Profile - DJ Toomp

Before Jermaine Dupri went So So Def, Lil Jon really started getting crunk and Jazze Pha got deep into his produc-shizzle, Atlanta native DJ Toomp was laying the groundwork for all of A-Town's commercially acclaimed producers.

At age 5, DJ Toomp had dreams of being a singer while idolizing one of the biggest names in music. "Of course, a lot of people won't admit it, but I wanted to be like Michael Jackson at that time."

After hearing some mix tapes from New York, dreams of being a singer transformed into local DJing with eventual aspirations of being a producer as he progressively learned about the various aspects of the music industry.

Toomp took his first stab at studio production in 1985 at age 16 working with Raheem the Dream. Since then, the hip-hop pioneer has evolved into a highly sought-after track master with production credits on tunes by the 2 Live Crew, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, Young Jeezy, Ludacris and Boyz N Da Hood to his name.

Recently crowned the 2006 Southern Entertainment Awards Producer of the Year, DJ Toomp is finally receiving his due respect while also boasting the production of T.I.'s Grammy-nominated "U Don't Know Me."

As owner of the NZone Entertainment record label, Toomp is not one to conduct talent searches or seek new acts. He likes to "let it happen natural." Fortunate enough to have had Atlanta's own T.I. literally delivered to his doorstep by way of a childhood friend, the talent has a way of finding him. "I let the streets bring it to me."

For more on DJ Toomp, check out CL's urban music podcast, Audiofloss (www.audiofloss.com).