Def Jef
S
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Def Jef | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jeffrey A. Fortson |
| Born | September 27, 1970 Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1984–present |
| Labels |
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Def Jef is the stage name of Jeffrey Fortson[1] (born September 27, 1970), an American alternative hip hop musician and rapper of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Harlem, New York City.
His debut album was 1989's Just a Poet with a Soul,[2] which won critical acclaim for sociopolitical lyrics and original beats.[1] Additionally, he was a member of the West Coast Rap All-Stars, a collaboration of West Coast-based hip hop artists who released the anti-violence single "We're All in the Same Gang" in 1990. He performed on the television variety show In Living Color in 1990.[3]
After his second album, Soul Food, was released, Def Jef moved into production full-time.[1] Since the 1990s, he has produced, written, arranged and remixed artists including Nas, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kimberley Locke, Maxwell, Avant, Tupac Shakur, and Shaquille O'Neal. He has worked with Krayzie Bone and Thugline Records.
He produced the theme songs for the Disney sitcom That's So Raven and The Game.
Def Jef also appeared in the feature film Deep Cover in 1992.[1]
Discography
[edit]- 1989: Just a Poet with Soul
- 1990: "We're All in the Same Gang" (single) (as part of the West Coast Rap All-Stars)
- 1991: Soul Food
| Year | Song | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Hi Powered | Body & Soul | Non-album single
[4] |
| En La Casa | Mellow Man Ace | Escape from Havana | |
| 1991 | Mean Green | Tone-Loc | Cool Hand Lōc |
| 1992 | Good Things Don't Last; Let It Move You; Forward Bound; Best in Me | The Poetess | Simply Poetry[5] |
| 1993 | Deeper; Process of Elimination; 1800 Bodies | Boss | Born Gangster |
| I Know I Got Skillz; I ate to Brag | Shaquille O'Neal, Def Jef | Shaq Diesel | |
| I Know I Got Skillz Remix | Non-album single | ||
| 1994 | The Right Kinda Lover (Def Jef Remix) | Patti LaBelle | Non-album single |
| Life's a Bitch (Arsenal Mix) | Nas, AZ | Non-album single | |
| Out of Control | Wells | NBA JAm Session[7] | |
| Cherish This Love; DOn't Let Me Catch You Slippin' | Brigette McWilliams | Take Advantage of Me[8] | |
| Shaq-Fu: Stand and Deliver | Shaq | Shaq Fu: Da Return[9] | |
| 1996 | 80 Ways | Def Jef | Phat Beach (soundtrack) |
| 1997 | Under Pressure | Nadanuf | Worldwide |
| 1999 | Betta Dayz | Snoop Dogg | No Limit Top Dogg |
| 2000 | Tha Eastsidaz | Tha Eastsidaz | Snoop Dogg Presents: Tha Eastsidaz |
| 2001 | Late Night | Duces 'n Trayz: The Old Fashioned Way | |
| Shackled Up | Krayzie Bone | Oz (soundtrack)[10] | |
| A THugga Level; I Don't Give a Fuck | Thug on da Line |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 80. ISBN 0-7535-0252-6.
- ^ Kellman, Andy. "Biography: Def Jef". AMG. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
- ^ Def Jef at IMDb
- ^ "discogs".
- ^ "YouTube".
- ^ "discogs".
- ^ "discogsy".
- ^ "discogs".
- ^ "discogs".
- ^ "discogs".
External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
 | This biographical article related to hip hop music in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1966 births
- African-American male actors
- African-American male rappers
- Delicious Vinyl artists
- Living people
- Male actors from Manhattan
- People from Harlem
- Rappers from Manhattan
- 21st-century American rappers
- 21st-century American male musicians
- 21st-century African-American musicians
- 20th-century African-American musicians
- American hip-hop biography stubs