Devo Harris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Devo Harris
Harris in 2023
Background information
Birth name	DeVon Harris
Born	(1977-12-09) December 9, 1977 (age 47)
Origin	Columbus, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	R&B hip hop pop
Occupation(s)	Record producer songwriter disc jockey
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Astor Place GOOD Geffen

DeVon "Devo" Harris (born December 9, 1977) is an American record producer, songwriter, and DJ. He is also known as Devo Springsteen.

Devo Harris is a cousin of famous rapper Kanye West. He helped singer John Legend get signed to Kanye West's record label, GOOD Music, in 2003. Devo played a big part in John Legend's first album, Get Lifted (2004). He also worked on songs for many other artists. These include Nas, Britney Spears, Aretha Franklin, and Ol' Dirty Bastard.

In 2006, Devo Harris won a Grammy Award for "Best Rap Song." This was for his work on Kanye West's song "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" from 2005.

Devo studied Economics at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Later, he earned a Master's degree in Business from Columbia Business School in 2011. After that, he started focusing more on technology and media businesses.

Devo Harris's Story

Devo Harris grew up in both the U.S. and Germany. His parents were both in the U.S. Army. He finished high school at The Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Missouri. Then, he went to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

At college, he was active in sports like wrestling and football. He also worked as a DJ at local radio stations. After graduating with degrees in Economics and Strategic Management, he moved to New York City in 2000. His college roommate, John Legend, moved with him.

While working in venture capital (a type of investment), Devo also started helping out at G.O.O.D. Music. This was a production company. He eventually helped John Legend sign with the label in 2003. He also managed John Legend's music projects. Later, Devo earned his MBA degree from Columbia Business School.

His Music Career

Devo Harris gets his musical inspiration from many artists. Some of his influences include Stevie Wonder, The Doors, Michael Jackson, Rick Rubin, Timbaland, and Dr. Dre.

Devo has appeared on TV channels like MTV Base, BET Style, and VH1. He was also a special guest DJ on BET's Rap City show. He has traveled all over the world to DJ, from Turkey to Japan and Africa.

He also helped write songs for Britney Spears. Two of these songs were "Lullaby" and "Let's Go." These songs were on a demo version of Britney's album Blackout.

In 2008, Devo worked with John Legend again. They created the song "If You're Out There." This song is on John Legend's third album, Evolver. The song became famous when it was used as Barack Obama's campaign song. John Legend performed it at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Devo's Work in Technology

In 2010, Devo Harris created something new and exciting. He made an interactive music video called "Attack of the 5 foot Hipster." This video was for the U.S. band Riot In Paris. It was special because it was the first "choose-your-own-adventure" music video in the U.S. This means viewers could make choices that changed how the video played out.

After getting his business degree in 2011, Devo started his career in technology. He taught himself how to code (write computer programs). In 2014, he launched his own company called Red Ochre Inc. Soon after, he became a Senior Product Manager at Vimeo, a popular video platform.

In 2020, Devo Harris launched Adventr. This is an interactive streaming platform. It allows people to create and experience videos where they can interact with the content. In September 2021, Adventr was a finalist at the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference. They also announced that they had a patent for voice-controlled interactive media. This means they have a special legal right to their invention.

Awards and Nominations