DJ Muggs

DJ Muggs
Birth name	Lawrence Muggerud
Also known as	Muggs
Born	January 28, 1968 (1968-01-28) (age 43)
Origin	Queens, New York
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	DJ Producer
Labels	Columbia Records[1]
Associated acts	Cypress Hill Funkdoobiest Soul Assassins GZA Sick Jacken The 7A3 Ill Bill
Website	djmuggs.com

Lawrence Muggerud (born January 28, 1968), better known as DJ Muggs, is Cypress Hill's DJ and producer. He also produced tracks for Funkdoobiest on the albums Which Doobie U B? and Brothas Doobie.

Life and career

Cypress Hill (1988 - 2004)

Muggs was born in Queens, New York of Italian and Norwegian descent. Muggs moved to L.A. at Twenty.^[2] He briefly DJ'd the group 7a3, putting out one album before disbanding. After linking up with B-Real and Sen Dog to form the group Cypress Hill, he went on to produce seven studio albums with the group, from 1991 to 2004. Of the seven, four reached platinum status, and three gold. Meanwhile, he scored hits on the side with Ice Cube's "Check Yo Self" and House of Pain's "Jump Around." During Cypress Hill's early years, DJ Muggs met The Alchemist and his Dilated Peoples brethren on tour, deciding to take the young producer under his wing, providing a jump-start for his career.^[3]

Soul Assassins

In 1997, Muggs released an album under the name Soul Assassins. The album, Soul Assassins I, reached #86 on the Billboard 200 and earned critical praise.^[4] Produced by DJ Muggs, it featured a variety of rappers including Dr. Dre, B-Real, LA The Darkman, Mobb Deep, RZA, GZA, Goodie Mob, KRS One and Wyclef Jean. In 2000 he returned to the Soul Assassins with Soul Assassins II, which reached only #178 on the charts but garnered similarly positive reviews.^[5] He also put out the record Dust, an atmosphere-heavy trip-hop affair with Greg Dulli, Amy Trujillo and Everlast on vocals. After the 2004 album Til Death Do Us Part, which didn't reach gold but landed #23 on the Billboard 200, Cypress Hill went on a hiatus from recording, enabling its members to focus more on their side projects.

Further Solo Projects & Return of Cypress Hill (2005 - 2010)

In 2005, DJ Muggs teamed up with Wu-Tang Clan's GZA for the album Grandmasters, the first project released on his label Angeles Records. Patterned after a chess game, it received highly positive reviews;^[6] Muggs also announced a Soul Assassins III album, produced jointly by himself and Alchemist, reportedly to be preceded by a record called Cloak & Dagger, also featuring Alchemist.^[7] Instead, Muggs produced an album for Psycho Realm member Sick Jacken, Legend of the Mask and the Assassin two years later, in 2007. In 2008, Muggs announced that his album with California rapper Planet Asia would be the third Soul Assassins album,^[8] but the two released Pain Language later that year as a simple collaboration.

Before the release of his solo album Smoke N Mirrors in 2009, B-Real reported that Cypress Hill has been working on an album for roughly a year. Currently in the mixing phase, Muggs has produced half of the album's material so far, going to DJ Premier, Pete Rock and Mike Shinoda for the rest.^[9] In 2009, Muggs entered the Gumball 3000 cross-country race, and on June 23, 2009, Soul Assassins: Intermission was released, featuring RZA, Prodigy, Evidence, The Alchemist and Bun B.^[10] The first single for the album was "Gangsta Shit," by Bun B and M1 of Dead Prez.^[11] Despite its high-profile guest list, the release was met with lukewarm reception,^[12] and Muggs later clarified its status as a preview before the release of Soul Assassins III, the next full-fledged installment of his Soul Assassins series.^[13] Muggs plans next on recording his 5th V.S. album with group member B-Real.^[14]

On the Soul Assassins Official Website, it was also revealed that Muggs will contribute Production to the new album from rapper Apathy, "Honkey Kong" Due out in early 2011. The Track is Titled "Fear Itself"^[15]

In 2011, Muggs plans on releasing a New Album called "Bass For Your Face" which he describes as a West Coast "Dubstep" Album. Although he says the album will feature an extensive guest list, thus far the only guest named is London Grime MC P-Money. In October of 2011, Muggs confirmed Via his Twitter Account that legendary Public Enemy Frontman Chuck D would contribute to the Album, and the albums lead Single would Feature UK artist Dizee Rascal & Los Angelous Upstart MC Bambu.

Discography

See also: DJ Muggs production discography

Studio album

• 2003: Dust
• 2011: Bass For Your Face

Cypress Hill

For the main article see the Cypress Hill discography.

Vs. Series

• 2005: Grandmasters with GZA
• 2007: Legend of the Mask and the Assassin with Sick Jacken featuring Cynic
• 2008: Pain Language with Planet Asia
• 2010: Kill Devil Hills with Ill Bill
• 2011: West Coast Dubstep Street Sessions with 6BLOCC

Soul Assassins

• 1997: Soul Assassins I
• 2000: Soul Assassins II
• 2009: Soul Assassins: Intermission

Collaboration albums

• 1999: Juxtapose with Tricky & Dame Grease
• 2004: The Last Assassin with Chace Infinite
• 2005: Mash Up Radio (Hip Hop vs. Rock) Vol. 1 with DJ Warrior
• 2005: Mash Up Radio (Hip Hop vs. Rock) Vol. 2 with DJ Warrior
• 2011: Los Angelous, Fillapines with Bambu

References

1. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20091027155210/http://geocities.com/patmil007/feb2589.JPG
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ [2]
4. ^ [3]
5. ^ [4]
6. ^ [5]
7. ^ [6]
8. ^ [7]
9. ^ [8]
10. ^ [9]
11. ^ [10]
12. ^ [11]
13. ^ [12]
14. ^ [13]
15. ^ http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.13246/title.apathy-previews-next-album-honkey-kong-advises-lupe-fiasco

External links

• Official Site
• Interview With HipHopDX

Persondata
Name	Muggs, DJ
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Date of birth	January 28, 1968
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