DJ Snake

DJ Snake

DJ Snake
Background information
Birth name William Sami Etienne Grigahcine
Born (1986-06-13) June 13, 1986
Paris, France
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • DJ
  • record producer
  • rapper
Years active 2009–present
Labels
Associated acts

William Sami Etienne Grigahcine, (better known by his stage name DJ Snake), is a French DJ, record producer and rapper who mixes hip hop and EDM.[1][2][3][4][5]

DJ Snake is a Grammy-nominated producer and artist who debuted into the international scene with singles "Bird Machine" and "Turn Down for What" in 2013.[1][6][7] "Bird Machine" is a collaboration with fellow French act Alesia. The single was picked up by Mad Decent, a Los Angeles-based record label run by Diplo, and released in February 2013. In June 2013, DJ Snake was invited by Diplo to do a live mix on his radio show, "Diplo & Friends", which airs on BBC Radio 1.[8]

DJ Snake was announced to be working on a collaboration with Diplo, originally slated to debut in 2014; it eventually released in 2015 as the single "Lean On" in collaboration with MØ and Diplo's Major Lazer.[9][10][11] On April 30, 2014, DJ Snake was labeled as an "Artist to Watch" by FoxWeekly.[12] He and Dillon Francis were announced as alternating supporting artists for the summer Mothership Tour 2014 with Skrillex.[13]

Early life

DJ Snake was born on June 13, 1986 and grew up in a banlieue district outside Paris, what he describes as a ghetto.[14] He cites French film La Haine as well as hip-hop artists KRS-One and Cypress Hill as early influences. In his youth, DJ Snake produced graffiti art, earning him the moniker "Snake" because he was able to consistently evade the police. Of his name, DJ Snake says “When I started DJing, everyone called me ‘Snake’ in my city first, I was like ‘DJ Snake, OK let’s go for it.’ The name sucks, but it’s too late now.”[14] He started DJing at age 14, and later producing at 20 years old.[15] In his early career, DJ Snake performed at clubs including Les Bains Douches in Paris. In 2005, he met his manager Steve Goncalves, who encouraged DJ Snake to begin creating his own music.[14]

Career

In 2011, DJ Snake produced for Lady Gaga’s album Born This Way. This earned him a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year in February 2012.[16] DJ Snake was co-producer for the song "Government Hooker", which was voted best song by Lady Gaga fans after the release of the album.[17] This song was supposed to be released as a single before Interscope Records decided to stop the marketing of the album after its release. He remixed Kanye West's "New Slaves", AlunaGeorge's "You Know You Like It", Duck Sauce’s "It's You" and Major Lazer's "Bubble Butt".[18][19][20][21] Junior Senior sampled Michael Jackson for their track "Move Your Feet". DJ Snake remixed the song in 2013.[22] In 2013, DJ Snake produced three songs with Paul "DJ White Shadow" Blair on Lady Gaga’s album ARTPOP including "Applause", "Sexxx Dreams", and "Do What U Want".[23][24][25]

DJ Snake and Dillon Francis were alternating supporting artists on the Mothership Tour 2014 with Skrillex.[13] He performed at the 2015 Coachella Music Festival with guest appearances by AlunaGeorge and MØ, who did vocals on "Lean On" with Major Lazer. "Lean On" and DJ Snake's remix of AlunaGeorge's "You Know You Like It" were both top 10 Shazamed songs from Coachella 2015.[26][27]

In October 2015, DJ Snake and fellow electronic producer Tchami were injured in a car crash, causing them both to miss a scheduled stop at Toronto's Monster Mash festival.[28] In January 2016, Forbes named him one of their "30 Under 30 In Music" for the year.[29]

"Turn Down for What"

Main article: Turn Down for What

In December 2013, "Turn Down for What" was released on Columbia Records.[30] The song was featured in a commercial for the Sol Republic DECK, a wireless speaker, which aired in October 2013.[31] "Turn Down for What" entered the top ten of the Billboard Dance/Electronic chart during the last week of December.[32] In January 2014, the single entered the top 5 on the Dance/Electronic chart and debuted No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.[33] The song was certified gold in February 2014 and platinum in March 2014.[34][35] The song reached the top ten of the Hot 100 in April 2014.[36]

The music video for the single was released in March 2014.[37] "Turn Down for What" was nominated for MTV Video Music Awards for Best Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, and the MTV Clubland Award.[38]

"Get Low"

Main article: Get Low

In February 2014, DJ Snake and Dillon Francis released "Get Low" on their official SoundCloud and YouTube pages.

