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Mike Dean (record producer)

{{Short description|American record producer}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Mike Dean

| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Michael George Dean

| alias = {{hlist|Vador|Synth God}}

| birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S.

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|3|1}}

| genre = {{hlist|Southern hip-hop|electronic|dream pop|synthwave|trap}}

| occupations = {{hlist|Record producer|audio engineer|songwriter|multi-instrumentalist}}

| instruments = {{hlist|Guitar|keyboards|piano|bass guitar}}

| years_active = 1983–present

| label = {{hlist|M.W.A|Imperial|GOOD}}

| associated_acts = {{hlist|Dice Soho|Kanye West|Maxo Kream|Scarface|Travis Scott|Z-Ro}}

| website = {{URL|therealmikedean.com}}

}}

Michael George Dean (born March 1, 1965) is an American record producer, audio engineer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his synthesizer-heavy instrumentation and audio mixing for high-profile music industry artists. Beginning his career in 1992, he was first credited on releases for Texas-based rappers Scarface, Willie D, and Geto Boys, though he has since worked with hip hop and pop artists including Kanye West, the Weeknd, Beyoncé, Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, Jay-Z, Drake, Madonna, Selena Gomez, Playboi Carti, and Lana Del Rey, among others. As a non-performing lead artist, Dean has released six solo studio albums: 4:20 (2020), 4:22 (2021), Smoke State 42222 (2022), 4:23 (2023), 424 (2024) and 425 (2025).

Career

In the 1980s, Dean started doing collaborations with numerous Texan artists, including Selena, for whom Dean served as musical director and producer. He began his career in hip hop while producing two albums as a part of the Houston-based group, Def Squad, along with group member Norris Burse (Champ) and Kenny Bomer (KB) under the Mr. Henry/ Ichiban labels. Dean first became widely known for pioneering the Dirty South sound in the 1990s, particularly in work for artists from Rap-A-Lot Records.{{Cite web|title = Mike Dean On Working With Selena, Scarface And Kanye|website = NPR|date = June 27, 2013|url = https://www.npr.org/sections/microphonecheck/2013/06/27/195925740/mike-dean-on-working-with-selena-scarface-and-kanye|access-date = August 30, 2015|last1 = Kelley|first1 = Frannie|last2 = Muhammad|first2 = Ali Shaheed}}{{Cite web|title = Kanye Producer Mike Dean Talks Yeezus|url = http://www.villagevoice.com/music/kanye-producer-mike-dean-talks-yeezus-6643703|access-date = August 30, 2015|first = J.|last = Pikblo| work=Village Voice |date = June 24, 2013}} Dean has most notably worked alongside Scarface of the Geto Boys, Do or Die, Tha Dogg Pound, Yukmouth of the Luniz, C-Bo, Nate Dogg, Tech N9ne, UGK, Z-Ro, Devin the Dude, Outlawz, and 2Pac.{{Cite web|title = Producer's Corner: Mike Dean|url = http://hiphopdx.com/interviews/id.1497/title.producers-corner-mike-dean|access-date = August 30, 2015|last = HipHopDX|date = February 15, 2010}}

Dean went on to mix, produce, and master widely throughout American hip hop. He has become known for producing work with Kanye West. After initially contributing to the mixing of West's albums The College Dropout and Late Registration, Dean contributed as producer on West's albums Graduation, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Yeezus, The Life of Pablo, Ye, and Donda.{{Cite web|title = Beat Construction: Mike Dean|url = http://www.thefader.com/2015/07/16/beat-construction-mike-dean|access-date = August 30, 2015}} He also co-produced with West on his collaboration album with Jay-Z, Watch the Throne. Dean was an additional producer on "Mercy" and "Higher" on GOOD Music's 2012 compilation album Cruel Summer. Dean has made particularly heavy contributions on West's last albums and is credited on most tracks. Despite a fallout in 2022 with West, Dean is credited to have worked on at least the first of West's expected 3 studio albums after a musical hiatus with the song "Back To Me" on Vultures 1 featuring Freddie Gibbs.

