Texas-based beatmaker
Gensu Dean (aka Eddie Alexander) has managed to stay under the radar despite being highly prolific and working with dozens of well-regarded hip-hop artists since the '90s. An avid record collector, he utilized an SP1200 sampler to hone his production style, which recalls legendary New York beatsmiths such as
DJ Premier and
Large Professor. Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, he first appeared in the late '90s, producing tracks on
Grey Skies, the sole full-length by
David Banner's early group
Crooked Lettaz. From there, he relocated to Dallas and built up a sizable résumé, producing tracks for
Lord Jamar and
Sadat X (both of
Brand Nubian) as well as remixing CL Smooth and
Ol' Dirty Bastard.
Dean collaborated with
Large Professor on the 2010 single "Forever," and released his debut album, Lo-Fi Fingahz (featuring guests ranging from
Count Bass D to
Roc Marciano), on
Mello Music Group in 2012. He then collaborated with
Planet Asia on the 2013 full-length Abrasions, followed by the Dice Game: Shaken EP (with
Guilty Simpson) in 2014. His instrumental beat tape Algorhythms was released in 2015. In 2016,
Dean teamed up with
Denmark Vessey for the full-length
Whole Food. Later in the year, he released the solo album
RAW, which featured guest appearances from
Georgia Anne Muldrow,
Diamond D,
J-Live, and many others. ~ Paul Simpson