Both "Get Low" and "Turn Down for What" were featured on the Furious 7 motion picture soundtrack. Along with the exposure gained from commercials for Dodge and Taco Bell featuring the song, the inclusion of "Get Low" on the soundtrack helped the song re-enter the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic chart while DJ Snake re-entered the Billboard Artist 100.[39]

"You Know You Like It"

Main article: You Know You Like It

In December 2014, DJ Snake's remix of the AlunaGeorge song "You Know You Like It" was released on Island Records.[40] "You Know You Like It" reached number one on Billboard's Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart and Rhythmic Songs chart in June 2015.[41][42] It peaked at 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.[43] The same month, the Associated Press listed the remix as the 8th most streamed track on Spotify in the United States.[44] In November 2015, the song received RIAA double-platinum certification.[45]

For the remix, DJ Snake used a fusion of European dance music and hip hop beats. It took him about four hours to write. The collaboration was done via the Internet, with the vocals emailed to DJ Snake, who worked in Paris.[46]

"Lean On"

Main article: Lean On

In March 2015 "Lean On", DJ Snake's collaborative track with Major Lazer featuring MØ, was released on Mad Decent.[47] It made it on Billboard's Rhythmic Songs,[48] Mainstream Top 40,[49] Latin Pop Songs,[50] Dance Club Songs,[51] Hot Dance/Electric Songs[52] and Adult Top 40[53] charts. It peaked at 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.[54] In June, Time Magazine named it one of the "Best Songs of 2015 So Far"[55] In September 2015, "Lean On" was named Spotify's global song of the summer. In November 2015, the song surpassed 526 million Spotify plays, making it the service's most streamed song ever.[56]

The video for "Lean On" was released in March 2015.[57] It was shot in India and directed by Tim Erem.[58] Amplify magazine named "Lean On" one of "The Best Videos of 2015".[59] In January 2016, the "Lean On" video reached 1 billion views on YouTube.[60][61]

"Middle"

DJ Snake released his next single "Middle" on October 16, 2015. The song was released by Interscope Records, Mad Decent and Spinnin' Records. It features the vocals from English singer Bipolar Sunshine. The song's accompanying music video premiered on March 16, 2016 on DJ Snake's YouTube account on Vevo.

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
FRA
[62]		 AUS
[63]		 AUT
[64]		 BEL
[65]		 CAN
[66]		 GER
[67]		 NLD
[68]		 UK
[69]		 US
[70]		 US
Dance
[71]
"Turn Down for What"
(with Lil Jon)		 2013 19 13 35 18 11 31 23 23 4 1 Non-album single
"Get Low"
(with Dillon Francis)		 2014 93 44 55 58 48 79 — 88 61 5 Money Sucks, Friends Rule
"You Know You Like It"
(with AlunaGeorge)		 22 11 37 19 21 27 23 67 13 2 Non-album single
"Lean On"
(with Major Lazer featuring MØ)		 2015 2 1 3 2 3 4 1 2 4 1 Peace Is the Mission
"Middle"
(featuring Bipolar Sunshine)[85]		 12 5 48 8 20 49 41 12 20 3
  • ARIA: 2× Platinum[86]
 TBA
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Remixes

2013
2014
2015

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

Year Recipient Category Result
2012 Born This Way (as producer) Album of the Year Nominated
2015 "Turn Down for What" (with Lil Jon) Best Music Video Nominated

MTV Video Music Awards

Year Recipient/Nominated work Award Result
2014 "Turn Down for What" (with Lil Jon) MTV Clubland Award Nominated
Best Direction Won
Best Visual Effects Nominated
Best Art Direction Nominated

Teen Choice Awards

Year Nominated artist and works Award Result
2014 "Turn Down for What" (with Lil Jon) Choice Music: R&B/Hip-Hop Song Nominated

Billboard Music Awards

Year Recipient Award Result
2015 "Turn Down for What" (with Lil Jon) Top Dance/Electronic Song Won

