K-Def
K-Def (full name Kevin Hansford) is an American, New Jersey based, hip hop producer/DJ who has been actively involved in the music industry since the early 1990s. He has recently produced music for artists such as Ghostface Killah and Puff Daddy. K-Def earned critical praise early in his career for his work with Marley Marl on the album Here Come the Lords by the hip hop group Lords of the Underground.[1] Among the songs from that album that benefited from K-Def's production work include the hits "Funky Child" and "Chief Rocka".
Biography
K-Def was also member of the duo Real Live, which released one album The Turnaround: A Long Awaited Drama on Big Beat/Atlantic Records in 1996. "Real Live Shit (Remix)" featured Cappadonna, Ghostface Killah, Killa Sin and Lord Tariq.[2] During the 1990s, K-Def co-produced some of Marley Marl's tracks.
K-Def is mostly known for his blues-soul sampling style. While the majority of his early-mid 1990s productions were produced using the Akai MPC sampler/sequencer, around 1997 he started incorporating computers into his work flow and now exclusively uses a software based setup.
In 2004 K-Def produced "Its Over" on the Ghostface Killah release The Pretty Toney Album (Def Jam/IDJMG/Universal). He then contributed tracks to another Ghostface project, Theodore Unit, and Ol' Dirty Bastard's The Osirus Mixtape. He was a contributor to Diddy's 2006 release Press Play, and, in 2007, he produced a track on UGK’s album Underground Kingz.
In 2006, K-Def released an instrumental album called Willie Boo Boo The Fool. The album was originally only available on CD and vinyl, but it was digitally re-released in 2008.
In 2008, K-Def released a collaborative EP with the rapper Dacapo under the name the Program, which was titled The Article.[3]
Discography
Albums
- The Turnaround: A Long Awaited Drama (1996), (with Larry-O as Real Live)
- Willie Boo Boo The Fool (2006)
- The Article EP (2008), (with DaCapo as The Program)
- Beats From The 90's Vol. 1 (2008)
- Beats From The 90's Vol. 2 (2009)
- Gangster Instrumentals (2010)
- Night Shift (2011)
- One Man Band (2013)
- The Exhibit (2013)
- The Meeting EP (2013)
Production
Reverse Chronological
- UGK - Underground Kingz - "Next Up" - (Jive/SME) 2007
- KRS-ONE & Marley Marl – Hip Hop Lives - "The Teacha" - (Koch) 2007
- Diddy- Press Play – "We Gon Make It" - (Bad Boy/Atlantic) 2006
- El Da Sensei – The Unusual – (Fat Beats) 2006
- Ol' Dirty Bastard – Osirus – "Rock It Out" - (Sure Shot) 2005
- Who Can Make It Happen Like Dirt
- High In The Clouds"
- Pussy Keep Calling
- Fuck Y'all
- Theodore Unit – 718 – (Sure Shot) 2005
- Paychecks
- Wicked With Lead
- Pass The Mike
- Ghostface Killah – The Pretty Toney Album – It's Over – (Def Jam/IDJMG/Universal) 2004
- Jayo Felony– Crip Hop - True'd Up (Remix) (Loco) 2002
- Jayo Felony– Bulletproof Love - True’d Up – (Motown/Universal) 2001
- Lords of the Underground – Resurrection – If You - 2000
- Lord Tariq – This Cold World – (not on label) 2000
- Craig Mack – Please Listen To My Demo – (not on label) - 2000
- Artifacts– It's Gettin Hot (Remix) – (Big Beat/Atlantic) 1997
- Mic Geronimo– Vendetta – For Tha Family – (TVT) 1998
- World Renown – How Nice I Am – (Warner Bros., unreleased) 1995
- DE’1 – I’m Rather Unique - (Reprise/Warner Bros.) 1995
- A.D.O.R. – One for the Trouble – (Atlantic) 1994
- Nonchalant – 5 O’Clock (Remix) – (MCA) 1995
- Shabba Ranks - Ting A Ling (REMIX) - Rough and Ready Volume 1 (Epic/SME) - 1994
- Da Youngstas – No Mercy (East West America/Atlantic) – 1994 *
- Mad Props
- Backstabbers
- Stayed Away
- Illy Philly Funk
- Reality
- Lords of the Underground – Keepers of the Funk – (Pendulum/EMI) - 1994
- Steam From The Knot
- What I'm After
- No Pain
- Frustrated
- Faith
- What I'm After (Remix)
- Lords of the Underground – Here Come the Lords – (Pendulum/Elektra) - 1993
- From The Bricks
- Funky Child
- Mad Skillz
- Lotug
- Lord Jazz Hit Me One Time
- Chief Rocka
- Positive K - Ain't No Crime (K-Def DL Mix) - (Island/PolyGram) 1993
- Sah-B - Some Od' Sah-B Shit – (Reprise/Warner Bros.) 1994
- Tragedy Khadafi – Street Life - Return of The Life (Remix) – (Tuff Break/A&M/PolyGram) - 1993
- Tragedy Khadafi – Tragedy: Saga of a Hoodlum – (Tuff Break/A&M/PolyGram) - 1993
- Shalom A Leck
- Pass The Teck
- Uunderground
- Funkmode
- Grand Groove
- Mad Brothas Know His Name
- Monie Love - In A Word Or Two – (Warner Bros.) - 1993
- There’s a Better Way
- For da Children
- Let a Woman be a Woman