MIKE DEAN

Mike Dean is one of the most crucial and prolific behind-the-scenes figures in hip-hop history. An all-purpose engineer, composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, the native Texan has been critical to the early development of rap music from his home state and the South at large, evidenced most visibly by his chart-topping 1990s work with Scarface, as well as the rise and sustained prominence of postmillennial stars such as Kanye West and Travis Scott. Due to his work with West, Dean has won seven Grammys, highlighted by three Best Rap Album awards. Additionally, his work spans genres, with Beyoncé, Coldplay, Madonna, and Christina Aguilera all having worked with him. Roughly 40 years after his professional career began in earnest as the keyboardist behind a pre-fame Selena, Dean started releasing his own projects. Ranging from 4:20 (2020) to 425 (2025), they consist of primarily instrumental electronic music.