DJ Fakts One
Encyclopedia
Fakts One is an American hip hop DJ & producer from Boston, MA. Fakts One is also a member of the hip hop group The Perceptionists
with long-time collaborators Akrobatik
and Mr. Lif
.
Raised in the historic Dudley Square
section of Roxbury, Fakts One grew up surrounded by highly influential local radio & DJs, most notably WILD 1090AM
and local university stations WZBC, WMBR, WRBB, and Emerson College's WERS 88.9FM
where he would spend his collegiate years (1995–1999) in Emerson's undergrad program.
, 2000). From that point on Fakts One's beats were a staple in the Boston scene, providing the soundscape for Mr. Lif's Cro-Magnon single which resulted in his first Kahlua Boston Music Award
.
From 2002 on Fakts One remained a staple in Mr. Lif's studio & performance work, but saw his production start to branch out more, contributing beats and laying down scratches to many artists releases including Akrobatik, BreezEvahflowin, Chan, Reks, and CRayz Walz. He also toured as the show DJ for Boston hip hop legend Edo G and began laying the groundwork for what would become his first album, Long Range. In 2005, Mr. Lif, Akrobatik, and DJ Fakts One made their constant collaborations official to form The Perceptionists, who released Black Dialogue
(Definitive Jux
, 2005). The Fakts One produced song "Let's Move" was featured in the EA
video games Need For Speed: Most Wanted
and NBA Live 06
. Also, a cover of "Five O'Clock" is Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2
. His tracks have also been featured in the television programs Cold Case and The Wire.
During the recording process of Black Dialogue, Fakts inked his own album deal with Coup D'eTat Records. While touring in 2004 and 2005 he spent much of his time on the road in the studio. Coup D'eTat was poised to release Fakts One's Long Range shortly after Black Dialogue, but disbanded due to financial pressure before the album could reach press. The NY-based label Nature Sounds eventually released Long Range in 2008 to critical acclaim.
After disappearing for years, he's recently resurfaced with his 2011 instrumental project The Chop Shop, released exclusively as a free digital download.
The Perceptionists
The Perceptionists are an American hip hop group on the Definitive Jux label. The group is made up of MCs Akrobatik and Mr Lif, along with DJ Fakts One. They hail from Boston, Massachusetts...
with long-time collaborators Akrobatik
Akrobatik
Akrobatik is a rapper from the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. He has collaborated numerous times with many fellow Boston rappers , and recently formed a hip hop collective named The Perceptionists with Mr. Lif and DJ Fakts One....
and Mr. Lif
Mr. Lif
Mr. Lif is an American hip hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts. Often noted for his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on El-P's Definitive Jux label and one on Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises. Mr...
.
Raised in the historic Dudley Square
Dudley Square
Dudley Square is the primary commercial center of the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located at the intersection of Dudley Street and Washington Street...
section of Roxbury, Fakts One grew up surrounded by highly influential local radio & DJs, most notably WILD 1090AM
WILD (AM)
WILD 1090 AM is a radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. It broadcasts on 1090 kHz and airs programming from China Radio International under a lease agreement...
and local university stations WZBC, WMBR, WRBB, and Emerson College's WERS 88.9FM
WERS
In June 2007, WERS inaugurated a translator station on 96.5 MHz in New Bedford, Massachusetts, relaying WERS's programming to New Bedford and nearby communities...
where he would spend his collegiate years (1995–1999) in Emerson's undergrad program.
History
At Emerson College Fakts One became a key figure in the thriving Boston underground hip hop scene. As a DJ on WERS FM he was responsible for breaking many local and national records, quickly gaining a reputation as one of the premier hip hop radio shows on the East Coast. In 1998 Fakts started working with Mr. Lif as his show & studio DJ touring the Northeast promoting his first single, Elektro. Being exposed to so many artists, Fakts eventually started dabbling in production, learning what he could from artists and making use of Emerson's top of the line facilites. The first song he produced was The Flow, a B-side on Akrobatik's Internet MC's 12" (Rawkus RecordsRawkus Records
Rawkus Records is an American hip-hop record label known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Rawkus started in 1996 with initial releases ranging from hip-hop to drum and bass...
, 2000). From that point on Fakts One's beats were a staple in the Boston scene, providing the soundscape for Mr. Lif's Cro-Magnon single which resulted in his first Kahlua Boston Music Award
Kahlua Boston Music Awards
The Boston Music Awards is an annual set of music awards that showcase talent in the Boston, Massachusetts area. The awards were founded in 1987 and were presented as part of the annual NEMO Music Showcase and Conference until that event's final presentation in 2006...
.
From 2002 on Fakts One remained a staple in Mr. Lif's studio & performance work, but saw his production start to branch out more, contributing beats and laying down scratches to many artists releases including Akrobatik, BreezEvahflowin, Chan, Reks, and CRayz Walz. He also toured as the show DJ for Boston hip hop legend Edo G and began laying the groundwork for what would become his first album, Long Range. In 2005, Mr. Lif, Akrobatik, and DJ Fakts One made their constant collaborations official to form The Perceptionists, who released Black Dialogue
Black Dialogue
Black Dialogue is the debut full-length album by hip hop group The Perceptionists, released on March 22, 2005 on Definitive Jux. The song "Let's Move" was featured in the EA video games Need For Speed: Most Wanted and NBA Live 06, and 'Party Hard' was featured on EA's Skate 3 and DLC for DJ Hero 2...
(Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux is an independent record label based in New York City, United States. It was co-founded in 1999 by Jaime Meline and Amaechi Uzoigwe. The label was initially known simply as Def Jux, but in 2001, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the name similarity...
, 2005). The Fakts One produced song "Let's Move" was featured in the EA
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
video games Need For Speed: Most Wanted
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Need for Speed: Most Wanted is a racing video game developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts. It is the tenth installment in the Need for Speed series. The game features street racing-oriented game play, with certain customization options from the Need for Speed: Underground series...
and NBA Live 06
NBA Live 06
NBA Live 06 is a 2005 installment of the NBA Live series released on the Xbox 360, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, PC, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2 Mobile. It was developed by EA Sports. The game features several game modes, including Dynasty, Season, Playoffs, or Free Play...
. Also, a cover of "Five O'Clock" is Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2
Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2
Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2, called in Japan, was announced by Konami on May 15, 2008 as part of the 10th anniversary of Dance Dance Revolution celebration. Hottest Party 2 features the same gameplay as the first Hottest Party and introduces new gameplay modes, gimmicks, characters and...
. His tracks have also been featured in the television programs Cold Case and The Wire.
During the recording process of Black Dialogue, Fakts inked his own album deal with Coup D'eTat Records. While touring in 2004 and 2005 he spent much of his time on the road in the studio. Coup D'eTat was poised to release Fakts One's Long Range shortly after Black Dialogue, but disbanded due to financial pressure before the album could reach press. The NY-based label Nature Sounds eventually released Long Range in 2008 to critical acclaim.
After disappearing for years, he's recently resurfaced with his 2011 instrumental project The Chop Shop, released exclusively as a free digital download.