Hi-Tek

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Hi-Tek
Birth name	Tony Cottrell
Born	Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Origin	Cincinnati, Ohio
Genre(s)	Hip Hop
Occupation(s)	Producer, Rapper
Years active	1997–present
Label(s)	Babygrande Records/Aftermath Entertainment
Associated acts	Reflection Eternal Mood Talib Kweli Black Star

Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American rapper and hip hop producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star. His father is singer Willie Cottrell of the Willie Cottrell Band whom Hi-Tek featured on his second release Hi-Teknology 2.

1 Career
- 1.1 1996-2000
- 1.2 2001-2007
2 Discography
- 2.1 Albums
- 2.2 Production
3 References

[edit] Career

[edit] 1996-2000

Hi-Tek started his rap career with hip hop group Mood and had a regional hit with "Hustle on the Side". That song was made for Mood's album Doom, which featured amongst others Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli. Talib and Hi-Tek clicked immediately, and Hi-Tek went on to produce most of Talib Kweli and Mos Def's Black Star (1998). In 2000, Tek and Kweli (under the name Reflection Eternal) released Train of Thought (2000) on Rawkus Records, with raps by Talib Kweli and beats by Hi-Tek. It enjoyed moderate crossover radio success with the singles "The Blast" and "Move Somethin'". The pair have yet to release a follow-up album.

[edit] 2001-2007

After signing to Rawkus Records, Hi-Tek produced for a number of the labels projects, including the popular Soundbombing series; a three-record compilation of mostly Rawkus-based artists. In 2001, he released his solo album Hi-Teknology on Rawkus. The album featured appearances by Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Vinia Mojica, Buckshot, and others, with all production handled by Hi-Tek. It received some critical acclaim and spawned a minor hit "Round and Round" with Cincinnati singer Jonell.

Although the record sold over 250,000 copies, Hi-Tek wasn't pleased with the promotion of the album, or lack thereof, and he left Rawkus shortly after its release. He then signed to MCA Records after the remix of "Round and Round" featuring Method Man, became an underground hit. While signed to MCA, Hi-Tek began recording his follow up album, Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip and produced Jonell's unreleased debut album for Def Jam.^{[citation needed]}

Currently, Hi-Tek is working as a staff producer for Aftermath Entertainment and its affiliates, as well as past associates such as Kweli and Mos Def. He is also recording songs for Dion, an R&B singer signed to Aftermath. Hi-Teknology 2 was released October 17, 2006 on Babygrande,[1] and distributed by Koch Entertainment [2]. The producer just released the third installment, Hi-Teknology 3: Underground on December 11, 2007.

Hi-Tek was featured on the cover of Beyond Race magazine for the publication's winter 2008 issue.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Album information
Train of Thought (by Reflection Eternal) Released: October 17, 2000 Billboard 200 chart position: #17 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #5 Singles: "The Express"/"Some Kind of Wonderful", "Move Somethin'"/"Good Mourning" & "The Blast"/"Down for the Count"/"Train of Thought", "Down for the Count"
Hi-Teknology Released: May 8, 2001 Billboard 200 chart position: #66 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #12 Singles: "Round & Round"/"All I Need Is You", "The Sun God"/"Get Back Pt. 2"
Hi-Teknology²: The Chip Released: October 17, 2006 Billboard 200 chart position: #38 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #8 U.S. Sales: 51,782^[1] Singles: "Where It Started At (NY)"/"Can We Go Back"
Hi-Teknology 3: Underground Released: December 11, 2007 Billboard 200 chart position: # R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: # Singles: "My Piano"

