RJD2
Encyclopedia
RJD2 is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 music producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

, singer and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

. RJD2 was born in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...

, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, and raised in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. He currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. He was signed to the Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux is an independent record label based in New York City, United States. It was co-founded in 1999 by Jaime Meline and Amaechi Uzoigwe. The label was initially known simply as Def Jux, but in 2001, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the name similarity...

 label where he released two largely instrumental hip hop albums and has produced tracks for many prominent rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...

s. However, he has now left Def Jux and has signed with XL Recordings
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...

. His 2007 album, The Third Hand
The Third Hand
The Third Hand is the third full-length studio album by RJD2. It was released March 6, 2007 on XL Records. Unlike Deadringer and Since We Last Spoke, which were largely sample-based, The Third Hand is more of a traditional pop/rock record and features RJD2 singing and playing live instruments on...

, is a striking departure from his usual style and features RJD2 singing and playing instruments on nearly every track.

In 2009, RJD2 established his own label, RJ’s Electrical Connections and reissued three early records as well as a box set. RJD2’s new full length The Colossus
The Colossus (album)
The Colossus is the fourth full-length studio album by RJD2. It was released on January 19, 2010 on his own label RJ's Electrical Connections.- Track listing :# "Let There Be Horns" – 4:09# "Games You Can Win" – 5:26...

was released on January 19, 2010 on his new label, which is distributed by The Orchard
The Orchard (music label)
The Orchard is a New York City based digital distribution and entertainment services company that works with independent artists and labels, and content providers...

.

Biography

Ramble originally began his career in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, DJing
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...

 in 1993 with a pair of turntables bought from a friend. He went to high school at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center
Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center
Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center is a public magnet school located near downtown Columbus, Ohio. It is a part of Columbus City Schools...

, where his mother taught dance, and graduated in 1994. He claims his name originates from another friend who referred to him as "Rjd2" in his raps, and the name stuck. Originally working the role of 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...

 in the Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

 rap group MHz, he later signed to Bobbito Garcia
Bobbito Garcia
Robert "Bobbito" García , also known as Kool Bob Love and formerly known as DJ Cucumberslice, Bobbito The Barber, Make It Happen, Boogie Bob, Soul Food Bob, and Bag of Tricks, is a Puerto Rican DJ, writer, entrepreneur, streetball player/coach/announcer, sneaker connoisseur, and member of the Rock...

's Fondle 'Em
Fondle 'Em Records
Fondle ‘Em Records was a record label based in New York City, New York. It was founded and owned by Robert “Bobbito” Garcia from 1995 to 2001. Bobbito formed the label after realizing that the many unsigned rappers making guest appearances on “The Stretch Armstrong/Bobbito Show,” a program Bobbito...

 label, releasing the self-proclaimed "mix CD" Your Face or Your Kneecaps
Your Face or Your Kneecaps
Your Face or Your Kneecaps is the first release by hip-hop producer RJD2. It is a 39-track DJ mix composed mostly of obscure funk records from the 1970s and 1980s that are beat juggled to extend certain drum heavy parts of the songs. Layered on top of the music are also a few hip-hop a cappellas...

. A year later he signed to El-P's record label Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux is an independent record label based in New York City, United States. It was co-founded in 1999 by Jaime Meline and Amaechi Uzoigwe. The label was initially known simply as Def Jux, but in 2001, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the name similarity...

 and released his solo debut album Deadringer
Deadringer (album)
Deadringer is the debut album of RJD2. It was released on July 23, 2002 on Definitive Jux.-Track listing:# "The Horror" – 4:11# "Salud" – 0:38# "Smoke & Mirrors" – 4:26# "Good Times Roll Pt.2" – 4:57# "Final Frontier" – 4:25...

to much acclaim. Rjd2 later collaborated with Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

 rapper Blueprint
Blueprint (rapper)
Blueprint is an American rapper and hip hop producer from Columbus, Ohio. He is the founder and owner of Weightless Recordings and is also signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment...

 under the name Soul Position
Soul Position
Soul Position is an American hip hop duo hailing from Columbus, Ohio, consisting of DJ/producer RJD2 and rapper Blueprint. They have released two albums and one EP on Rhymesayers Entertainment.- Albums :* Unlimited EP...

