Salaam Remi

To some, the name Salaam Remi may only sound vaguely familiar, but the music the prolific producer has helped create has inevitably soundtracked your night out at the club, your favorite concert or a night with your special someone. Look for Remi, and you'll most likely find him holed up in the studio, crafting another track that would soon embed itself in your brain for years to come. Having produced everyone from Nas and The Fugees to Amy Winehouse and Ricky Martin, there's no particular "Remi sound." There is, however, a reason why so many Grammy winners, innovators and legends claw at the chance to work with him nearly 20 years after his first production. Unlike other producers whose range is limited to a single musical style, Remi's talents transcend genre. One day, you might find him working on a soul or hip-hop album. The next day, a Latin or pop record. For Remi, genre is trumped by work ethic and his gifted ear. It's also the reason why directors like Brett Ratner and Michael Patrick King have hand-picked him to Executive music produce their blockbusters (Rush Hour 3 and Sex and the City, respectively.) It wasn't enough to be one of the most sought-after producers in the music industry. Now he's one of the most sought after in Hollywood. Like any of his production work, Remi's work ethic on films is unparalleled, with the producer sitting through every mix, every meeting and every edit while simultaneously discussing the project with composers, editors and directors. In addition to heading up all music duties on Sex and the City, the versatile producer recently finished scoring an upcoming documentary on Mike Tyson. And like Tyson, the potential of Remi was seen at a very early age. With a jazz musician father and uncles, a singing mother and aunts, and a pastor grandfather. At the age of 3, Remi could play drums in local music stores with his family, playing in rhythm while his peers would simply bang away aimlessly. Surrounded by hip-hop in his hometown of New York, Remi would immerse himself in music, learning drum machines and keyboards before graduating to 4-tracks and samplers. As the record-carrier for legendary DJ Chuck Chillout alongside Funkmaster Flex, and getting production tips from Marley Marl, Remi constantly created demos and remixes before producing his first album with hip-hop group Zhigge's 1992 debut. With beat shopping and chopping quickly taking over his life, the producer took an extended break from college to focus on music full-time and, 20 years and countless hits later, things look like they're working out.