ABOUT DEF
Def Sound (pronouns they/them) is an Afro-Caribbean conceptual word artist born and based in South Central LA. Def is a postbinary contemporary hip-hop artist, producer, poet, art dual, and award-winning academic. Def is Grammy nominated for their work as a producer on aja monet’s debut album ‘when the poems do what they do’.
Def’s work as a poet has been included in Saul Williams' Anthology CHORUS, while their music has been featured in LA WEEKLY, LA Record, The L.A. Times, LACMA’s Poetry series POETRY In Color, the art exhibition The Black Index curated by Bridget Cooks and the Emmy Nominated Television series Music Diaries, and the Emmy winning Artbound on KCET. In 2018 Grammy-considered track, “Propane,” was lauded by Miguel and Raphael Saadiq. Def’s single “(A)Gain” earned a spot on BBC Radio’s Year-End list. Def’s song I BEEN made KCRW’s list for Best Songs of 2022. Def’s song GOOD GRIEF was also added to Frank Ocean’s curated playlist for HOMER Radio (Episode 52 to be exact). Def is a word worker whose favorite medium is memory. Def synthesizes Hip Hop, poetry, Black critical theory and storytelling into healing mechanisms decorating time and space.
During the COVID-19 pandemic Def pivoted to making a 1 of 1 organic mask line called eXHIBIT AYe. Def is also a contributor to the internet pirate streaming network Locally Grown.tv as a curator of their own channel COLOREDTV. Locally Grown has been called “The new PBS'' by Wired Magazine and operates as 24-hour programming for deprogramming. Def also hosts a monthly radio show/podcast EXHIBIT AYE on listener powered non profit radio station DUBLAB. Def is the 2021 recipient of the LINDON W. BARRETT Award from the African American Studies Department School of Humanities at UC Irvine. As an essayist Def has been published in Katie Mitchell’s book PROSE TO THE PEOPLE, which included a foreword by the legendary poet Nikki Giovanni.
Def is currently a professor teaching Sonic Collage, Hip Hop Lab Practicum, and Black Critical Theory at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). Both of Def’s latest albums SHEESH & FROM SOUTH CENTRAL 2 THE WORLD were up for Grammy consideration for Best Rap Album of 2024.
Def synthesizes Hip Hop, poetry and critical theory into healing mechanism while weaving together a tapestry of triumph, humor, and ancestral power. When speaking about their practice Def spoke, “Every truth is a dare. Let's dare to tell it.”
IG: @def.sound
Twitter: @defsound
Website: Defsoundmusic.com
Photo by Daniel N. Johnson
Booking Contact: MaceobooksDef@gmail.com
For Booking: Maceobooksdef@gmail.com