DJ Hurricane
| Wendell Fite | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Wendell Timothy Fite January 12, 1965 Dallas, Texas |
| Occupation | Rapper, musician, hip-hop DJ, producer |
| Years active | 1985-present |
| Spouse(s) | Dawn Fite |
| Children | Jennifer, Jarell, Ayana, Quran |
DJ Hurricane (born Wendell Timothy Fite in Dallas on January 12, 1965[1]) is an American hip hop DJ, producer and rapper. He is best known for his work with the Beastie Boys. He was a member of the groups Solo Sounds and The Afros and recorded three solo albums, featuring many well-known artists such as the Beastie Boys and Talib Kweli.
One of New York's premier hip-hop artists on the turntables, DJ Hurricane fostered his skills alongside Run D.M.C. in the Hollis, Queens area of New York City before eventually hooking up with the Beastie Boys, where he made a name for himself as the group's DJ before going on to release his own albums. Hurricane began rhyming at the age of 11, during hip-hop's infancy, eventually forming a group called the Solo Sounds and later the Afros. While serving as one of Run D.M.C.'s bodyguards on the 1986 Raising Hell tour, he became friends with the Beastie Boys, who were the tour's opening act. It wasn't long before the Beasties offered Hurricane an opportunity to be their exclusive DJ. In 1993, along with the Beastie Boys, he contributed the track "It's The New Style" to the AIDS-benefit album No Alternative produced by the Red Hot Organization.
As the Beasties rose in fame with each successive album in the 1990s, Hurricane simultaneously reveled in the spotlight, releasing his first solo album in 1995 on Grand Royal, titled The Hurra (guest artists include the Beastie Boys, MC Breed, and Sen Dog). He started his own production company, Don't Sleep Productions in 1999.
Five years later in late 2000, after having parted ways with the Beasties prior to their album Hello Nasty in 1998, Hurricane released his second album, Don't Sleep, which found him much more conceptually collected and with a broad scope of guest artists, including Kool G Rap, Xzibit, Scott Weiland, Public Enemy, Rah Digga, Talib Kweli, among others.
From 2008 to 2012 he was touring DJ for Faith Evans.
Discography
- The Hurra (1995)
- Severe Damage (1997)
- Don't Sleep (2000)
- Movie soundtrack credits: Kiss the Girls, CB4, Ready to Rumble, Above the Rim
References
- ↑ "WENDELL FITE; Texas, Birth Record Index, 1926–1995". Mocavo.com. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2014.