Cipha Sounds
Encyclopedia
Cipha Sounds is an American
radio and television personality of Puerto Rican
descent. He is mostly known for his work as a DJ
, but he is also a VJ for MTV
.
asked Cipha to go on tour with her. For a year and a half Cipha worked with Lil' Kim, the country and Europe. After he returned to the U.S., Hot 97's Funkmaster Flex
asked Cipha to join his Big Dawg Pitbulls crew. Cipha became a mix show DJ on Funkmaster Flex's evening show on Hot 97, and he eventually got his own show called Cipha Saturdays at the same station. On Sirius Satellite Radio
's Shade 45
channel, he hosted a show called The Cipha Sounds Effect along with Angela Yee, DJ Wonder and the Emoticon. He started the show in 2004, and his last show was on July 1, 2008. Before moving on from Shade 45, Cipha started a podcast that became the weekend morning show on Hot 97 with Peter Rosenberg. It aired every Sunday from 4am to 9am. The show was called The Cipha/Rosenberg Experience. After the shows following grew they were giving a Saturday morning slot from 6am to 10am. The show's extremely high ratings for its time slot was unheard of so hot 97 moved The Cipha/Rosenberg Experience to Mon-Fri 5am to 7am and in August took the entire daypart from 5am to 10am. It is HOT 97's new morning lineup.
's Chappelle's Show
, for 19 episodes. In April 2006, he became the host of MTV
's urban music video
program Direct Effect which later became Sucker Free
.
who emerged in 2004, with the hit single "Move Ya Body
". Cipha is also developing a rapper named Daytona. He has experience as an A&R
executive, working for Rawkus Records
, Tommy Boy Records
, and The Neptunes
' record label, Star Trak Entertainment
. In 2005, he became the senior vice president of Jay-Z
's Roc-La-Familia
label, but he left after becoming a VJ for MTV in 2006. Cipha is also part of Black Jays International, a label managed by rapper Kardinal Offishall
. In 2006, he teamed up with Solitair
of the Black Jays, and the two became a hip-hop/R&B production duo.
series called Don't Get Gassed, a monthly show at Carolines on Broadway (NYC). It is billed as a Def Comedy Jam
-type show, and some video clips of the series are available on YouTube
.
, playing "DJ Dusk" and providing some original music.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio and television personality of Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
descent. He is mostly known for his work as a DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, but he is also a VJ for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
Radio career
In 1996, Cipha Sounds started as an intern with Wildman Steve and DJ Riz of New York's Flip Squad, and eventually Riz asked Cipha to spin at clubs with him as an opening DJ. Later on, the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself when Lil' KimLil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
asked Cipha to go on tour with her. For a year and a half Cipha worked with Lil' Kim, the country and Europe. After he returned to the U.S., Hot 97's Funkmaster Flex
Funkmaster Flex
Aston George Taylor, Jr. better known as Funkmaster Flex is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, musician and producer on New York City's Hot 97 radio station and host of the hit MTV show Funk Flex Full Throttle....
asked Cipha to join his Big Dawg Pitbulls crew. Cipha became a mix show DJ on Funkmaster Flex's evening show on Hot 97, and he eventually got his own show called Cipha Saturdays at the same station. On Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
's Shade 45
Shade 45
Shade 45 is Eminem's uncensored Hip-Hop/Rap-heavy urban contemporary channel. Eminem Brings On-Air show hosts. It debuted with a hip hop format in 2004, changing to its current incarnation when it was added to XM channel 66...
channel, he hosted a show called The Cipha Sounds Effect along with Angela Yee, DJ Wonder and the Emoticon. He started the show in 2004, and his last show was on July 1, 2008. Before moving on from Shade 45, Cipha started a podcast that became the weekend morning show on Hot 97 with Peter Rosenberg. It aired every Sunday from 4am to 9am. The show was called The Cipha/Rosenberg Experience. After the shows following grew they were giving a Saturday morning slot from 6am to 10am. The show's extremely high ratings for its time slot was unheard of so hot 97 moved The Cipha/Rosenberg Experience to Mon-Fri 5am to 7am and in August took the entire daypart from 5am to 10am. It is HOT 97's new morning lineup.