In recent years, Mike Dean has served as a regular guitarist and keyboardist for West and Travis Scott at their live performances, headlining numerous music festivals, the Watch the Throne Tour, the Yeezus Tour, and Scott's Birds Eye View Tour as well as the Astroworld – Wish You Were Here Tour. Dean has also been a frequent collaborator with Scott. Dean's production has appeared on every one of Scott's musical bodies of work since 2013. In 2016, Dean mastered Frank Ocean's visual album Endless, wrote and produced tracks on Desiigner's mixtape New English, and produced Desiigner's single "Tiimmy Turner".{{cite web|url=http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/5-producers-you-may-not-know-on-desiigners-new-english-news.22537.html?|title=5 Producers You May Not Know On Desiigner's "New English"|date=June 28, 2016|access-date=August 5, 2016|last1=Schwartz|first1=Danny|website=Hotnewhiphop}}{{cite web|url=http://hypebeast.com/2016/6/desiigner-teases-upcoming-timmy-turner-track-mike-dean|title=Desiigner Teases Upcoming "Timmy Turner" Track With Mike Dean|website=Hypebeast|date=June 29, 2016|access-date=August 5, 2016|last1=Boykins|first1=Austin}}

In May 2017, Dean announced he was launching a record label by the name of M.W.A.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7776982/mike-dean-mwa-label-dice-soho|title=Mike Dean Talks Launching New M.W.A. Label & Signing First Artist Dice Soho|magazine=Billboard|date=May 2017|access-date=December 1, 2017}} When asked what made him decide that now would be the best time to unveil his new record label, Dean responded: "Just a lot of new young artists that's been asking to get down with me and have me work on their projects and help them get deals. I figured I'd start a label and sign some new acts. Seems like a good time to start it. I got a studio out here [in Los Angeles] and I'm able to meet a lot of new artists." When asked the meaning of M.W.A, Dean answered: "That's just what I call myself when I DJ. Mexican Wrestling Association. It's something that I've done with the merch, so I just figured I'd keep the name going." He also revealed Dice Soho the first artist he signed to M.W.A: "One of my homies Gustavo Guerra brought [Dice Soho] to me. I think he's gonna be the next wave out of Houston. I picked him up. Dice has a nice swag."

He released an instrumental mixtape, 4:20, on April 20, 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/kanye-producer-mike-dean-releases-new-mixtape-420-listen/|title=Producer/Multi-Instrumentalist Mike Dean Releases New Mixtape 4:20|last=Strauss|first=Matthew|website=Pitchfork|date=April 20, 2020|language=en|access-date=April 21, 2020}} On May 20, 2021, Lana Del Rey's single "Wildflower Wildfire" was released, which was produced by Dean. In an interview with Anthony Fantano before the song's release, Dean said that he was "planning on working with [Del Rey] a lot".{{cite news |last1=Newstead |first1=Al |title=Surprise! Lana Del Rey just dropped three new songs |url=https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/news/musicnews/lana-del-rey-surprise-three-new-songs-blue-banisters-album/13353688 |access-date=May 23, 2021 |work=Triple J |date=May 21, 2021}}

