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Quick Facts
Biography
Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek (born May 5, 1976), is an American rapper and record producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on their Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star. His father is singer Willie Cottrell of the Willie Cottrell Band whom Hi-Tek featured on his second release Hi-Teknology 2.
Career
1996-2000
Hi-Tek started his rap career with hip hop group Mood and had a regional hit with "Hustle on the Side". That song was made for Mood's album Doom, which featured amongst others Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli. Talib and Hi-Tek clicked immediately, and Hi-Tek went on to produce most of Talib Kweli and Mos Def's Black Star (1998). In 2000, Tek and Kweli (under the name Reflection Eternal) released Train of Thought (2000) on Rawkus Records, with raps by Talib Kweli and beats by Hi-Tek. It enjoyed moderate crossover radio success with the singles "The Blast" and "Move Somethin'". Reflection Eternal released a follow-up album titled Revolutions Per Minute on May 18, 2010.
2001-current
After signing to Rawkus Records, Hi-Tek produced for a number of the labels projects, including the popular Soundbombing series; a three-record compilation of mostly Rawkus-based artists. In 2001, he released his solo album Hi-Teknology on Rawkus. The album featured appearances by Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Vinia Mojica, Buckshot, and others, with all production handled by Hi-Tek. It received some critical acclaim and spawned a minor hit "Round and Round" with Cincinnati singer Jonell.
Although the record sold over 250,000 copies, Hi-Tek wasn't pleased with the promotion of the album, or lack thereof, and he left Rawkus shortly after its release. He then signed to MCA Records after the remix of "Round and Round" featuring Method Man, became an underground hit. While signed to MCA, Hi-Tek began recording his follow-up album, Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip and produced Jonell's unreleased debut album for Def Jam.
Currently, Hi-Tek is working as a staff producer for Aftermath Entertainment and its affiliates, as well as past associates such as Kweli and Mos Def. He is also recording songs for Dion, an R&B singer signed to Aftermath. Hi-Teknology 2 was released October 17, 2006 on Babygrande,[1] and distributed by Koch Entertainment. The producer released the third installment, Hi-Teknology 3: Underground on December 11, 2007.
In November 2015, producer 9th Wonder announced Hi-Tek as the newest member of The Soul Council - the production staff of his record label It's A Wonderful World Music Group.
In popular culture
Hi-Tek was featured on the cover of Beyond Race magazine for the publication's winter 2008 issue.
On the D12 single, "Just Like You," Bizarre references Hi-Tek, who produced the track. He says, "When Mos Def hear this, he probably gonna suffocate me, why you let Bizarre rap on Hi-Tek track? All he gonna do is talk about ho's and smokin' crack." This is a reference to Hi-Tek's early career with Mos Def and Talib Kweli who are known for a more responsible brand of music.
Discography
Albums
Album information |
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Train of Thought (by Reflection Eternal with Talib Kweli)
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Hi-Teknology
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Hi-Teknology²: The Chip
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Hi-Teknology 3
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Revolutions Per Minute (by Reflection Eternal with Talib Kweli)
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Production
- 213 - "Twist Yo Body" (Album: The Hard Way) (2004)
- 50 Cent - "Best Friend" (Album: Get Rich Or Die Tryin' soundtrack) (2005)
- 50 Cent - "Get In My Car" (Album: The Massacre) (2005)