References

  1. 1 2 "Dj Snake". TomorrowWorld.com. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  2. ↑ "DJ Snake & Nostradamus – Pop That Pissy". EDMTunes.com. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  3. ↑ "DJ SNAKE – "I want to make the world dance!"". InTheRedmagazine.com. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  4. ↑ "DJ Snake – The Year of the Snake". Life and Times. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  5. ↑ "On the right track, baby". Time Out. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  6. ↑ "DJ SNAKE ANNOUNCES AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES". Stoney Roads. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  7. ↑ "Imperial ft DJ Snake & Motez". Eventfinder.co.nz. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  8. ↑ "Dj Snake – Diplo & Friends BBC Radio (Guest Mix)". SoundCloud. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  9. ↑ "Dillon Francis & DJ Snake Preview New Track At TomorrowWorld". YourEDM.com. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  10. ↑ "Watch DJ Snake Drop a New Collaboration with Diplo in Chicago". Do Androids Dance?. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  11. ↑ Beauchemin, Molly. "Diplo's Major Lazer Share New Track "Lean On," Featuring MØ and DJ Snake". Pitchfork.com. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "#8. DJ Snake [artist to watch.]". Fox Weekly. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
  13. 1 2 Kevin Rutherford (March 10, 2014). "Skrillex Announces Mothership Tour 2014, New Album (Updated)". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 Ryan Mac (24 August 2015). "Behind The Ears Of DJ Snake, Dance Music's Viral Hitmaker". Forbes Inc. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  15. ↑ Natalie Robehmed (January 6, 2016). "To Daft Punk, 30 Under 30 DJ Snake On What He Leans On". Forbes. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  16. ↑ "DJ Snake". Elektro. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  17. ↑ "Lady Gaga Producer Calls 'Government Hooker' A 'Beast'". MTV News. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  18. ↑ "Major Lazer "Bubble Butt"". Elektro. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  19. ↑ "Alunageorge "You Know You Like It"". Elektro. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  20. ↑ "Duck Sauce "It’s You"". Elektro. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  21. ↑ "Kanye West "New Slaves"". Elektro. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  22. ↑ "Junior Senior "Move Your Feet"". Elektro. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  23. ↑ "Lady Gaga "Applause"". Elektro. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  24. ↑ "Lady Gaga releases ‘Applause,’ sets electronic tone of forthcoming ‘ARTPOP’". Dancing Astronaut. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  25. ↑ "LISTEN TO THE DJ SNAKE PRODUCED TRACK FOR LADY GAGA FEAT. R. KELLY ‘DO WHAT YOU WANT’". Mixjunkies. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  26. ↑ "Coachella 2015: AlunaGeorge, MO surprise fans during DJ Snake’s set". San Bernardino County Sun. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  27. ↑ "Coachella 2015: AlunaGeorge, MO surprise fans during DJ Snake’s set". San Bernardino County Sun. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  28. ↑ "French producers Tchami and DJ Snake have been involved in a serious car accident". Ministry of Sound. Retrieved 7 Nov 2015.
  29. ↑ "Forbes 30 Under 30: Music". Forbes. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  30. ↑ "TURN DOWN FOR WHAT". Beatport. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  31. ↑ "Sol Replic Deck Radio Shack TV Commercial, Feat Lil Wayne and Michael Phelps". Radio Shack. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  32. ↑ Gary Trust (January 3, 2014). "Chart Moves: Imagine Dragons, AWOLNATION Extend Lengthy Hot 100 Stays; Beyonce Bounds At R&B/Hip-Hop Radio; DJ Snake, Lil Jon Debut With 'Turn Down For What'". Billboard. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
  33. ↑ Gordon Murray (December 27, 2013). "DJ Snake, Lil Jon, Katy Perry Power Up Dance Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
  34. ↑ Tyler Trew (4 February 2014). "DJ Snake’s "Turn Down For What" Reaches Gold Status". Your EDM. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 "American certifications: DJ Snake – Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2015-06-10.
  36. ↑ Gary Trust (April 2, 2014). "Pharrell Williams' 'Happy' Holds Atop Hot 100, DJ Snake & Lil Jon Hit Top 10". Billboard Biz. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
  37. ↑ Jason Newman (March 12, 2014). "DJ Snake and Lil Jon's 'Turn Down for What' Video Is Perfect Insanity". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
