Sound Arts – Music Production: From Conception to Completion

Rick Rock hosted by Michael Denten

Wednesday, April 28th

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
East End Stage

Rick RockRap/Music Producer
Rick Rock doesn’t have a marquee name like Dr. Dre, Timbaland, the Neptunes, or Scott Storch, even though he was one of the most reliable and employed West Coast rap producers of his time. Based in the California Bay Area and aligned closely with E-40, Rock began earning major credits in 1996, when he contributed tracks to both 2Pac’s All Eyez on Me and 40’s Hall of Game. In the years to follow, he cranked out productions mainly for West Coast rappers like Keak da Sneak, Spice 1, and Xzibit. However, he also worked with mainstream artists like Will Smith, Fabolous, and Method Man. He eventually signed a contract with Virgin Records to present a group of his own, Federation. The group debuted in 2003, releasing the single “Hyphy,” whose title would soon become the common stylistic tag for Bay Area rap of the E-40 variety.

Michael DentenMusician/Producer/Engineer/Conductor
Michael Denten has been a fixture on the music scene for nearly three decades as a musician, record producer, recording engineer, mixer, mastering engineer and conductor. In his recording studio, Infinite Studios, Alameda CA, Michael has mixed, recorded, produced, and mastered records for such notables as the Whispers, Bobby Brown, The Fray, The Killers, Irene Cara, MC Hammer, E-40, Rick Rock, Walter Hawkins, Tony! Toni! Tone!, En Vogue, Backstreet Boys, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru, Giovanni Hidalgo, 2Pac, Luniz, Spice 1, Digital Underground, Braxton Brothers, Patti Austin, San Quinn, Too Short, The Team, The Jacka and countless other artist and musicians.  His recordings have garnered multiple Gold and Platinum status and he has been the recipient of numerous music industry awards.

Presented by Ex’pression College’s Industry & Career Services