DVLP
DVLP in 2013
Background information
Birth nameBigram John Zayas
Also known asDevelop
Born (1978-07-11) July 11, 1978 (age 45)
New York City, New York, USA
Genres
Occupation(s)
Years active1994–present

Bigram John Zayas (born July 11, 1978), professionally known as DVLP or Develop, is an American record producer, songwriter and disc jockey (DJ). Hailing from New York City, DVLP initially embarked on his career in music as one-half of the production team Doe Boys, alongside his cousin Matthew "Filthy" Delgiorno. Working primarily in the hip hop, pop, and Latin genres, he has produced over 25 songs for American rapper Lil Wayne, including the songs "Fireman" (2005) and "Blunt Blowin" (2011). In 2013, he gained major recognition when he produced the Eminem single "Rap God", which went on to reach number seven on the US ’’Billboard’’ Hot 100 chart.

Early life

Zayas was born in New York City.[1] He never had any formal musical training, although his family is involved in music.[2] He first started DJing at the age of 11, using house and freestyle records. He went on to make mixtapes and perform at high school parties.[2]

Career

Turntablism

While traveling around the world as a founding member of the turntablist collective The Allies (which also included Craze, J-Smoke, Spictakular, Infamous, A-Trak and Klever), he went by the moniker Develop. His emphasis was on beat juggling.[1][2] In 1998, he won the ITF Beat Juggling Championship, defeating Total Eclipse of The X-Ecutioners in the finals.[3] In 1999, he won the ITF Team Championship, and he was runner-up at the New York DMC Regional in 1998.[2] In 2000, The Allies released an EP, D-Day.[2]

Beginnings in Production

In 2000, DVLP decided to end his career as a competitive DJ, in order to focus on producing and songwriting.[4] Shortly afterwards, he began collaborating with Filthy (his cousin, Matthew Delgiorno). The duo were known as the Doe Boys.[4] After taking a few years off to hone his production skills,[2] his first major production work was on the 2004 Grafh song "Damage is Done." He went on to produce four tracks on Juelz Santana's What the Game's Been Missing! (2005), also assisting with recording and engineering.[1]

DVLP has gone on to write and produce for Shells, The Diplomats (aka Dipset), Kelly Rowland, Fabolous, Cam'ron, DJ Clue?, Fat Joe, Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, John Legend and others.[1][2][4][5]

Work with Lil Wayne

DVLP started working with Lil Wayne in 2005, after Juelz Santana introduced them at his studio.[6][7] The Doe Boys produced three tracks on Tha Carter II, including the album's lead single, "Fireman,"[4] which reached #10 on the Billboard Rap chart[8] and #32 on the Billboard Hot 100.[9] "Fireman" was Lil Wayne's first single following his split from former producer Mannie Fresh.[10] After Tha Carter II, DVLP continued working with Lil Wayne;[10] he has produced over 25 songs for him through 2013.

In 2011, he dropped the vowels from his moniker and became DVLP.[11] That year, for Tha Carter IV, he produced "Blunt Blowin," which reached #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.[12] Lil Wayne recorded the track on his first day back in the studio after being released from prison.[13] Other notable tracks DVLP has produced for Lil Wayne include "What's Wrong With Them" featuring Nicki Minaj, from 2010's I Am Not a Human Being,[14] and "Beat The Shit" featuring Gunplay, from the 2013 album I Am Not a Human Being II.[15]

Work with Eminem

DVLP produced Eminem's "Rap God", released October 15, 2013, as the third single off The Marshall Mathers LP 2.[16] DVLP first created the track in 2011, without any particular artist in mind. His manager, Stephen Hacker of Hebrew Hustle, sent the track to Eminem in 2012 after Eminem's management team reached out to Hacker for tracks for his upcoming album. DVLP has since said that he can't imagine any other rapper on the track.[17][18] The song, about Eminem's history and the rappers who have inspired him,[19] was praised as being in line with the quality of Eminem's best offerings.[19][20][21][22] It reached #1 on the Billboard Rap chart[23] and #7 on the Hot 100 charts.[24] At the inaugural YouTube Music Awards in 2013, Eminem shot a live video for "Rap God."[17] An official music video for the song, shot in Detroit, was released in November 2013.[25]

