Justin Gregory Smith (born January 8, 1978), known professionally as Just Blaze, is an American record producer and DJ. Born in Paterson, New Jersey, Smith attended Rutgers University for three years before dropping out to pursue a career in music production.[1][2][3][4][5] He gained recognition as an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the early 2000s, developing the "chipmunk soul" sampling style that was prominent in hip hop during that time.[6][7]
Smith produced Eminem's 2010 single "No Love" and appeared in its accompanying music video. He has composed soundtracks for video games, and was a character in NBA Street Vol. 2. His stage name was inspired by the character Blaze Fielding from the Streets of Rage video game series.[8] Smith founded the record label Fort Knocks Entertainment in 2004, through which he has signed artists including Saigon and Ms. Jade.[9] He was awarded a key to the city by Paterson in July 2018, in recognition of his "outstanding cultural contribution" to his hometown.[10]
^Kuperinsky Amy. "Oh boy: Just Blaze gets key to Paterson, recognition for 'outstanding cultural contribution'", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 1, 2018. Accessed August 8, 2019. "The music producer Just Blaze has been the pride of Paterson for a while, but now he has the key to the city.... Earlier this month, Smith collected his latest accolade when Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh presented him with a key to the city 'for outstanding cultural contribution' and the city council passed a resolution recognizing his achievements."
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