Record producer, rapper, and singer Darius “Deezle” Harrison has made an indelible mark on the music industry. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Deezle’s creative genius and prolific output have earned him widespread acclaim and numerous industry accolades.
Deezle’s journey in music was significantly shaped by his mentor, the legendary jazz saxophonist Donald Harrison, whom he met in 1996. Known for his pioneering work in Omniverse Music multi-genre projects, Harrison has been a crucial influence on Deezle’s approach to music production and composition. Harrison, also a New Orleans native, is renowned for creating the “Nouveau Swing” style of music that merges acoustic jazz with modern dance music.
“Donald opened my mind up. I actually listened to the music and appreciated perfection. He changed the way I listen to, create, and perform music,” stresses Deezle.
Their collaboration extended beyond the studio, contributing to movie scores for films like “Right to Return” and “Rachel Getting Married” by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jonathan Demme. This mentorship not only honed Deezle’s technical skills but also imbued him with a profound understanding of musicality and innovation.
Deezle’s career took a monumental leap with his co-production of Lil Wayne’s hit single “Lollipop,” which earned him a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song (2008) alongside Jim Jonsin. This success led to a series of high-profile collaborations, including co-authoring Drake’s smash hit “In My Feelings” and engineering Chris Brown’s “Gimme That” and “Graffiti.” His work on Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III” album further solidified his reputation, with the album achieving critical and commercial success. Deezle also earned Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album Producer and Best Engineered Rap Album for “Tha Carter III” by Lil Wayne (2008).
Even before his Grammy years, Deezle seemed destined to be a musical trailblazer. At a young age, music became his passion. Before graduating from St. Augustine High School in 1993, he began his journey into the music industry as the Drum Major for the esteemed Marching 100. After high school, he attended Xavier University of Louisiana, majoring in Biology Pre-Med, while founding Drum Major Music. His early career as a sound engineer included credits with top artists such as Destiny’s Child, T.I., and Chris Brown.
Always musical forward, Deezle partnered with Studio Linked Inc. to present DEEZLE VST, a virtual instrument module compatible with both Mac and PC, featuring 78-plus instruments. This software has been integral to his transformative sound.
Over the years, Deezle has sold over 75 million records, showcasing his versatility and expertise in various roles—producer, engineer, and artist. His credits span a wide range of artists and genres, reflecting his ability to adapt and innovate continually.
Deezle continues to push boundaries with his recent projects. His latest single and video release, “Boom Boom,” by Vale ULB, showcases his unbounded creative energy and his ability to infuse various cultures. “Boom Boom,” done in Spanish, has a total international vibe. Additionally, Deezle’s production team, The Box Bangers, is set to release a new album.
Inspired by Harrison’s mentoring of him, Deezle has in turn mentored many. “I came away with a purpose of mentoring and inspiring youth,” he explains. He has been mentoring youth for some 30 years through his own program and foundation that takes him to local high schools to mentor and conduct workshops. He also teaches those he mentors the business side of music. After having to grow through a lawsuit with Cash Money over earnings and credits, Deezle wants to ensure new artists don’t get taken advantage of.
“Many young artists don’t have an understanding of business, contacts, publishing, and what you are trying to get. They don’t have the information,” he explains. “I make sure they have this information.”
On top of this, Deezle is nearly always on the road touring worldwide or in the studio, from continuing to create Omniverse Music multi-genre singles projects with Harrison to crafting music with Vale ULB to promoting his latest album with his production team The Box Bangers, which is a compilation album of artists.
“It is a compilation of artists I am friends with, who I have relationships with from over the years, artists who haven’t really had their big shot. It’s a variety of music, of genres,” says Deezle. “I also sing and rap on the album. It’s a mix of arts, genre, and music styles.”
Deezle is also working on the next sound while reveling in the history of music. Music seems to be the air he breathes.
“Creating music is always fun,” he says. “Being creative is always fun and music is the only thing in life that has been truly reciprocal. If I practice for eight hours, I am at least eight hours better. That’s something that I am grateful for music for.”