Pop Work

DVLP has collaborated with producer RedOne on records by a variety of pop artists. They co-produced Paulina Rubio's 2012 single "Me Gustas Tanto,"[26] which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart[27] and #2 on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs chart;[28] and Pitbull's 2012 single "Get It Started" featuring Shakira,[29] which reached #28 on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs chart,[30] #89 on the Billboard Hot 100,[31] and was certified gold in Canada.[32] In 2011, as a member of the DJ duo The WAV.s (with Bilal the Chef), DVLP worked on Enrique Iglesias's single "I Like How It Feels" featuring Pitbull,[33] which reached #1 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs chart,[34] #74 on the Billboard Hot 100,[35] and was certified platinum in Canada[36] and gold in Australia.[37] DVLP and Bilal the Chef were featured in the song's video, directed by Iglesias.[33]

In 2010, DVLP formed the band Mad Ave Boys, now known as Dameht, producing their debut EP Electric Tape. He also played bass and synth on the release.[38]

Reggaeton

Around 2015, DVLP began producing Latin music for artists including Fuego, J Balvin, Justin Quiles, Matt Hunter and Jencarlos Canela.[39] He produced two songs on J Balvin's album Energia, which reached number 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart[40] and won Best Urban Music Album at the 2016 Latin Grammy Awards.[41] DVLP also produced "Ay Mi Dios" by IAmChino, Pitbull, Yandel and Chacal, which reached number 1 on the Billboard Latin Airplay and Tropical Airplay charts.[42]

Transcend.ent

In 2017, DVLP launched the record label and management company Transcend.ent, which is partnered with Universal Music Group. Their first signing was Matt Hunter.[43]

Looplabs

DVLP is a partner in Looplabs, a cloud-based music studio collaborative allowing musicians to create and share tracks and compositions. In 2016, Looplabs partnered with Beatport to provide loops, sounds and samples to Looplabs users with Beatport accounts, and to allow these users to publish tracks to Beatport's streaming platform.[44]

