DJ Hurricane

Who is DJ Hurricane?

DJ Hurricane is a hip hop DJ, producer and rapper. He is known for his work as the Beastie Boys' DJ. 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. He started his own production company, Don't Sleep Productions in 1999.