Since 2022, Dean has had several further collaborations with the Weeknd, who Dean has worked with on the Weeknd's 2015 album Beauty Behind the Madness, as well as his single "Where You Belong" for the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. Dean contributed live arrangements to the Weeknd's co-headlining performances with Swedish House Mafia at the 2022 Coachella festival. Dean has since been an opening act on the Weeknd's After Hours til Dawn Tour, during which his arrangements have been included in the Weeknd's shows. Dean also created a remix for the Weeknd's song "Starry Eyes" from his album Dawn FM, which Dean has performed live in his opening sets on the tour; he has since filled in for LJ Jones, The Weeknd's former bass and keyboards player during the European and Latin American legs of the tour and onward. He plays synthesizers and saxophone. Dean contributed the musical arrangements for the "After Hours Nightmare" Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses at Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood. In 2023, Dean contributed live arrangements to Metro Boomin's performances at Coachella, during which the Weeknd appeared as a special guest; Dean also appeared as a guest musician during 070 Shake's performance during the second weekend of the festival. He co-wrote and produced the Weeknd's single "Double Fantasy" (featuring Future), "Popular" (featuring Playboi Carti and Madonna), "The Lure (Main Theme," "Family" (featuring Suzanna Son), "Devil's Paradise," "A Lesser Man," "Take Me Back," "One of the Girls" (featuring Jennie and Lily-Rose Depp), "Jealous Guy," "Fill the Void," "Like a God," "False Idols," "Dollhouse" (featuring Lily-Rose Depp)", and "My Sweet Lord" for the soundtrack of the Weeknd's HBO series The Idol, which Dean is part of the starring cast of, and premiered on June 4. Dean released his fourth mixtape, 4:23, which the Weeknd co-produced, on April 29. Since 2024, Dean has co-written and produced "Young Metro," "We Still Don't Trust You," "All to Myself," and Always Be My Fault by Future and Metro Boomin featuring the Weeknd from the respective albums We Don't Trust You and We Still Don't Trust You, on which Dean is also credited with producing "Beat It." On the Weeknd's 2025 album Hurry Up Tomorrow, Dean co-wrote and produced the tracks "Wake Me Up," "Cry for Me," "São Paulo" (featuring Anitta, "Until We're Skin in Bones," "Baptized in Fear," "Opening Night," "Reflections Laughing" (featuring Travis Scott and Florence and the Machine), "Enjoy the Show," "Given Up on Me," "I Can't Wait to Get There," "Timeless" (featuring Playboi Carti), "Niagara Falls," "Take Me Back to LA," and "Big Sleep" (featuring Giorgio Moroder).

Discography

Studio albums

  • 4:20 (2020){{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/mike-dean-4-20-interview-986826/|title=Kanye West and Travis Scott Producer Mike Dean Releases His Long-Awaited Debut Album|last=Schwartz|first=Zachary|date=April 20, 2020|magazine=Rolling Stone|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|access-date=April 7, 2022}}
  • 4:22 (2021){{Cite news|url=https://www.gq.com/story/mike-dean-playlist-4-22|title=Mike Dean's Playlist Is a Synth Voyage|last=Groundwater|first=Colin|date=April 26, 2021|work=GQ|publisher=Condé Nast|access-date=April 7, 2022}}
  • Smoke State 42222 (2022){{Cite web |last=Ech |first=Joey|title=Pusha T, Blxst, Mike Dean and More – New Hip-Hop Projects This Week |url=https://www.xxlmag.com/pusha-t-blxst-bankroll-freddie-new-hip-hop-projects/ |access-date=April 23, 2022 |website=XXL Mag |date=April 22, 2022 |language=en}}
  • 4:23 (2023)
  • 424 (2024)
  • 425 (2025)

Live albums

  • Echoplex (Live 2021) (2021)

Production discography

=1980s=

  • Def Squad, Texas

=1990s=

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

=2000s=

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

=2010s=

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

=2020s=

2020

  • Selena Gomez – Rare{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/selena-gomez-rare-album-release-party-recap-8547781/|title=Selena Gomez Dreams of Adele Singing 'Lose You to Love Me' & 6 More Highlights From 'Rare' Release Party|last=Mamo|first=Heran|date=January 10, 2020|magazine=Billboard|publisher=MRC|access-date=April 6, 2022}}
  • 070 Shake – Modus Vivendi{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/070-shakes-modus-vivendi-934516/|title=070 Shake Charts Inner Desire and Outer Space on 'Modus Vivendi'|last=Hermes|first=Will|author-link=Will Hermes|date=January 14, 2020|magazine=Rolling Stone|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|access-date=April 6, 2022}}
  • Don Toliver – Heaven or Hell{{Cite news|url=https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.3648/title.review-don-tolliver-steps-into-the-spotlight-on-heaven-or-hell|title=Review: Don Tolliver Steps Into The Spotlight On 'Heaven Or Hell'|last=Draughorne|first=Kenan|date=March 30, 2020|work=HipHopDX|access-date=April 7, 2022}}
  • Teyana Taylor – The Album
  • Pop Smoke – Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon{{Cite news|url=https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.3704/title.review-pop-smokes-no-1-album-proves-he-was-a-star-outside-of-50-cent-quavos-help|title=Review: Pop Smoke's No. 1 Album Proves He Was A Star Outside Of 50 Cent & Quavo's Help|last=Brake|first=David Aaron|date=July 16, 2020|work=HipHopDX|access-date=April 7, 2022}}
  • Burna Boy – Twice as Tall{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefader.com/2020/08/10/burna-boy-shares-details-about-new-album-twice-as-tall|title=Burna Boy shares details about new album, Twice as Tall|last=Elder|first=Sajae|date=August 10, 2020|work=The Fader|access-date=April 7, 2022}}
  • Spillage Village, JID & EarthGang – Spilligion
  • 2 Chainz – So Help Me God!
  • Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon III: The Chosen{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/music/kid-cudi-releases-final-album-man-on-the-moon-trilogy/|title=Kid Cudi releases final album in Man on the Moon trilogy|last=Yang|first=Rachel|date=December 7, 2020|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|publisher=Dotdash Meredith|access-date=April 7, 2022}}