  38. ↑ Gil Kaufman (July 17, 2014). "2014 MTV Video Music Awards Nominations: Get The Full List". MTV News. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  39. ↑ "Check Out the Top 10 Shazamed Songs of Coachella". SFX Entertainment. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  40. ↑ "DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge - "You Know You Like It"". Complex. 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  41. ↑ Gary Trust (2015-01-06). "Chart Highlights: Taylor Swift Ties Record as 'Bad Blood' Hits Pop Songs Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  42. ↑ Gary Trust (2015-06-29). "Chart Highlights: Taylor Swift Adds Another No. 1, With 'Style'". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  43. ↑ "DJ Snake – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  44. ↑ "Spotify's Top 10 most streamed tracks". Dailymail.co.uk. 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  45. ↑ Cantor, Brian (30 November 2015). "SHAWN MENDES’ "STITCHES," DJ SNAKE & ALUNAGEORGE’S "YOU KNOW YOU LIKE IT" CERTIFIED 2X PLATINUM". headlineplanet.com. Headline Planet. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  46. ↑ "DJ Snake On "You Know You Like It," His Collab with Aluna Francis. «". Radio.com. 2015-07-18. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  47. ↑ "Diplo's Major Lazer Share New Track "Lean On", Featuring MØ and DJ Snake | News". Pitchfork. 2015-03-02. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  48. ↑ "Major Lazer – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  49. ↑ "Major Lazer – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  50. ↑ "Major Lazer – Chart history". Billboard. 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  51. ↑ "Major Lazer – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  52. ↑ "Major Lazer – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  53. ↑ "Major Lazer – Chart history". Billboard. 2015-10-03. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  54. ↑ "Major Lazer – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  55. ↑ "Best Songs of 2015 So Far: TIME Picks". Time.com. 2015-06-25. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  56. ↑ Leight, Elias (11 November 2015). "Major Lazer And DJ Snake's "Lean On" Named Spotify's Most Streamed Song Of All Time". thefader.com. The Fader, Inc. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  57. ↑ "Major Lazer, DJ Snake and MØ Share "Lean On" Music Video From 'Peace Is the Mission' [WATCH] : Buzz". Music Times. 2015-03-23. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  58. ↑ "Major Lazer & DJ Snake – "Lean On" (Feat. MØ) Video + Peace Is The Mission Details". Stereogum. 2015-03-23. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  59. ↑ Frankie Victoria. "The best videos of 2015 ‹ Amplify". Ampthemag.com. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  60. ↑ "Major Lazer’s "Lean On" Music Video Now Has 1 Billion Views on YouTube". Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  61. ↑ "Major Lazer, DJ Snake, MO 'Lean On' Hits 1 Billion YouTube Plays". Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  62. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Discographie DJ Snake". French Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  63. ↑ "Discography DJ Snake". Australian Charts Portal.
  64. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Discographie DJ Snake". Austrian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  65. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "DJ Snake – Chart History: Canadian Hot 100". Belgium (Flanders) Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  66. ↑ "Discografie DJ Snake". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
  67. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Discographie DJ Snake". German Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  68. ↑ Peak chart positions for songs in the Netherlands:
  69. ↑ "DJ Snake > UK Charts". Officialcharts.com/. Official Charts Company.
  70. ↑ "DJ Snake – Chart History: The Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
  71. ↑ "DJ Snake – Chart History: Hot Dance/Electronic Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
  72. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Singles". Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  73. ↑ "Certified Awards". Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  74. ↑ "Sverigetopplistan". Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  75. ↑ "Gold and Platinum Search". Web.archive.org. Retrieved 2014-07-07.
  76. 1 2 "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  77. ↑ Charts, ARIA (July 11, 2015). "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2015 Singles". ARIA. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  78. ↑ "Gold/Platinum". Music Canada.
  79. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (July 11, 2015). "ARIA Singles: Meghan Trainor and John Legend Spend Three Weeks At No 1". Noise11. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  80. ↑ "DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge – You Know You Like It". Ultratop.be. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  81. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (7 November 2015). "ARIA Singles: Adele Earns Platinum Status with 'Hello' at No 1". Noise11. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  82. ↑ "British certifications – Major Lazer ft MO & DJ Snake – Lean On". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 May 2015. Enter Lean On in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Click Search
  83. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank". Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  84. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Major Lazer and DJ Snake featuring MØ – Lean On". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 2015-07-24.
  85. ↑ "Middle (feat. Bipolar Sunshine) – Single by DJ Snake on iTunes". Itunes.apple.com. 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  86. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2016-03-12). "ARIA Singles: Lukas Graham Spends 4th Week at No 1". Noise11. Retrieved 2016-03-12.

External links

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