WAVS / Producers / Mike Dean
Mike Dean

Mike Dean

Hip-Hop / Trap Producer
Hip-HopTrapPsychedelicDirty South
About

Mike Dean is the production alias of Michael George Dean, born March 1, 1965, near Houston, Texas. He trained in classical piano as a child, also playing saxophone and bassoon in the school orchestra. He began his career in the 1980s as a keyboard player and musical director for Selena. In the 1990s, he pioneered the Dirty South sound at Rap-A-Lot Records, producing and mixing for Scarface, Geto Boys, Willie D, UGK, Z-Ro, and Devin the Dude. His gear in that era included Korg Trinity, Ensoniq EPS, Ensoniq ASR-10, and early Pro Tools. Marley Marl taught him sampling techniques and Roland TR-808 programming.

Dean met Kanye West in 2002 when West came to his Houston home studio to work on the Get Well Soon mixtape. He has contributed to every Kanye solo album from The College Dropout through Donda, earning five Grammy Awards through that collaboration. He plays guitar, bass, cello, piano, and synthesizers on records and tours as a live keyboardist for both Kanye and Travis Scott. His guitar solo on "Devil in a New Dress" (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy) and synth outro on Travis Scott's "Highest in the Room" (No. 1 Hot 100) are among his most celebrated contributions. He has more credits on Scott's Astroworld than anyone besides Scott.

Dean launched his own label M.W.A. (Mexican Wrestling Association) in 2017 and has released six solo synth albums beginning with 4:20 (2020), which he described as "an hour-and-a-half Pink Floyd instrumental." His production motto is "Producers should never get stuck in time. They should always be time travellers living in the future." He holds 59 producer credits and 106 songwriter credits on the Billboard Hot 100.

Signature Sound
Mike Dean is a synthesizer virtuoso whose extended synth outros, live guitar solos, and multi-instrumental layering have become signature elements of modern hip-hop. His production bridges 1990s Dirty South rawness with psychedelic, progressive rock textures, defined by heavy Moog and modular synth work that transforms conventional rap tracks into cinematic experiences.
WAVS Catalog
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