DJ Hi-Tek
| Hi-Tek | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Tony Cottrell |
| Also known as | Tekzilla |
| Born |
May 5, 1976 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Origin | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, DJ, producer, rapper |
| Instruments | Keyboards, Drums, sampler |
| Years active | 1996 - present |
| Labels | Rawkus, Babygrande, Aftermath, It's A Wonderful World Music Group |
| Associated acts | Reflection Eternal, Mood, Talib Kweli, Black Star, Snoop Dogg, The Game, Common, G-Unit |
Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek (born May 5, 1976), is an American rapper and record producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on their Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star. His father is singer Willie Cottrell of the Willie Cottrell Band whom Hi-Tek featured on his second release Hi-Teknology 2.
Hi-Tek started his rap career with hip hop group Mood and had a regional hit with "Hustle on the Side". That song was made for Mood's album Doom, which featured amongst others Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli. Talib and Hi-Tek clicked immediately, and Hi-Tek went on to produce most of Talib Kweli and Mos Def's Black Star (1998). In 2000, Tek and Kweli (under the name Reflection Eternal) released Train of Thought (2000) on Rawkus Records, with raps by Talib Kweli and beats by Hi-Tek. It enjoyed moderate crossover radio success with the singles "The Blast" and "Move Somethin'". Reflection Eternal released a follow-up album titled Revolutions Per Minute on May 18, 2010.
After signing to Rawkus Records, Hi-Tek produced for a number of the labels projects, including the popular Soundbombing series; a three-record compilation of mostly Rawkus-based artists. In 2001, he released his solo album Hi-Teknology on Rawkus. The album featured appearances by Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Vinia Mojica, Buckshot, and others, with all production handled by Hi-Tek. It received some critical acclaim and spawned a minor hit "Round and Round" with Cincinnati singer Jonell.
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