Discography

Production Discography

Year Artist Album Songs Details
2004 The Diplomats Diplomatic Immunity 2 "Stop-N-Go" ft. Cam'ron & JR Writer Producer, Writer
Grafh Black Hand America "Damage is Done" Producer, Writer
2005 Lil Wayne Tha Carter II "Fireman"
"Hit 'Em Up"
"Feel Me" 		Producer, Writer
The Diplomats The Diplomats Present: Dipset More Than Music Vol. 1 "Santana's Town Part 2" ft. Juelz Santana
"So What's It Gonna Be" ft. Juelz Santana & Fabolous 		Producer, Writer
Juelz Santana What The Game's Been Missing! "Intro"
"Gangsta Shit"
"Freaky"
"Make It Work For Ya" ft. Lil Wayne & Young Jeezy 		Producer, Writer
2006 DJ Clue? The Professional 3 "Clear The Scene" ft. Lil Wayne, Rick Ross & Ransom
"Fuck Off" ft. Young Jeezy & Juelz Santana 		Producer, Writer
JR Writer History in the Making "My Life"
"Grill Em"
"Byrd Call" ft. Cam'ron & Lil Wayne
"Stomp"
"The Heist" 		Producer, Writer
Young Dro Best Thang Smokin' "100 Yard Dash" Producer, Writer
Cam'ron Killa Season "Man Up" ft. JR Writer Producer, Writer
DJ Khaled Listennn... the Album "MIA" ft. Lil Wayne Producer, Writer
2007 Cash Money Millionaires 10 Years of Bling Vol. 1 "The Only Reason" ft. Lil Wayne, T Streets & Sizzla Producer, Writer
2008 Lil Wayne The Leak "Talk About It" Producer, Writer
2010 Lil Wayne I Am Not a Human Being "What's Wrong With Them" ft. Nicki Minaj Producer, Writer
Kid Sister Fools Gold Vol. 1 (compilation) "Don't Stop Movin" Producer, Writer
Mad Ave Boys Electric Tape (EP) "Gonzo"
"Dance Tonight"
"Police State"
"Pink Gun" 		Producer, Bass, Synth
2011 Lil Wayne Tha Carter IV "Blunt Blowin" Producer, Writer
Paulina Rubio Brava! / Bravísima! "Me Gustas Tanto"
"Say the Word" 		Producer, Writer
2012 Rick Ross God Forgives, I Don't "Rich Forever" ft. John Legend Producer, Writer
Pitbull Global Warming "Get It Started" ft. Shakira Producer, Writer
2013 Lil Wayne I Am Not a Human Being II "Beat The Shit" ft. Gunplay Producer, Writer
Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP 2 "Rap God" Producer, Writer
2015 Lil Wayne Free Weezy Album "Post Bail Ballin'" Producer, Writer
Pitbull Dale "El Party" ft. Micha
"Mami Mami" ft. Fuego
"No Puedo Mas" ft. Yandel 		Co-Producer, Writer
Matt Hunter "Mas Que Tu Amigo" Co-Producer, Writer
Dougie F "On Purpose" ft. Pitbull & 40 Cobras Producer, Writer
2016 IAmChino "Ay Mi Dios" ft. Yandel, Pitbull and El Chacal Producer, Writer
Justin Quiles La Promesa "Si Ella Quisiera" Producer, Writer
J Balvin Energia "Veneno"
"Snapchat" 		Producer, Writer
Fuego Fireboy Forever II "Me Voy"
"Cien" 		Producer
2017 Matt Hunter "Amor Real" Producer, Writer
Jencarlos Canela "Dure Dure" Producer, Writer
2018 Anitta "Indecente" Producer, Writer
Sharlene, Fuego "Me Siento Bien" Producer, Writer
Matt Hunter, Lele Pons "Dicen" Producer, Writer
C. Tangana "Bien Duro" Producer, Writer
Jesse Baez, Fuego "Grasa" Producer, Writer
Juanes "Pa Dentro" Producer, Writer
Fuego Libre: Fireboy Forever "Flex"
"Fireboy Live"
"Reconoce"
"Gold Rush"
"Como Yo" 		Producer, Writer
Lele Pons "Celoso" Producer, Writer
Fuego, Nicky Jam "Good Vibes" Co-Producer, Writer
2023 Jackson Wang & Ciara Non-album single "Slow" Producer, Writer

