BIOGRAPHY
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.
Label: Crossphade Music (established in 1993)
Musical Style: All styles of 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.
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