Cut Chemist - Biography
Cut Chemist is a DJ and producer known for his solo work and as a founding member of Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli. He has also released a series of highly acclaimed mix CDs with DJ Shadow, including Brainfreeze and Product Placement.
Born Lucas MacFadden, he began DJing at 11 years and started recording music with friends at age 14. In the early '90s, Cut Chemist was part of a seven-man group (along with Chali 2na and Mark 7even) called the Unity Committee which frequented and performed at The Good Life Cafe, a Hip-Hop gathering place on Thursday nights in South Central Los Angeles. Jurassic 5 was born out of The Good Life Cafe in 1993 and featured Cut Chemist, Chali 2na, Mark 7even, Akil, Soup (aka Zaakir), and DJ Nu-Mark. Considered part of the alternative Hip-Hop movement, Jurassic 5 released their first album in 1997, Jurassic 5 EP (Rumble Records), an album which Cut Chemist co-produced and included his instrumental track, "Lesson 6: The Lecture." J5 released four full-length albums, including 2006's Feedback (Interscope) on which Cut Chemist did not appear, before disbanding in 2007. After a nearly seven year hiatus, Jurassic 5 announced a summer reunion tour in 2013, beginning with the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
In 1995, while still a member of J5, Cut Chemist helped found Ozomatli, a ten-piece band which also included his J5 bandmate Chali 2na and combined Hip-Hop, Latin, reggae, and rock. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1998 on Almo Sounds, followed by 2001's Embrace the Chaos (Interscope) and 2004's Street Signs (Concord).
Cut Chemist eventually left both J5 and Ozomatli to pursue a solo career, beginning with the 2006 album, The Audience's Listening (Warner Bros). In 2007, he joined Shakira on her European tour, combining world music with a cut ‘n’ scratch audio visual presentation. In 2008, Cut Chemist co-headlined the Hollywood Bowl with his longtime friend and collaborator, DJ Shadow. They also embarked on a year-long tour supporting their latest mix CD, The Hard Sell. In 2010, Cut Chemist released Sound of the Police on his own imprint, A Stable Sound, created using only one turntable, a mixer, a loop pedal and original vinyl pressings.
In addition to his musical career, Cut Chemist has also appeared in film, including Juno (2007), Jennifer's Body (2009), and Up in the Air (2009). He was also featured in the 2009 documentary This Is The Life about The Good Life Cafe.
Note: Cut Chemist's last selection - Persuasive Percussion Rhythms - is very rare and we couldn't find an audio sample from it. Instead we used "Mithra Plane 2" by Ronn Forella, who we believe was involved with the Persuasive Percussion album, from his 1975 album Ronn Forella...Moves!.