American radio executive and record producer
Damion "Damizza" Young |
|---|
 |
| Born | Damion Young
|
|---|
| Other names | Damizza[2] |
|---|
| Years active | 1986-Present[3] |
|---|
| Notable work | Where I Wanna Be |
|---|
Damion Young (born 1974), also known as Damizza, is an American radio executive, record producer, artist and author.[4]
Biography
Young began his career as a studio assistant at the age of 12, where Young went on to popularize numerous artists while working at Santa Barbara’s KHTY station, including Fiona Apple, Garbage and Hootie & the Blowfish, and later served as the head of Los Angeles’ Power 106 and New York’s Hot 97.[5]
Young would later go on to produce Crybaby (Mariah Carey song) featuring Snoop Dogg.[6] Young, has also worked with Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Korn.[7]
Young would later go on to produce for artists Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Lil Wayne and Ludacris, and claims a hand in the reunion of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and the resulting 2001 (a.k.a. Chronic 2001).[8]
Young was named the 4th most powerful person in hip-hop by The Source magazine 2 years after being named program director Power 106, after he helped Jay-Z find an international audience, helped Janet Jackson rekindle her career, helped Dr. Dre with advice on 'how to break the white kid from Detroit' and introduced the world to Eminem.[9]
He completed working with J. Marshall Craig on a book on his life, Guilty By Association, which is scheduled for release sometime late-2011 after two years of delays over legal issues and made some public appearances at various California universities and colleges discussing the book and his life as a radio prodigy-turned hip-hop producer and performer. When Damizza was asked to give a brief insight to his book he said "A kid from a small town with a dream.. That never took no for an answer, made his dreams come true and did it his way. (With a Lil help from his grannie)".[10]
In 2023 Damion "Damizza" Young was included in Marquis Who's Who.[11]
