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R.I.P. Disco D

Hip-hop producer Disco D (born Dave Shayman) was found dead on Tuesday after apparently committing suicide. MTV reported that the 27-year-old producer was bipolar and battled depression.

Shayman got his start in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was involved in the "ghettotech" scene that was combining the city's proud hip-hop heritage with an electronic flair. By the time he graduated from high school, he had already signed to a record label and booked his first residency at a local club.

After relocating to New York several years ago, Disco D got hooked up with 50 Cent, collaborating on The Massacre's "Ski Mask Way." Drawing on his experiences living part-time in Brazil, he helped Kevin Federline flesh out his now-infamous song "Popozao." Recent years brought a feature in Urb, along with other production gigs alongside Lil' Scrappy, Trick Daddy, and Nina Sky.

"I had huge hopes for Disco D and he fulfilled them in every way when he moved to New York and went on to produce tracks like 50 Cent's 'Ski Mask Way,'" said journalist Ethan Brown, who profiled Shayman back in 1998 for Details magazine. "I'm stunned and saddened by the loss of a great friend -- and an incredible producer who had such a promising future ahead of him."

Disco D started a couple of his own labels, GTI Recordings and the Brazilian-focused Gringo Louco. According to his website, he had been working on scores for films and videogames at the time of his death. In his bio, Disco D cited an eclectic range of influences, from Charlie Parker and John Coltrane to 2 Live Crew and GWAR.

"I didn't have any sort of preconceptions about genres," he said. "I just was into what impacted me emotionally."

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
01.25.07