Waajeed

Born on the Eastside of Detroit to parents Frances Alberta Davis and Robert O ‘Bryant III, at the age of 14, Waajeed began collaborating as DJ and producer with J Dilla, T3 and Baatin, becoming one of the founding members of the group that would eventually be named Slum Village. In 2002, he founded the Bling47 label with a stated aim to celebrate his hometown & the music emanating from there. Most notably the label was the first to sign future musical titan J Dilla, releasing the 2003 instrumental albums Vol. 1: Unreleased and Vol. 2: Vintage. In 2012 Waajeed launched a new label, Dirt Tech Reck, which has released works by Amp Fiddler, Tiny Hearts, and several of his own works including 2018s From The Dirt LP. In 2015, Waajeed co-founded Underground Music Academy. Extending on Detroit's, "Each One, Teach One" legacy, UMA is a music school that champions social justice values & artistic independence. Waajeed’s work as a musician and community organizer has culminated in his work with UMA, merging his desire to care for the collective with his dedication to artistic precision. His upcoming studio album Memoirs of Hi-Tech Jazz is inspired by revolutionary efforts against oppressive hegemonies in Detroit, and in Black locales around the world, Memoirs of Hi Tech Jazz is a sound score evocative of that resistance. Also a reminder that although violence and injustice looms, it is not the only story: we are much more than what oppresses us.