DJ Snake

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

DJ Snake is the stage name of William Sami Étienne Grigahcine, a French producer, born in 1986 in Paris to Algerian parents. He grew up in Ermont, a suburb of the city. As a boy he was influenced by the film La Haine and by hip hop artists such as KRS-One and Cypress Hill. In 2011 he co-produced the album Born This Way by Lady Gaga, which earned him a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.

Music and breakthrough

He first worked for other artists, including Pitbull with Shut It Down and Lady Gaga with Applause. His breakthrough came in 2013 with his debut single Turn Down for What, with Lil Jon. The song reached number four on the US Hot 100, was nominated for a Grammy for best music video and won a Billboard award in 2015. In 2014 he played as a supporting act, together with Dillon Francis, on Skrillex's Mothership Tour. In 2015 he performed at Coachella. His debut album Encore from 2016 contained Let Me Love You with Justin Bieber, and his second album Carte Blanche from 2019 contained Taki Taki with Selena Gomez, Ozuna and Cardi B. In 2016 Forbes placed him on its 30 Under 30 in Music list.

Influence

DJ Snake shows how a French producer from a Paris suburb could make a worldwide dance hit, and how hip hop and electronic music came together in the 2010s.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 2016Encore
• 2019Carte Blanche
• 2025Nomad

See also

• Nomad