- 50 Cent - "Ryder Music" (Album: The Massacre) (2005)
- Anderson .Paak - "Come Down" (2016)
- Beanie Sigel - "Get That Dough" (2000)
- Big L featuring C-Town - "Still Here" (2000)
- Bishop Lamont - "Friends" (2009)
- Bizarre featuring Obie Trice - "Doctor Doctor" (Album: Hannicap Circus) (2005)
- Bizarre featuring Eminem - "Hip Hop" (Album: Hannicap Circus) (2005)
- Bizarre - "I'm In Luv Witchu" (Album: Hanni Cap Circus) (2005)
- Blackalicious - "It's Going Down" (Album: Blazing Arrow) (2002)
- Black Star - 6 tracks from Black Star
- Black Star featuring Common - "Respiration"
- Boot Camp Clik - "Ice Skate" (2002)
- Busta Rhymes featuring Nas - "Rough Around The Edges"
- Cassidy featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony & Eve - "Cash Rulez" (2007)
- King Chip - Sprinkle Me (2009) (The Cleveland Show)
- Cocoa Brovaz - "Get Up" (2001)
- Cocoa Brovaz featuring Dawn Penn - "Spit Again"
- Common featuring Sadat X - "1-9-9-9" (Album: Rawkus presents Soundbombing II) (1999)
- Common - "Tekzilla"
- Cormega - "Take These Jewels" (2002)
- D12 - "Just Like You" (Album: D12 World) (2004)
- Dead Prez featuring Talib Kweli - "Sharp Shooters"
- Donte - "Heat 4 The Streets"
- G-Unit - "G Unit", "Eye For An Eye" (Album: Beg For Mercy)
- Ghostface Killah - "Josephine" (Album: More Fish)
- Gym Class Heroes - "New Friend Request (Hi-Tek Remix)" (Album: Snakes On A Plane: The Album)
- Jonell - "Don't Stop
- Jonell - "Round & Round (remix)" (featuring Kool G Rap)
- Jonell - "Round & Round (remix)" (featuring Method Man)
- Jonell - "Round & Round (remix)" (featuring Method Man, Pharoahe Monch, Kool G Rap)
- J. Sands - "In Jail"
- Kurious - "Brand New Day" (featuring Dave Dar & Co Campbell)(2009)
- Little Brother - "Step it Up" (featuring Dion) (Album: Getback)
- Lloyd Banks featuring Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent - "I Get High" (Album: The Hunger for More)
- Mood - Doom
- Morcheeba featuring Talib Kweli - "Let Me See (remix)"
- Mos Def - "Next Universe" (Album: Rawkus presents Soundbombing II)
- Outlawz featuring Young Buck & Dion - "Drivin' Down the Freeway" (Album: Godz Plan)
- Papoose - "What Makes Me, Me" (Album: Internationally Known)
- Phife Dawg - 4 tracks from Ventilation: Da LP
- Phife Dawg - "Miscellaneous (remix)"
- Planet Asia & Grand Agent - "It's Only Right"
- Rick Dolo - Pan Am
- Slum Village - "The Set Up" (Album: Villa Manifesto)
- Snoop Dogg - "I Believe In You", "I Miss That Bitch" (Album: Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss)
- Snoop Dogg - "No Thang On Me" {Album: R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece
- Soopafly - "Are You Ready"
- Soulive featuring Talib Kweli - "Bridge to Bama (remix)"
- Styles P featuring Ray J - "Let's Go" (Album: Super Gangster, Extraordinary Gentleman)
- Styles P featuring Talib Kweli - "Testify" (Album: Time Is Money)
- Syleena Johnson - "Hit On Me (remix)" (Album: Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness), "The Voice/Intro", "Outro" (Album: Chapter 2: The Voice)
- Talib Kweli - "2000 Seasons", "The Express", "Back Up Offa Me", "Work It Out", "Beautiful Struggle", "More or Less"
- Termanology - "In The Streets" (Album: Politics as Usual)
- Termanology - ""Where's The Love" (featuring Bun B, Bodega Bamz, and Masspike Miles) (Album: "More Politics")
- Tha Eastsidaz "Cool", "Eastside Ridaz" (Album: Duces 'n Trayz: The Old Fashioned Way)
- The Game - "Runnin'" (Album: The Documentary), "Ol English" (Album: Doctor's Advocate), "Letter To The King" (Album: L.A.X)
- Truth Hurts - "Hollywood"
- Xzibit - "Scent of a Woman" (Album: Weapons of Mass Destruction)
- Xzibit featuring Busta Rhymes - "Tough Guy" (Album: Weapons of Mass Destruction)
- Young Buck - "Don't Need No Help" (Album: Get Rich Or Die Tryin' soundtrack)
- Young Buck featuring Snoop Dogg, Trick Daddy - "I Ain't Fuckin' Wit You" (Album: Buck the World)
- Hodgy - "Glory" (Album: Fireplace: TheNotTheOtherSide)