2021

  • Kanye West – Donda{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2021/music/features/mike-dean-kanye-west-pop-smoke-1235124905/|title=Producer of the Year Mike Dean on Kanye West's 'Chaotic' 'Donda' Sessions and Vibing With Lana Del Rey|last=Eustice|first=Kyle|date=December 3, 2021|work=Variety|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|access-date=April 7, 2022}}
  • Lana Del Rey – Blue Banisters
  • Don Toliver – Life of a Don{{Cite news|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/don-toliver-life-of-a-don/|title=Don Toliver – Life of a DON|last=Pierre|first=Alphonse|date=October 13, 2021|work=Pitchfork|publisher=Condé Nast|access-date=April 7, 2022}}
  • Mike Dean & Rich the Kid – "Blue Cheese"{{Cite web |title=Mike Dean and Rich the Kid Link Up for New Song "Blue Cheese" |url=https://www.complex.com/music/mike-dean-rich-the-kid-new-song-blue-cheese |access-date=April 23, 2022 |website=Complex |language=en}}
  • Aaliyah featuring the Weeknd – "Poison"

2022

  • FKA Twigs – Caprisongs{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jan/15/fka-twigs-caprisongs-review-party-tunes-and-hard-won-notes-to-self|title=FKA twigs: Caprisongs review – party tunes and hard-won notes to self|last=Empire|first=Kitty|author-link=Kitty Empire|date=January 15, 2022|work=The Guardian|access-date=April 6, 2022}}
  • Kanye West – Donda 2
  • Fivio Foreign – B.I.B.L.E.{{Cite web |author=Dean, Mike |type=Tweet |date=April 7, 2022 |title=@FivioForeign album just dropped. Go stream it. Hard perfect mixes. I co produced changed on me who I am and magic city as well as City of gods |url=https://twitter.com/therealmikedean/status/1512280119598993408?s=46&t=xapq6zRUPT_0J78QUE9jIA |access-date=March 23, 2023 |website=Twitter |language=en}}
  • Pusha T – It's Almost Dry{{Cite web |date=April 22, 2022 |title=Pusha T Releases New Album It's Almost Dry: Listen and Read the Full Credits |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/pusha-t-releases-new-album-its-almost-dry-listen/ |access-date=April 23, 2022 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}
  • Megan Thee Stallion – "Plan B"{{Cite web |title=Megan Thee Stallion Unleashes Her New Banger "Plan B" |url=https://www.iheart.com/content/2022-04-22-megan-thee-stallion-unleashes-her-new-banger-plan-b/ |access-date=April 23, 2022 |website=iHeart |language=en}}
  • Weiland – Vices
  • Kanye West & XXXTentacion – "True Love"
  • 070 Shake – You Can't Kill Me
  • XXXTentacion – Look at Me: The Album
  • The Weeknd – "Starry Eyes" (Mike Dean remix)
  • Beyoncé – Renaissance
  • The Game – Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind
  • Nav – Demons Protected by Angels
  • Christine and the Queens – Redcar les adorables étoiles (prologue){{cite web | url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/christine-and-the-queens-kanye-west-producer-collab/ | title=Christine and the Queens is working on a new album | date=November 9, 2022 }}

