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, Rovi