Non-Commercial Release Discography

References

  1. ^ a b c d Ben Detrick, “Develop: Lil Wayne ‘Fireman’,” Scratch, May/June 2006.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Bernard Hacker, “Beat Juggler,” Elemental, June 2006, Issue #74.
  3. ^ DJ Fatfingaz, “Throwback Thursdays: DJ Develop (The Allies) & DJ Total Eclipse (X-Men) ITF 1998 Beat Juggling Championship,” thatsenuff.com, October 18, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d Paul W. Arnold, “Doe Boys: Temperature’s Rising,” XXL, April 2006.
  5. ^ Anthony Osei, “Tracklist: Rick Ross ‘Rich Forever’,” Complex, January 5, 2012.
  6. ^ “Will Lil Wayne Really Retire After Tha Carter V?” Archived 2013-10-21 at archive.today VH1, March 29, 2013.
  7. ^ Kai Acevedo, "Check The Credits: DVLP Speaks On Producing for Eminem, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, and More," Life + Times, July 14, 2014.
  8. ^ Lil Wayne, “Fireman,” Chart History, Rap Songs, Billboard. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  9. ^ Lil Wayne, “Fireman,” Chart History, Hot 100, Billboard. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  10. ^ a b Rob Markman, “Lil Wayne, Gunplay Get ‘A Little Aggressive’ On Human Being II,” MTV, March 26, 2013.
  11. ^ DVLP, AllMusic. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  12. ^ Lil Wayne, “Blunt Blowin,” Chart History, Hot 100, Billboard. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  13. ^ “Meet Lil Wayne’s New Producers,” XXL, September 2, 2011.
  14. ^ “Lil Wayne – What’s Wrong With Them Lyrics,” genius.com. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  15. ^ “Lil Wayne Did ‘His Thing’ On ‘Beat The Sh—‘,” MTV, March 26, 2013.
  16. ^ “New Music: Eminem – ‘Rap God’,” Rap-Up, October 14, 2013.
  17. ^ a b Emmanuel C.M., "Producer DVLP Thinks Eminem Is The Only One Who Could Handle The 'Rap God' Beat," XXL, November 4, 2013.
  18. ^ Rob Markman, "Eminem Thanks 'Rap God' Producer For One Of The 'Illest Beats' He's Heard," MTV News, October 23, 2013.
  19. ^ a b Kory Grow, “Eminem Declares Himself a ‘Rap God’,” Rolling Stone, October 14, 2013.
  20. ^ “Eminem – Rap God,” djbooth.net. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  21. ^ Per Lijas, “Eminem’s New ‘Rap God’ is Divine,” Time, October 15, 2013.
  22. ^ Jim Farber, “Eminem’s ‘Rap God’ is throwback to rapper’s playful prime: music review,” New York Daily News, October 15, 2013.
  23. ^ Eminem, “Rap God,” Chart History, Rap Songs, Billboard. Accessed November 6, 2013.
  24. ^ Eminem, “Rap God,” Chart History, Hot 100, Billboard. Accessed November 6, 2013.
  25. ^ B.J. Hammerstein, "Eminem offers rare look inside his world as release of 'MMLP2' nears," Detroit Free Press, November 5, 2013.
  26. ^ “Paulina Rubio – Bravisima!” Discogs. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  27. ^ Paulina Rubio, “Me Gustas Tanto,” Chart History, Hot Latin Songs, Billboard. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  28. ^ Paulina Rubio, “Me Gustas Tanto,” Chart History, Latin Pop Songs, Billboard. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  29. ^ “Pitbull Featuring Shakira – Get It Started,” Discogs. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  30. ^ Pitbull, “Get It Started,” Chart History, Latin Pop Songs, Billboard. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  31. ^ Pitbull, “Get It Started,” Chart History, The Hot 100, Billboard. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  32. ^ “Get It Started,” Gold Platinum Database, Music Canada. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  33. ^ a b “Enrique Iglesias featuring The WAV.s and Pitbull – I Like How it Feels,” Archived 2013-10-21 at the Wayback Machine Music Joining Apparel, October 1, 2011.
  34. ^ Enrique Iglesias Featuring Pitbull & The WAV.s, “I Like How It Feels,” Dance/Club Play Songs, Billboard. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  35. ^ Enrique Iglesias Featuring Pitbull & The WAV.s, “I Like How It Feels,” The Hot 100, Billboard. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  36. ^ “I Like How It Feels,” Archived 2013-10-21 at the Wayback Machine Gold Platinum Database, Music Canada. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  37. ^ ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2011 Singles, Archived May 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine ARIA. Accessed October 17, 2013.
  38. ^ “Bigram Zayas: Developing the Sounds of Tomorrow,” Archived 2013-10-21 at the Wayback Machine Rap Dose, March 2, 2011.
  39. ^ Isabelia Herrera, "J Blavin's 'Energia': The Artists, Songwriters, and Producers," Remezcla.com, July 27, 2016.
  40. ^ J Balvin Chart History, Billboard. Accessed February 19, 2018.
  41. ^ "Latin Grammy Winners 2016: Complete List," Billboard, November 18, 2016.
  42. ^ IAmChino Chart History, Billboard. Accessed February 19, 2018.
  43. ^ "Matt Hunter Signs Contract With Universal Music Latin Entertainment," boomonline.com, February 15, 2017.
  44. ^ Leila Cobo, "Looplabs Teams with Beatport for Sounds and Streaming, Eyes Emerging Markets," Billboard, January 21, 2016.

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