[edit] Production

1997: Mood - Doom
213 - "Twist Yo Body" (Album: The Hard Way) (2004)
50 Cent - "Best Friend" (Album: Get Rich Or Die Tryin' soundtrack) (2005)
50 Cent - "Get In My Car" (Album: The Massacre) (2005)
50 Cent - "Ryder Music" (Album: The Massacre) (2005)
Beanie Sigel - "Get That Dough" (2000)
Bizarre feat. Obie Trice - "Doctor Doctor" (Album: Hanni Cap Circus) (2005)
Bizarre feat. Eminem - "Hip Hop" (Album: Hanni Cap Circus) (2005)
Bizarre - "I'm In Luv Witchu" (Album: Hanni Cap Circus) (2005)
Big L ft. C-Town - "Still Here" (2000)
Blackalicious - "It's Going Down"
Black Star - 6 tracks from Black Star
Black Star feat. Common - "Respiration"
Boot Camp Clik - "Ice Skate" (2002)
Busta Rhymes feat. Nas - "Rough Around The Edges"
Canibus - "Last Laugh"
Cassidy ft. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony & Eve - "Cash Rulez" (2007)
Cocoa Brovaz - "Get Up" (2001)
Cocoa Brovaz feat. Dawn Penn - "Spit Again"
Common feat. Sadat X - "1-9-9-9" (Album: Rawkus presents Soundbombing II) (1999)
Common - "Tekzilla"
Cormega - "Take These Jewels" (2002)
D12 - "Just Like You" (Album: D12 World) (2004)
Dead Prez feat. Talib Kweli - "Sharp Shooters"
Donte - "Heat 4 The Streets"
Estelle (singer) - Life to me
G-Unit - "Eye For An Eye" (Album: Beg For Mercy)
G-Unit - "G-Unit" (Album: Beg For Mercy)
Ghostface Killah - "Josephine" (Album: More Fish)
Gym Class Heroes - "New Friend Request (Hi-Tek Remix)" (Album: Snakes On A Plane: The Album)
Jonell - "Don't Stop
Jonell - "Round & Round (remix)" (feat. Kool G Rap)
Jonell - "Round & Round (remix)" (feat. Method Man)
Jonell - "Round & Round (remix)" (feat. Method Man, Pharoahe Monch, Kool G Rap)
J. Sands - "In Jail"
Little Brother - "Step it Up" (feat. Dion)
Lil' Skeeter feat. Marques Houston - "All I Have" (Album: Midwest Mastermind)
Lloyd Banks feat. Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent - "I Get High" (Album: The Hunger For More)
Morcheeba feat. Talib Kweli - "Let Me See (remix)"
Mos Def - "Next Universe" (Album: Rawkus presents Soundbombing II)
Outlawz feat. Young Buck & Dion - "Drivin' Down the Freeway" (Album: Godz Plan)
Papoose - "What Makes Me, Me" (Album: Internationally Known)
Phife Dawg - 4 tracks from Ventilation: Da LP
Phife Dawg - "Miscellaneous (remix)"
Planet Asia & Grand Agent - "It's Only Right"
Snoop Dogg - "I Believe In You"
Snoop Dogg feat. E-White - "I Miss That Bitch"
Snoop Dogg - "No Thang On Me"\
Soopafly - "Are You Ready"
Soulive feat. Talib Kweli - "Bridge to Bama (remix)"
Styles P feat. Ray J - "Let's Go" (Album: Super Gangster, Extraordinary Gentleman)
Styles P feat. Talib Kweli - "Testify" (Album: Time Is Money)
Syleena Johnson feat. Mos Def - "Hit On Me (remix)"
Talib Kweli - "2000 Seasons", "The Express", "Back Up Offa Me", "More or Less"
Tha Eastsidaz feat. Nate Dogg, Butch Cassidy - "Cool" (Album: Deuces N Trayz)
Tha Eastsidaz - "Eastside Ridaz" (Album: Deuces N Trayz)
The Game - "Ol English" (Album: Doctor's Advocate)
The Game feat. Tony Yayo - "Runnin'" (Album: The Documentary)
Truth Hurts - "Hollywood"
Xzibit - "Scent of a Woman" (Album: Weapons of Mass Destruction)
Xzibit feat. Busta Rhymes - "Tough Guy" (Album: Weapons of Mass Destruction)
Young Buck - "Don't Need No Help" (Album: Get Rich Or Die Tryin' soundtrack)
Young Buck feat. Snoop Dogg, Trick Daddy - "I Ain't Fuckin' Wit You" (Album: Buck The World)
Young Flame feat. Hi-Tek "Diss Track"