2023

2024

2025

  • The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow{{Cite web |last=rashadgrove |date=2024-11-27 |title=The Weeknd Announces Release Date For 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' |url=https://www.hot97.com/news/the-weeknd-announces-release-date-for-hurry-up-tomorrow/# |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=HOT 97 |language=en-US}}

Filmography

class="wikitable"

|+

!Year

!Title

!Role

!Notes

!{{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

2023

|The Idol

|Himself

|Guest star

|{{Cite web |last1=Petski |first1=Dade Hayes,Denise |last2=Hayes |first2=Dade |last3=Petski |first3=Denise |date=August 21, 2022 |title='The Idol': HBO Releases New Teaser For Music Industry Drama |url=https://deadline.com/2022/08/the-idol-hbo-the-weeknd-lily-rose-depp-1235096676/ |access-date=August 22, 2022 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}

Awards and nominations

=Grammy Awards=

{{awards table}}

!{{Abbr|Ref.|References}}

|-

|2005

| The College Dropout (as engineer/mixer)

| Album of the Year

|{{nom}}

|rowspan="23"|{{cite web |title=Mike Dean |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/mike-dean/2701|website=GRAMMY.com |language=en |date=December 15, 2020}}

|-

|rowspan="3"|2006

| "Gold Digger" (as engineer/mixer)

| Record of the Year

|{{nom}}

|-

|rowspan="2"|Late Registration (as engineer/mixer)

| Best Rap Album

|{{won}}

|-

|rowspan="2"| Album of the Year

| {{nom}}

|-

|rowspan="3"|2008

|rowspan="2"|Graduation (as engineer)

| {{nom}}

|-

| Best Rap Album

| {{won}}

|-

|"Good Life" (as songwriter)

|Best Rap Song

|{{won}}

|-

|2012

|My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (as engineer/mixer)

|Best Rap Album

|{{won}}

|-

|rowspan="2"|2013

|"Niggas in Paris" (as songwriter)

|rowspan="5"|Best Rap Song

|{{won}}

|-

|"Mercy" (as songwriter)

|{{nom}}

|-

|rowspan="1"|2014

|"New Slaves" (as songwriter)

|{{nom}}

|-

|rowspan="1"|2015

|"Bound 2" (as songwriter)

|{{nom}}

|-

|rowspan="2"|2016

|"All Day" (as songwriter)

|{{nom}}

|-

|Beauty Behind the Madness (as producer)

|rowspan="3"|Album of the Year

| {{nom}}

|-

|rowspan="4"|2017

|Lemonade (as producer)

| {{nom}}

|-

|Purpose (as producer)

| {{nom}}

|-

| "Famous" (as songwriter)

| rowspan="3"|Best Rap Song

| {{nom}}

|-

| "Ultralight Beam" (as songwriter)

| {{nom}}

|-

|2019

|"Sicko Mode" (as songwriter)

| {{nom}}

|-

|2021

| Jesus Is King (as engineer/mixer)

| Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

| {{won}}

|-

| rowspan="2"|2022

| "Jail" (as songwriter)

| Best Rap Song

| {{won}}

|-

|Donda (as producer/songwriter)

| rowspan="2"| Album of the Year

| {{nom}}

|-

| 2023

| Renaissance (as producer/songwriter)

| {{nom}}

{{end}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [https://therealmikedean.com Official website]
  • [https://www.npr.org/sections/microphonecheck/2013/06/27/195925740/mike-dean-on-working-with-selena-scarface-and-kanye NPR: Mike Dean on working with Selena, Scarface, and Kanye]
  • [http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=Mike+Dean&field_nominee_work_value=&year=All&genre=All Mike Dean at Grammy.com]

{{Grammy Award for Best Rap Song}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dean, Mike}}

Category:1965 births

Category:Living people

Category:Musicians from Houston

Category:American hip-hop record producers

Category:American audio engineers

Category:American electronic musicians

Category:20th-century American guitarists

Category:21st-century American guitarists

Category:Guitarists from Texas

Category:20th-century American pianists

Category:Grammy Award winners for rap music

Category:American male pianists

Category:21st-century American pianists

Category:Record producers from Texas

Category:20th-century American male musicians

Category:21st-century American male musicians

Category:American multi-instrumentalists

Category:Sony Music Publishing artists