Television career
From 2003 to 2006, Cipha was a DJ for Comedy CentralComedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's Chappelle's Show
Chappelle's Show
Chappelle's Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedian Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show as well as starring in various skits. Chappelle, Brennan and Michele Armour were the show's executive producers. The series premiered on January 22,...
, for 19 episodes. In April 2006, he became the host of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's urban music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
program Direct Effect which later became Sucker Free
Sucker Free
Sucker Free, known as Sucker Free Daily on weekdays and then Sucker Free Countdown on Sundays, is MTV2's sole hip-hop video block. Previously, Sucker Free aired weekdays for one hour, then eventually sporadically until the week leading to February 28, 2010. Sucker Free Countdown, its 2 hour top 15...
.
Music management and production
Cipha has his own artist management company called Jack Move, Inc. The first artists that he managed were the R&B duo Nina SkyNina Sky
Nina Sky is an American musical duo composed of identical twins Nicole and Natalie Albino .-Early life and career:Albino's parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico and were divorced when the girls were younger...
who emerged in 2004, with the hit single "Move Ya Body
Move Ya Body
"Move Ya Body" is the debut single from Nina Sky's debut album Nina Sky, which was released in 2004. The song features rapper Jabba. There is a remix to the song with Jamaican deejay Vybz Kartel. The song ranked at #250 on Blender's 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born.-Song information:The song...
". Cipha is also developing a rapper named Daytona. He has experience as an A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
executive, working for Rawkus Records
Rawkus Records
Rawkus Records is an American hip-hop record label known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Rawkus started in 1996 with initial releases ranging from hip-hop to drum and bass...
, Tommy Boy Records
Tommy Boy Records
Tommy Boy Entertainment is an independent record label started in 1981 by Tom Silverman.-History:...
, and The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
' record label, Star Trak Entertainment
Star Trak Entertainment
Star Trak Entertainment is a record label, founded by record producers Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams in 2001. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Interscope Records.-Beginnings:...
. In 2005, he became the senior vice president of Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's Roc-La-Familia
Roc-La-Familia
Roc-La-Familia was an international record label founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. This sub-label focused on signing international artists, including reggaeton artists, much like Bad Boy Latino. "OG" Juan Perez was appointed the president of the label and Cipha Sounds was the senior vice president...
label, but he left after becoming a VJ for MTV in 2006. Cipha is also part of Black Jays International, a label managed by rapper Kardinal Offishall
Kardinal Offishall
Jason D. Harrow , better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall , is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.-Life and career:Harrow was born in...
. In 2006, he teamed up with Solitair
Solitair
Solitair is a Canadian hip-hop MC and producer from Toronto, Ontario. He is currently a member of the Black Jays record label and production team...
of the Black Jays, and the two became a hip-hop/R&B production duo.
Don't Get Gassed
In 2007, Cipha started a stand-up comedyStand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
series called Don't Get Gassed, a monthly show at Carolines on Broadway (NYC). It is billed as a Def Comedy Jam
Def Comedy Jam
Def Comedy Jam is a HBO television series produced by Russell Simmons. The series had its original run from July 1, 1992 to January 1, 1997. The show returned on HBO's fall lineup in 2006. Def Comedy Jam helped to launch the careers of several African-American stand-up comedians...
-type show, and some video clips of the series are available on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Racist Comments
In December of 2010 DJ Cipha sounds made a comment saying "the reason I am HIV negative is because I don't mess with Haitian girls". The comment was deemed offensive to the Haitian community and led to his suspension.Film appearance
Cipha was featured in the 2002 film 25th Hour25th Hour
25th Hour is a 2002 American drama film directed by Spike Lee and is based on the novel The 25th Hour written by David Benioff, who also wrote the screenplay. The film stars Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox...
, playing "DJ Dusk" and providing some original music.
External links
- Official Website
- Official Blog
- Cipha Sounds at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Cipha Sounds at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Cipha Sounds at Artst Guild & Gallery