DJ Drama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids DJ Drama
DJ Drama performing in 2016
Background information
Birth name	Tyree Cinque Simmons
Born	(1978-04-22) April 22, 1978 (age 47) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Education	Clark Atlanta University (BS)
Genres	Southern hip-hop
Occupation(s)	Disc jockey Record executive Music promoter
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Aphilliates Generation Now E1 (current) Grand Hustle Atlantic (former)

Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978), who is known by his stage name DJ Drama, is an American disc jockey (DJ), record executive, and music promoter. A record executive helps artists manage their careers and produce music.

He first became known as the official DJ for the Atlanta rapper T.I.. He became even more famous for hosting mixtapes for many other hip-hop artists. His famous Gangsta Grillz mixtape series has featured stars like Lil Wayne, Tyler, the Creator, Snoop Dogg, and Jeezy.

DJ Drama is also a co-founder of the record label Generation Now. He started it in 2015 with his friend and fellow producer Don Cannon. The label is part of Atlantic Records and has signed popular artists like Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow.

Even though he doesn't rap on his own albums, DJ Drama is a key figure in hip-hop. He uses his connections to bring together famous and new artists on his projects. He has released six of his own studio albums. In 2022, he won a Grammy Award for his work on Tyler, the Creator's album, Call Me If You Get Lost.

Early Life and School

Tyree Simmons was born and grew up in Philadelphia. When he was 13, his sister took him to New York City, where he bought his first mixtape. A mixtape is a collection of songs, like a playlist, often mixed by a DJ.

Soon after, he started making his own tapes. He also began to practice with turntables, which are used by DJs to mix music. Simmons went to Central High School and graduated in 1996.

After high school, he moved to Atlanta to go to Clark Atlanta University. There, he met DJ Sense and Don Cannon. The three friends from Philadelphia later started a group called the Aphilliates. While in college, Simmons started releasing mixtapes as DJ Drama. One of his first successful series was Gangsta Grillz, which focused on Southern hip hop music. He graduated from college in 2000.

Music Career

2003–2010: Starting Out and Gangsta Grillz

DJ Drama in 2008

In 2003, DJ Drama, Don Cannon, and DJ Sense officially started the Aphilliates Music Group (AMG). This group helped release DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz mixtapes. These mixtapes became very popular, especially ones for artists like T.I. and Jeezy. By 2005, DJ Drama was hosting radio shows on Hot 107.9 in Atlanta and on Eminem's channel on Sirius Satellite Radio.

In 2005, he worked with Lil Wayne on a mixtape called The Dedication. It was so successful that they made a whole series of Dedication mixtapes. The second one, Dedication 2, was even named one of the best recordings of 2006 by The New York Times.

In 2007, DJ Drama's studio was searched by police, which caused a delay in his work. Despite this challenge, he released his first official album, Gangsta Grillz: The Album, in December 2007. The album featured many famous rappers like Nelly, T.I., and Outkast. It reached number 26 on the Billboard 200 music chart.

In 2009, DJ Drama released his second album, Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2). He also continued to create popular mixtapes for other artists, including Gucci Mane and Chris Brown.

2011–Present: More Albums and Generation Now

In 2024, Kid Cudi (pictured) released his album Insano, and DJ Drama narrated part of it for his famous Gangsta Grillz series.

DJ Drama released his third album, Third Power, in 2011. It included the hit song "Oh My". His fourth album, Quality Street Music, came out in 2012 and was his most successful yet, reaching number 15 on the Billboard 200 chart.

In 2014, DJ Drama started working in A&R at Atlantic Records. His job was to find and sign new talent. All this time, he kept hosting mixtapes for major artists like 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg.

In 2015, DJ Drama and Don Cannon started their own record label called Generation Now as part of Atlantic Records. One of the first artists they signed was Lil Uzi Vert. DJ Drama helped produce Uzi's first big mixtape, Luv Is Rage. The label also signed other artists, including Jack Harlow.

In 2021, DJ Drama was the narrator on Tyler, the Creator's album Call Me If You Get Lost. The album was inspired by the sound of Drama's Gangsta Grillz series. For his work on the album, DJ Drama won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2022. He continues to work with top artists and release new music.

Studio Albums

• Gangsta Grillz: The Album (2007)
• Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2) (2009)
• Third Power (2011)
• Quality Street Music (2012)
• Quality Street Music 2 (2016)
• I'm Really Like That (2023)

Generation Now Record Label

Generation Now
Parent company	Warner Music Group
Founded	2015; 10 years ago (2015)
Founder	DJ Drama Don Cannon
Distributor(s)	Atlantic Records Group
Genre	Hip hop R&B
Country of origin	United States
Location	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

Generation Now is an American record label started in 2015 by DJ Drama and Don Cannon. The label is known for signing and developing new artists in hip-hop and R&B. Some of its most famous artists include Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow.

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: DJ Drama para niños