[Dynagroove] RIP Disco D

[Amy Ricketts]

I can't believe he's gone...  we went to the University of Michigan at the
same time, he used to rock a basement party like no other.

Will SOMEBODY PLEASE play "You Need Another Drink" in his honor this weekend?

Amy Ricketts

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Dave Shayman (aka Disco D) 1980-2007

http://www.urb.com/permalink/243/Dave-Shayman-(aka-Disco-D)-1980-2007.htm

Posted Tuesday, January 23, 2007 @ 02:00 in Events by Joshua Glazer

Dave Shayman (aka Disco D) 1980-2007

Dave Shayman (aka Disco D) was found dead this morning of an apparent
suicide. He was 26 years old.

The Michigan-bred, New York-based producer—who was best known for his work
with 50 Cent — began his career at the age of 16 in the college town of
Ann Arbor, MI. Having discovered the then unnamed Detroit ghettotech scene
via artists such as DJ Assault and DJ Godfather, the still in high school
Shayman dove head first into the music scene, scoring his first residency
at age 17, at Ann Arbor's The Blind Pig before he could even legally enter
the venue. He began releasing music soon after signing his first record
deal before graduation with Bad Boy Bill's Muzik/Mixconnection label.

Shayman remained in Ann Arbor after high school to attend the University
of Michigan Ross School of Business, starting his own label, GTI
Recordings his sophomore year. It was around this time that ghettotech's
popularity began to peak, with Shayman appearing on several magazine
covers. He issued his first major label release, "A Night at the Booty
Bar" on Tommy Boy in 2003.

After college, Shayman moved to New York and began a successful career as
a producer with a diverse pallette of urban sounds. He produced "Ski Mask
Way" on 50 Cent's multi-platinum The Massacre and the notorious Kevin
Federline track, "Popozoa" which benefited from Shayman's connection to
the Brazilian baile funk sound (he lived in Brazil part-time) but he also
continued to collaborate with underground acts such as Spank Rock and the
Brazilian group, BRAZA, who record for Shayman's Gringo Louco label.
Shayman was also a perpetual business man, creating and licensing music
for commercials and video games. He even oversaw the marketing for aLeda,
a line of transparent rolling papers.

Shayman fought manic-depression for much of his adult life. He told URB in
April of 2006, "It got to the point where I tried to kill myself. It was
bad."

In 2001, I drove Shayman and another Detroit DJ to an event in
Indianapolis, Indiana where he was scheduled to play. Still in college,
Dave sat in the back seat of the rental car, smoking a foul dollar cigar
and reading an economics textbook with a portable reading light. An hour
later, he was cutting and scratching ghettotech classics like "Ass 'N
Titties" to the collected ravers. This mix of high-minded business and
down low funk made him a successful producer. It's unfortunate that
despite his incredible talent, his disease kept him from finding
contentment.

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Services will be held later this week in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Please call
Dave's family (202-246-8737) for information.

You can also post your respects to http://www.myspace.com/gringolouco