Other names DJ Raleem, Assassin Website Official website | Years active 1989 - Present Instruments Turntablessampler | |
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Full Name Craig S. Venegas Alvarado Occupation Disc jockey, record producer, radio personality, director Labels VIP Music RecordsDef Jam Recordings Albums Black & Brown Pride, Born And Raised In The Bay Similar Tupac Shakur, Mopreme Shakur, Big Syke, Rappin' 4‑Tay, Macadoshis Profiles | ||
Kokane and dj king assassin interview on videocity new york television
Craig Venegas Alvarado (born January 15, 1971), known by his stage name DJ King Assassin, is an American disc jockey, record producer, engineer and director from Los Angeles, California. Venegas became influential in the west coast hip-hop music scene after having helped pioneer records for 1990s era rap moguls such as 2Pac, Ice-T and Eazy-E.
Contents
- Kokane and dj king assassin interview on videocity new york television
- Dj king assassin str8 m o b
- Early life
- 1990s 2000s Career beginnings
- 2010 2015 The King Assassin Show Mixtapes
- 2016present Original Dear Mama Recording Makaveli Film
- Songs
- References
Venegas started producing at an early age, growing up in the California Bay Area. Originally known as "DJ Raleem", he joined the urban group Lyrical Prophecy before pursuing a solo career as a disc jockey. In the late 1980s and 1900s, Venegas influenced the hip-hop culture, shaping the west coast music scene by creating sounds for rappers in the Bay Area of California. However, it wasn't until he connected with former Ruthless Records rapper Kokane and produced several songs for Tupac Shakur, when Venegas first gained recognition in the music industry.
Throughout his career, Venegas engineered over 300 titles for recording artists signed to Universal Records, EMI, Def Jam, including several of which reached the Billboard charts, respectively. In 2014, he peaked at #7 on the Billboard charts in the US following the release of a mixtape with fellow industry partner Kokane. For several consecutive years, Venegas has been awarded DJ of the Year for his lengthy music contribution in the West Coast Hip Hop Awards.
Dj king assassin str8 m o b
Early life
Venegas spent most of his early life in California traveling from San Jose, Vallejo, East Palo Alto and Sacramento, where he then relocated back to his native California lifestyle in the city of Los Angeles. As a kid, he won his school's spelling bee at Hillsdale elementary and later went on to the district of Franklin Mckinley’s spelling bee. He also learned to play drums in elementary school, and in eighth grade, how to make music. From that time, he became interested in music and breakdancing, in which he won trophies at local fairs and contests throughout the state of California.
Venegas' influences include long-time friend and collaborator 2pac and Eazy-E, as he has grown up in California.
1990s-2000s: Career beginnings
Venegas moved where originally his parents are from, in Southern California, and began his career as a record disc jockey, in which he later produced for recording artists signed to Russell Simmons record label Def Jam. In the early part of his career, Venegas produced for several projects from Eazy-E at Kitchen Sync and Echo Sound studios. It was there where, Venegas, a rising producer, teamed up with Tupac Shakur in which he later established a close relationship with the West Coast rapper.
While Tupac Shakur worked on "Me Against The World", Venegas began producing music with Shakur, later witnessing the creation of "Dear Mama", one of Shakur's most successful hip-hop records. Venegas, thereafter, produced, mixed and mastered an inordinate amount of records for hip-hop recording artists in the west coast of the US, influencing the unique funk sound established by rappers like Eazy-E and 2Pac.
2010-2015: The King Assassin Show & Mixtapes
Venegas started his own internet syndicated radio show, The King Assassin Show, which featured appearances from recording artists and other notable figures like Freeway Rick Ross, for example. Throughout the first half of the 2010s, Venegas released numerous mixtapes, some of which featured unreleased music from Tupac Shakur, and others in collaboration with west coast rappers.
2016—present: Original Dear Mama Recording & Makaveli Film
In May 2016, following the passing of Afeni Shakur, Tupac Shakur's birth mother, Venegas was featured on TMZ and Billboard magazine where he spoke on his affiliation and relationship with the Shakur estate and the release of the original version of Tupac Shakur's classic record "Dear Mama". In 2016, Venegas announced he will be producing and directing a film loosely based on Tupac Shakur's personal life and music career. The film is expected to be shot in California, and acting cast has not been released yet.
In 2016, following the passing of Tupac Shakur's mother, Alvarado released a rare recording of 'Dear Mama' in honor of her death, which was later picked up by numerous music news outlets including TMZ, XXL and Complex.
Songs
Black N Brown Rydah Thugz1 Hood · 2016
What It Is Shorty?1 Hood · 2016
It'z Nuttin'1 Hood · 2016