, releasing Unlimited EP
Unlimited EP
Unlimited EP is the debut EP by American hip hop duo Soul Position, released on 27 August 2002 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. The album was produced by RJD2 with all vocal duties being handled by Blueprint...

in 2002 and 8 Million Stories
8 Million Stories (album)
8 Million Stories is the debut full-length album by American hip hop duo Soul Position, released on October 7, 2003 on Fat Beats Records, under license from Rhymesayers Entertainment...

in 2003. He released his second solo album Since We Last Spoke
Since We Last Spoke
Since We Last Spoke is the second studio album by American hip hop producer & singer RJD2. It was released on May 18, 2004 by the Definitive Jux label...

on Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux is an independent record label based in New York City, United States. It was co-founded in 1999 by Jaime Meline and Amaechi Uzoigwe. The label was initially known simply as Def Jux, but in 2001, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the name similarity...

 in 2004 and released Soul Position
Soul Position
Soul Position is an American hip hop duo hailing from Columbus, Ohio, consisting of DJ/producer RJD2 and rapper Blueprint. They have released two albums and one EP on Rhymesayers Entertainment.- Albums :* Unlimited EP...

's second album Things Go Better with RJ and AL
Things Go Better with RJ and AL
Things Go Better with RJ and AL is the second full-length album by hip hop duo Soul Position. It was released on March 14, 2006 on Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Track listing:#"The Beginning"#"No Gimmicks"#"Hand-Me-Downs"...

in 2006 under Rhymesayers Entertainment
Rhymesayers Entertainment
Rhymesayers Entertainment is an independent hip hop record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley, Anthony Davis, Brent Sayers and Musab Saad....

 label. He still continues to produce tracks, working with many independent rappers, such as Copywrite, Cunninlynguists
Cunninlynguists
CunninLynguists are a hip hop trio from Lexington, Kentucky and Atlanta, Georgia. The group currently consists of Deacon the Villain, Kno, and Natti...

, Cage
Cage Kennylz
Chris Palko, better known by his stage name Cage, is an American rapper from New York City. He has released three studio albums and two extended plays. Cage is also the founder of the underground hip-hop supergroup called the Weathermen.-Early life:...

, DOOM
Daniel Dumile
Daniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...

, Diverse
Diverse
Diverse is an American rapper. An underground hip-hop artist, he has received critical acclaim "from knowledgeable heads worldwide".-Career:...

 and Aceyalone
Aceyalone
Eddie Hayes, better known by his stage name Aceyalone, is an American rapper.He is a founding member of the Freestyle Fellowship. Apart from his role in Freestyle Fellowship, Aceyalone is also a member of Haiku D'Etat and The A-Team , and he is a co-founder of Project Blowed.After releasing a...

. He contributed a cover of "Airbag
Airbag/How Am I Driving?
Airbag / How Am I Driving? is the fifth extended play by English rock group Radiohead, released in April 1998 specifically to the North American market...

" by Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...

 for the 2006 album "Exit Music". 2006 also saw the release of the collaborative record "Magnificent City" with Aceyalone. In 2007, he released the solo album The Third Hand
The Third Hand
The Third Hand is the third full-length studio album by RJD2. It was released March 6, 2007 on XL Records. Unlike Deadringer and Since We Last Spoke, which were largely sample-based, The Third Hand is more of a traditional pop/rock record and features RJD2 singing and playing live instruments on...

on XL Recordings, which he toured for extensively in '07 and '08.

Since 2007, the beginning of RJD2's "A Beautiful Mine" has been featured as the theme song during the opening credits of AMC's Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...

.

In 2009, RJD2 established his own label, RJ's Electrical Connections, and reissued Your Face Or Your Knee Caps, The Horror, and Since We Last Spoke as well as a box set entitled “2002-2010”. RJD2’s new full length The Colossus
The Colossus (album)
The Colossus is the fourth full-length studio album by RJD2. It was released on January 19, 2010 on his own label RJ's Electrical Connections.- Track listing :# "Let There Be Horns" – 4:09# "Games You Can Win" – 5:26...

was released on January 19, 2010 on his own label, which is distributed by The Orchard
The Orchard (music label)
The Orchard is a New York City based digital distribution and entertainment services company that works with independent artists and labels, and content providers...

. On March 3, 2010 his "A Spaceship For Now" music video, directed by Michael Ebner, premiered with SPIN
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...

 Magazine. In 2010, RJD2 remixed indie rockers Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo, sometimes abbreviated as YLT, is an American alternative rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan , Georgia Hubley , and James McNew .Despite achieving limited mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential...

's single, Here To Fall for the Here To Fall Remixes EP which included remixes by De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...

 and Pete Rock
Pete Rock
Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...

.

On February 1st 2011, RJD2 released the album We Are The Doorways under the pseudonym The Insane Warrior, on RJ's Electrical Connections.

His latest project is Icebird, an album in collaboration with Aaron Livingston, one of the leaders of a Philadelphia-based band called "The Mean". Their album Abandoned Lullaby is scheduled for release October 11, 2011.Hiphopdx.comrcrdlbl.com

Main albums

  • Deadringer
    Deadringer (album)
    Deadringer is the debut album of RJD2. It was released on July 23, 2002 on Definitive Jux.-Track listing:# "The Horror" – 4:11# "Salud" – 0:38# "Smoke & Mirrors" – 4:26# "Good Times Roll Pt.2" – 4:57# "Final Frontier" – 4:25...

