Real Name: Todd E. Reese
Stage Name: DJ Suicide {established in 1986}
Place of Birth: Omaha, NE
A & R Affiliation: Taxi
Writer/Publishing Affiliation: ASCAP {since 1997}
Base of Operation: Omaha, NE. {The Wild Kingdom}
Label: Crossphade Music {established in 1993}
Musical Style: All styles of music especially Hip Hop & R&B {expert in 90’s style Hip Hop}
Experience: 26 years as a deejay/producer; (20 years as a audio engineer) (B-boy,
Emcee, Song Writer, Manager, A & R, Music Publisher, Mixtape Host, 4 years as a Radio
Personality)
Accomplishments: Hip Hop Icon in Omaha, 60 Mixtapes released, 21 commercially
released album projects, First hip hop release on cassette in Omaha, First hip hop release
on CD in Omaha, CEO, Record Company Owner, Recording Studio Owner, Radio/TV
Commercials, Over 1 million downloads online, hundreds of beats sold and used in projects
like; albums, commercials, pod casts, Mixtapes, plays, TV shows, movie trailer, magic
shows, corporate presentations, open mic freestyle's, parties, stage performances, and so
on.
Since 1986, DJ Suicide has been bestowed as one of the best deejays within the Omaha
hip hop scene and throughout the Midwest area. Up until 1992, Suicide has been called
upon to display his record blending skills at numerous parties and has made over 60
mix-tapes that have been played on several radio stations, at parties and in booming’
car systems. (These mixes are still being sought after to date)When he was not
deejaying, he used his Technic turntables, Yamaha drum machine and two tape decks to
produce hip-hop tracks for his former old school crew, "Forever Fresh", and other
local acts performing in talent shows in the area. By 1989, Forever Fresh dissolved
with only one member remaining - Jay Money, the last member to join the group.
During the latter months in 1992, DJ Suicide went into a partnership with longtime
friend, Craig "Thumper" Samuels to form Thumpin’ Hard Records. At this time, nobody
was selling beats so Suicide set the standard production rate of $100 dollars a beat
which everyone quickly follow suite since nobody knew what to sell them for. Also,
under this new company, Suicide produced a compilation project of local rap artists
which expanded into varying areas of the Midwest. This project was the first ever hip
hop project to be manufactured by local artist. Shortly after in 1993, Suicide opted
to branch off on his own to pursue a separate goal. Several of the artists followed
him and he went on to create his own company, Crossphade Productions.
Under Crossphade, Suicide produced six projects from 1993 to 1995. The sixth project
was for a local R&B artist. This expansion of production caused him to change the name
of his company to Crossphade Music to show the maturity of production from solely
creating rap music. Around 1996, Suicide came up with the idea of fusing a bunch of
artist together since none were not achieving the kind of success they were striving
for. These artists were the best out of a lot of groups he was producing beats for,
also he continued work on side projects like the “Fallen Soldiers compilation and other
local artists projects. The planning and recording took about a year.
In 1997, Crossphade Music released a compilation CD entitled, "Behind Enemy Lines",
featuring Crossphade artists. This entire project was produced and construed by DJ
Suicide and the president of Crossphade, Sinista Khane. This project was the first ever
hip hop project to be manufactured on CD by local artist. This project broke ground for
Crossphade that allowed them to get magazine write ups, heavy rotation on college radio,
and notoriety across the country and overseas. With the self satisfaction of “Behind
Enemy Lines” in motion, in 1998, Crossphade released a follow up to “Behind Enemy Lines”
entitled “681” that sold almost 5000 units which brought on offers of distribution,
caught the attention of several major record companies, and set them up for college
touring through NACA. Things excelled for Crossphade Music and its artist for the next
two years.
In 2000, Crossphade Music came back with a third released; a compilation CD entitled
"Middlenium", featuring Crossphade artists. This entire project was again produced
and construed by DJ Suicide and the president of Crossphade, Sinista Khane. Some of
the artist that was featured on the first two projects was not on this disc due to
creative differences. The internal problems between the artists did stop there,
through bickering and a power struggle for stage presence, they caused this third
project to come to a screeching halt. At that point it was decided it would be in
the best interest of everyone that this should end.
Without missing a beat, Crossphade turned its focus to beat production. Between 2002 &
2004, DJ Suicide sold beats for various types of projects in the U.S. and overseas and in
the process, acquired 500,000 digital downloads on the original Mp3.com. In 2005 he
accumulated another 500,000 digital downloads and opened a recording studio with Crossphade
partner Todd Martin. From 2006 to present, DJ Suicide has been writing and submitting music
to A & R listings thru Taxi seeing success by way of various companies seeking his production
for their projects.
