Background Before producing records, Waajeed studied art and
DJed in and around the Detroit music circuit. He was a photographer in the hip-hop scene and designed the cover for
Slum Village's "
Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1)" and
Fantastic, Vol. 2, among others. Waajeed was an executive producer on
Dwele's pre-debut project,
Rize, which led to Dwele getting signed to
Virgin Records. He has been a close friend of Slum Village, DJing for them and convincing the group to release their first album/demo,
Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1), choosing the group's name and introducing them to
Elzhi. Since his earlier records, Waajeed has shifted towards a "darker" sound which he explains in a 2013 interview. "People often ask me what my music is about and they see it as dark or bleak and yes, I do think it’s dark, but it’s also hopeful and optimistic. I make dark music to be a better person ... My music is dark because it’s a reflection of the times too. These are serious times we live in so even at its brightest moments there’s a taint to my work. What’s going on with all the gunplay – this is not a time for happy sing-along shit."
Career As a producer, Waajeed began in 2000 and landed a handful of tracks on his longtime friends, Slum Village's
Trinity (Past, Present and Future) album. Waajeed's productions have led to him working with some of the industry's most respected artists such as
Cee Lo Green,
John Legend,
Mayer Hawthorne and more. In 2007 he released an album called
The War LP which included solo instrumentals as well as new production for
Invincible,
Tiombe Lockhart,
TaRaach, and the late J Dilla. Waajeed has been a featured guest on radio shows including KCRW, BBC Radio 1, and more. In 2010, he released a preview of his remix of
DEDE (American Band)'s "Phantom" on SoundCloud. In 2011, he joined and co-founded music group
Tiny Hearts with producer
Tim K and vocalist Dede Reynolds of
DEDE. He is currently working on new solo material, as well as a collaborative album with Invincible. ==Discography ==