If you listen to hip-hop, the chances are you've heard the work of Hamilton High alum, writer/producer Mike Elizondo. Elizondo has scored an unprecedented string of hits and quickly established himself as one of the premier writer/producers in the hip-hop industry. Working with producing giant Dr. Dre, Elizondo cowrote and produced the hits "Ín Da Club" for 50 Cent and "The Real Slim Shady" for Eminem.
Elizondo's collaboration with Eminem and Dr. Dre doesn't end with "The Real Slim Shady". In total, he cowrote eight songs Eminem's album Encore, four songs for Eminem's The Eminem Show and three songs for The Marshall Mathers LP.
Before the hit songs and the platinum records, Mike Elizondo was just a kid who loved music. The son of a professional musician, Elizondo learned to play the piano at the age of 9, the tenor saxophone at age 12, and the bass guitar at 14. While attending the Hamilton High School Academy of Music, Elizondo met drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. (son of the legendary session bassist), who turned him onto classic jazz, fusion, funk, and R&B. At Hamilton, Mike joined a band called Budahat. The band didn't make it big, but Elizondo made many connections and became an in-demand session bassist, working with producers like T-Bone Burnett and Matt Wallace.
Elizondo's big song writing break came in 1997 when he co-wrote four songs for the Atlantic artist, Poe. Mike's work with Poe opened the door for a publishing deal with producer Steve Lindsey. Soon after he signed the deal, Mike found himself working with Dr. Dre on Eminem's album The Marshall Mathers LP. "The Real Slim Shady" was a hit and The Marshall Mathers LP went on to sell 16 million units and Elizondo never looked back.
Since then, the list of music industry heavyweights the Elizondo has written songs for reads like a who's who of hip-hop R&B and Pop. His collaborations include songs for Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, D-12, Xzibit, Nate Dogg, Macy Gray, Nelly Furtado, Mandy Moore, Obie Trice, Warren G and Truth Hurts.
What's next for this white-hot hitmaker? Says Elizondo "I'd like to continue on my current career path and perhaps eventually start an independently run label with the freedom to develop and record talented artists; I just built my own recording studio. My goal as a musician is to keep growing and improving so I don't have to think about what I'm doing-I'm just reacting to what's going on around me."
Elizondo in the house
Thanks to Mrs. Turley, Mr. E will be featured this week for a "master class" discussion with student members of the Electronic Instrumental Ensemble and the Jazz Bands.
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