
"Good Life" (as songwriter) Best Rap Song Won
2012 My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (as engineer/mixer) Best Rap Album Won
2013 "Niggas in Paris" (as songwriter) Best Rap Song Won
"Mercy" (as songwriter) Nominated
2014 "New Slaves" (as songwriter) Nominated
2015 "Bound 2" (as songwriter) Nominated
2016 "All Day" (as songwriter) Nominated
Beauty Behind the Madness (as producer) Album of the Year Nominated
2017 Lemonade (as producer) Nominated
Purpose (as producer) Nominated
"Famous" (as songwriter) Best Rap Song Nominated
"Ultralight Beam" (as songwriter) Nominated
2019 "Sicko Mode" (as songwriter) Nominated
2021 Jesus Is King (as engineer/mixer) Best Contemporary Christian Music Album Won
2022 "Jail" (as songwriter) Best Rap Song Won
Donda (as producer/songwriter) Album of the Year Nominated
2023 Renaissance (as producer/songwriter) Nominated

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kelley, Frannie; Muhammad, Ali Shaheed (June 27, 2013). "Mike Dean On Working With Selena, Scarface And Kanye". NPR. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  2. ^ Pikblo, J. (June 24, 2013). "Kanye Producer Mike Dean Talks Yeezus". Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  3. ^ HipHopDX (February 15, 2010). "Producer's Corner: Mike Dean". Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  4. ^ "Beat Construction: Mike Dean". Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  5. ^ Schwartz, Danny (June 28, 2016). "5 Producers You May Not Know On Desiigner's "New English"". Hotnewhiphop. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  6. ^ Boykins, Austin (June 29, 2016). "Desiigner Teases Upcoming "Timmy Turner" Track With Mike Dean". Hypebeast. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d "Mike Dean Talks Launching New M.W.A. Label & Signing First Artist Dice Soho". Billboard. May 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  8. ^ Strauss, Matthew (April 20, 2020). "Producer/Multi-Instrumentalist Mike Dean Releases New Mixtape 4:20". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  9. ^ Newstead, Al (May 21, 2021). "Surprise! Lana Del Rey just dropped three new songs". Triple J. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  10. ^ Schwartz, Zachary (April 20, 2020). "Kanye West and Travis Scott Producer Mike Dean Releases His Long-Awaited Debut Album". Rolling Stone. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  11. ^ Groundwater, Colin (April 26, 2021). "Mike Dean's Playlist Is a Synth Voyage". GQ. Condé Nast. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  12. ^ Ech, Joey (April 22, 2022). "Pusha T, Blxst, Mike Dean and More – New Hip-Hop Projects This Week". XXL Mag. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  13. ^ "Sherm – Sherm Smoke". Discogs. October 30, 2001. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  14. ^ "Listen To Kid Cudi's Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin' Now". Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  15. ^ Mamo, Heran (January 10, 2020). "Selena Gomez Dreams of Adele Singing 'Lose You to Love Me' & 6 More Highlights From 'Rare' Release Party". Billboard. MRC. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  16. ^ Hermes, Will (January 14, 2020). "070 Shake Charts Inner Desire and Outer Space on 'Modus Vivendi'". Rolling Stone. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  17. ^ Draughorne, Kenan (March 30, 2020). "Review: Don Tolliver Steps Into The Spotlight On 'Heaven Or Hell'". HipHopDX. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  18. ^ Brake, David Aaron (July 16, 2020). "Review: Pop Smoke's No. 1 Album Proves He Was A Star Outside Of 50 Cent & Quavo's Help". HipHopDX. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  19. ^ Elder, Sajae (August 10, 2020). "Burna Boy shares details about new album, Twice as Tall". The Fader. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  20. ^ Yang, Rachel (December 7, 2020). "Kid Cudi releases final album in Man on the Moon trilogy". Entertainment Weekly. Dotdash Meredith. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  21. ^ a b Eustice, Kyle (December 3, 2021). "Producer of the Year Mike Dean on Kanye West's 'Chaotic' 'Donda' Sessions and Vibing With Lana Del Rey". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  22. ^ Pierre, Alphonse (October 13, 2021). "Don Toliver – Life of a DON". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  23. ^ "Mike Dean and Rich the Kid Link Up for New Song "Blue Cheese"". Complex. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  24. ^ Empire, Kitty (January 15, 2022). "FKA twigs: Caprisongs review – party tunes and hard-won notes to self". The Guardian. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  25. ^ Dean, Mike (April 7, 2022). "@FivioForeign album just dropped. Go stream it. Hard perfect mixes. I co produced changed on me who I am and magic city as well as City of gods". Twitter (Tweet). Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  26. ^ "Pusha T Releases New Album It's Almost Dry: Listen and Read the Full Credits". Pitchfork. April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  27. ^ "Megan Thee Stallion Unleashes Her New Banger "Plan B"". iHeart. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  28. ^ "Christine and the Queens is working on a new album". November 9, 2022.
  29. ^ Petski, Dade Hayes,Denise; Hayes, Dade; Petski, Denise (August 21, 2022). "'The Idol': HBO Releases New Teaser For Music Industry Drama". Deadline. Retrieved August 22, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ "Mike Dean". GRAMMY.com. December 15, 2020.
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