    (2002)
  • Since We Last Spoke
    Since We Last Spoke
    Since We Last Spoke is the second studio album by American hip hop producer & singer RJD2. It was released on May 18, 2004 by the Definitive Jux label...

    (2004) U.S. #128
  • The Third Hand
    The Third Hand
    The Third Hand is the third full-length studio album by RJD2. It was released March 6, 2007 on XL Records. Unlike Deadringer and Since We Last Spoke, which were largely sample-based, The Third Hand is more of a traditional pop/rock record and features RJD2 singing and playing live instruments on...

    (2007) U.S. #190
  • The Colossus
    The Colossus (album)
    The Colossus is the fourth full-length studio album by RJD2. It was released on January 19, 2010 on his own label RJ's Electrical Connections.- Track listing :# "Let There Be Horns" – 4:09# "Games You Can Win" – 5:26...

    (2010)

Mix albums

  • Your Face or Your Kneecaps
    Your Face or Your Kneecaps
    Your Face or Your Kneecaps is the first release by hip-hop producer RJD2. It is a 39-track DJ mix composed mostly of obscure funk records from the 1970s and 1980s that are beat juggled to extend certain drum heavy parts of the songs. Layered on top of the music are also a few hip-hop a cappellas...

     (2001)
  • Loose Ends (2003)
  • Lobster and Scrimp (2003)
  • In Rare Form: Unreleased Instrumentals (2004)
  • The Mashed Up Mixes (2004)
  • Constant Elevation (2005)

Instrumental albums

  • 8 Million Stories Instrumentals
    8 Million Stories (album)
    8 Million Stories is the debut full-length album by American hip hop duo Soul Position, released on October 7, 2003 on Fat Beats Records, under license from Rhymesayers Entertainment...

    (2003)
  • Magnificent City Instrumentals
    Magnificent City
    Magnificent City is a collaboration between hip-hop producer RJD2 and MC Aceyalone.*R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: -*Independent chart position: #43*Singles: "Fire"/"Heaven", "Supahero"/"Disconnected"...

    (2006)
  • The Third Hand Instrumentals
    The Third Hand
    The Third Hand is the third full-length studio album by RJD2. It was released March 6, 2007 on XL Records. Unlike Deadringer and Since We Last Spoke, which were largely sample-based, The Third Hand is more of a traditional pop/rock record and features RJD2 singing and playing live instruments on...

    (2007)
  • Things Go Better Instrumentals
    Things Go Better with RJ and AL
    Things Go Better with RJ and AL is the second full-length album by hip hop duo Soul Position. It was released on March 14, 2006 on Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Track listing:#"The Beginning"#"No Gimmicks"#"Hand-Me-Downs"...

    (2007)
  • Inversions of the Colossus (2010)

Singles

  • "Rain"
  • "Pilot study (Genital Edit)"
  • "Here's What's Left"
  • "Let the Good Times Roll"
  • "June" (w/Copywrite)
  • "1976"
  • "Through the Walls"
  • "The Horror b/w Final Frontier (Remix)" (w/Blueprint
    Blueprint (rapper)
    Blueprint is an American rapper and hip hop producer from Columbus, Ohio. He is the founder and owner of Weightless Recordings and is also signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment...

    , Vast Aire
    Vast Aire
    Vast Aire is a rapper from New York City. He is one half of the New York hip hop duo Cannibal Ox, which consists of him and fellow rapper Vordul Mega. He is also a member of the rap group Atoms Family...

    , El-P, Aesop Rock
    Aesop Rock
    Ian Matthias Bavitz , better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American hip hop artist and producer. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was signed to El-P's Definitive Jux label until it...

     & Murs)
  • "Ghostwriter (Cat-Gut Edit)"
  • "Exotic Talk"
  • "Counselling" (w/MHz)
  • "True Confessions"
  • "Get Off My Spaceship Bitch"
  • "You Never Had It So Good"
  • "Final Frontier"
  • "Holy Toledo"
  • "Hondo" (w/ Nyles Sanna and Delicious Memories)
  • "Christmas Eve Montage" (Nightmare Revisited, 2008)
  • "Devil Inside (RJD2 Remix)" - featured on Utada's single, Devil Inside

Collaborations

  • MHz - Table Scraps (2001)
  • Pryor Convictions - The Dirty Birds (Rjd2 & Poppa Hop)
  • Unlimited EP
    Unlimited EP
    Unlimited EP is the debut EP by American hip hop duo Soul Position, released on 27 August 2002 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. The album was produced by RJD2 with all vocal duties being handled by Blueprint...

