Biography
“Any nigga make it hot, get found in Vacant Lot” - Mase
When the book on hip-hop production is written, Dame Grease will hold the right to an entire chapter. After first establishing himself with The LOX’s “We’ll Always Love Big Poppa” and DMX’s breakout single “Get At Me Dog,” Dame Grease has gone on to sell over 30 million records and produce for a veritable who’s who of Hip Hop. In addition to developing his own production sound, Grease’s focus on being involved in artist development has allowed him to have a hand in launching the careers of artists and producers, such as Swizz Beatz, DMX and the LOX, who have also gone on to their own multi-platinum success.
Before becoming a staple on every mix tape, The LOX entrusted the sounds of Grease in order to attain the street buzz that landed them their deal on Bad Boy Records in 1996. Fellow Bad Boy Mase sought out Grease’s distinctive sound and gave him the opportunity to provide production on Mase’s triple platinum album “Harlem World”. This led to Grease’s work as the primary producer on DMX’s classic debut “It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot”, where Grease had a role in molding the Ruff Ryders image and their sound, into what would become one of the most well-known Hip Hop crews. During this time, Grease taught and paved the way for Swizz Beatz, another sample-free producer, to make his mark on the game.
As Swizz went began to make his mark through the teaching of his mentor, Dame Grease landed a deal with Priority Records to release music through his label, Vacant Lot. Rather than accept offers to be one of Puff Daddy’s legendary Hit Men or an in-house producer on Ruff Ryders, Grease chose to create his own Vacant Lot production company. In 2001, Dame Grease made the accession from producer to composer by providing the score for the Steven Segal/DMX blockbuster Exit Wounds. In addition to his work on the film, Dame Grease also reunited with DMX on the soundtrack for X’s top-ten hit “Ain’t No Sunshine”, an updated, yet much darker remake to the Bill Withers 1972 classic of the same name. Grease continued his work as a composer in on the 2003 box-office hit Cradle 2 the Grave, starring Jet Li, DMX, Gabrielle Union, and Anthony Anderson, as well as 2004’s Never Die Alone.
While Grease was focused on scoring films, he made time in his busy schedule to put in work on several music projects throughout 2004 and 2005, including albums from LL Cool J, Kelis, DJ Kay Slay, DJ Envy, Slick Rick, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and an artist on Dr. Dre’s Aftermath label named Aimee Terrin. Grease also kept the underground bubbling with “Crown Me”, a collaboration of T.I., Cam’ron, and Juelz Santana. In 2006, Dame Grease lent his hand to “Life Be My Song,” one of the most acclaimed tracks on DMX’s comeback album “Year of the Dog…Again”.
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