    - Soul Position
    Soul Position
    Soul Position is an American hip hop duo hailing from Columbus, Ohio, consisting of DJ/producer RJD2 and rapper Blueprint. They have released two albums and one EP on Rhymesayers Entertainment.- Albums :* Unlimited EP...

     (Rjd2 & Blueprint
    Blueprint (rapper)
    Blueprint is an American rapper and hip hop producer from Columbus, Ohio. He is the founder and owner of Weightless Recordings and is also signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment...

    ) (2002)
  • I Really Like Your Def Jux Baby Tee - Definitive Jux Presents II
    Definitive Jux
    Definitive Jux is an independent record label based in New York City, United States. It was co-founded in 1999 by Jaime Meline and Amaechi Uzoigwe. The label was initially known simply as Def Jux, but in 2001, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the name similarity...

     (Rjd2) (2002)
  • 8 Million Stories
    8 Million Stories (album)
    8 Million Stories is the debut full-length album by American hip hop duo Soul Position, released on October 7, 2003 on Fat Beats Records, under license from Rhymesayers Entertainment...

    - Soul Position
    Soul Position
    Soul Position is an American hip hop duo hailing from Columbus, Ohio, consisting of DJ/producer RJD2 and rapper Blueprint. They have released two albums and one EP on Rhymesayers Entertainment.- Albums :* Unlimited EP...

     (Rjd2 & Blueprint
    Blueprint (rapper)
    Blueprint is an American rapper and hip hop producer from Columbus, Ohio. He is the founder and owner of Weightless Recordings and is also signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment...

    ) (2003)
  • Rjd2 Meets Diplo from Hollertronix - Diplo (Rjd2 & Diplo) (2004)
  • Haul & Mason 11th Hour Mega Mix - (Haul & Mason & Rjd2)
  • Magnificent City
    Magnificent City
    Magnificent City is a collaboration between hip-hop producer RJD2 and MC Aceyalone.*R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: -*Independent chart position: #43*Singles: "Fire"/"Heaven", "Supahero"/"Disconnected"...

    - Aceyalone
    Aceyalone
    Eddie Hayes, better known by his stage name Aceyalone, is an American rapper.He is a founding member of the Freestyle Fellowship. Apart from his role in Freestyle Fellowship, Aceyalone is also a member of Haiku D'Etat and The A-Team , and he is a co-founder of Project Blowed.After releasing a...

     (Aceyalone
    Aceyalone
    Eddie Hayes, better known by his stage name Aceyalone, is an American rapper.He is a founding member of the Freestyle Fellowship. Apart from his role in Freestyle Fellowship, Aceyalone is also a member of Haiku D'Etat and The A-Team , and he is a co-founder of Project Blowed.After releasing a...

     & Rjd2) (2006)
  • Things Go Better with RJ and AL
    Things Go Better with RJ and AL
    Things Go Better with RJ and AL is the second full-length album by hip hop duo Soul Position. It was released on March 14, 2006 on Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Track listing:#"The Beginning"#"No Gimmicks"#"Hand-Me-Downs"...

    - Soul Position
    Soul Position
    Soul Position is an American hip hop duo hailing from Columbus, Ohio, consisting of DJ/producer RJD2 and rapper Blueprint. They have released two albums and one EP on Rhymesayers Entertainment.- Albums :* Unlimited EP...

     (Rjd2 & Blueprint
    Blueprint (rapper)
    Blueprint is an American rapper and hip hop producer from Columbus, Ohio. He is the founder and owner of Weightless Recordings and is also signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment...

    ) (2006)
  • The Last Sunshine
    And the Summertime Pool Party
    And the Summertime Pool Party is the 4th solo album by Southern California rapper Pigeon John. It was released on September 12, 2006. It features guest appearances from artists like DJ Rhettmatic, Brother Ali, RJD2 & J-Live...

    - Pigeon John
    Pigeon John
    Pigeon John is an American hip hop rapper raised in Hawthorne, California and based in Los Angeles, California.-Biography:Pigeon John is a Los Angeles area rapper who has recorded four studio albums as a solo artist, as well as several others as a member of the groups like L.A. Symphony and...

     (featuring RJD2 & J-Live)
  • "Christmas Eve Montage" (Nightmare Revisited
    Nightmare Revisited
    - Personnel :1. "Overture"2. "Opening"3. "This Is Halloween"4. "Jack's Lament"- Personnel :1. "Overture": Produced by DeVotchKa: Mixed by Greg Macrae2. "Opening": Produced by Danny Elfman: Narration recorded and mixed by Noah Snyder...

    )

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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