Ozan Yildirim (Turkish: Ozan Yıldırım;[2] born 11 January 1992), professionally known as OZ, is a Swiss record producer and songwriter of Turkish descent.[3][4] He has produced for many hip hop artists, including Drake, Future and Travis Scott, including on the number-one hits "Sicko Mode" (2018), "Highest in the Room" (2019) and "Life Is Good" (2020).[5][6] He has received nominations for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song for "Sicko Mode" and "Gold Roses".[7]
OZ | |
|---|---|
 Oz in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ozan Yildirim[1] |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | 11 January 1992 Wattwil, Switzerland |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 2008–present |
Early life
editYildirim grew up in Wattwil, Switzerland, as a son to Turkish parents.[8][9] He developed an early passion for music, trying himself as a remixer and DJ under the stage name DJ Ladykiller.[10] At 13 years old, he won an international DJ competition, beating out 63 competitors of all ages and winning a prize money of 300 Euros.[10]
His family moved to the small and rural village of Gibswil in the Canton of Zürich, when Yildirim was 15 years old.[11] According to him, there, he was the only foreigner in school and experienced a great deal of xenophobia, leading him to isolate himself and focus on his music.[10]
After school, he completed an apprenticeship in retail and began working as a salesman for washing machines in the Swiss electronics store chain Fust.[9]
Career
editHe started producing beats in 2005,[11] and later uploaded them the internet. His career as a hip hop producer began in 2012, after being contacted by Austrian rapper Nazar and subsequently signing a deal with his label Wolfpack Entertainment.[10] A collaboration began and OZ produced large parts of Nazar's albums Narkose (2012) and Fakker Lifestyle (2013).[12]
Starting in 2014, OZ began receiving placements on tracks by US rappers. He would contact rappers via social media and e-mail and send them selections of his beats.[13] According to OZ, he contacted American record producer The Beat Bully on Twitter and paid him 250 Swiss francs for rapper Meek Mill's e-mail address.[10] In a similar manner, he managed to find out rapper Travis Scott's email address online.[13] Both times, a placement was the result: in the case of Meek Mill, OZ ended up producing the songs "Been That" (featuring Rick Ross) and "Cold Hearted" (featuring Puff Daddy) on the rapper's 2015 album Dreams Worth More Than Money and in the case of Travis Scott, he produced the song "Backyard" on his 2014 mixtape Days Before Rodeo.
At the same time, OZ became more known within German hip hop, producing top-tier artists such as Bushido or Ufo361 and befriending rapper Shindy.[14] He has produced multiple songs on all of Shindy's albums since then and in 2020 recorded the track "Morning Sun" with Shindy, where OZ can also be heard singing.[14]
In 2018, OZ produced his first number-one single by supplying the second part of the beat to the song "Sicko Mode" by Travis Scott.[15]
In 2020, he produced both "Popstar" and "Greece" by DJ Khaled featuring Drake. Although uncredited, he also supplied the original lyrics and vocal melody to the latter song.[16][14]
He also solely produced Drake's number-one hit "Toosie Slide".
His recording studio is located in Wald, Zürich.[17]
Production discography
editCharted songs
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B/HH |
AUS | CAN | IRE | NZ | UK | |||
| "How Many Times" (DJ Khaled featuring Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, and Big Sean) |
2015 | 68 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | I Changed a Lot |
| "Random" (G-Eazy) |
94 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | When It's Dark Out | |
| "U With Me?" (Drake) |
2016 | 44 | 20 | — | 47 | — | — | 72 | Views |
| "Offended" (Meek Mill featuring 21 Savage and Young Thug) |
70 | 29 | — | 100 | — | — | — | DC4 | |
| "Saved" (Khalid) |
2017 | — | — | 92 | — | — | — | — | American Teen |
| "Dubai Shit" (Huncho Jack featuring Offset) |
83 | 35 | — | 63 | — | — | — | Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho | |
| "Contra" (Logic) |
2018 | 60 | 28 | — | 71 | — | — | 84 | Bobby Tarantino II |
| "Champion" (Nav featuring Travis Scott) |
86 | 43 | — | 47 | — | — | — | Reckless | |
| "Sicko Mode" (Travis Scott featuring Drake) |
1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 9 | Astroworld | |
| "Love Scars 3" (Trippie Redd) |
73 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | A Love Letter to You 3 | |
| "1400 / 999 Freestyle" (Trippie Redd featuring Juice Wrld) |
55 | 24 | — | 76 | — | — | — | ||
| "Freaky" (Tory Lanez) |
2019 | — | — | — | 41 | — | — | 94 | Love Me Now? Reloaded |
| "24/7" (Meek Mill featuring Ella Mai) |
54 | 25 | — | — | — | — | 66 | Championships | |
| "Omertà" (Drake) |
35 | 14 | 69 | 8 | 44 | — | 33 | The Best in the World Pack | |
| "Gold Roses" (Rick Ross featuring Drake) |
39 | 16 | 91 | 33 | 76 | — | 42 | Port of Miami 2 | |
| "Peta" (Roddy Ricch featuring Meek Mill) |
72 | 31 | — | 72 | — | — | — | Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial | |
| "Highest in the Room" (Travis Scott) |
1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | JackBoys | |
| "Life Is Good" (Future featuring Drake) |
2020 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 3 | High Off Life |
| "Toosie Slide" (Drake) |
1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Dark Lane Demo Tapes | |
| "Time Flies" (Drake) |
30 | 17 | — | 22 | — | — | — | ||
| "Losses" (Drake) |
51 | 26 | — | 49 | — | — | — | ||
| "Greece" (DJ Khaled feat. Drake) |
8 | 6 | 35 | 3 | 21 | — | 8 | Khaled Khaled | |
| "Popstar" (DJ Khaled feat. Drake) |
3 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 17 | 11 | ||
| "Girls Want Girls" (Drake featuring Lil Baby) |
2021 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 2 | Certified Lover Boy |
| "Love All" (Drake featuring Jay-Z) |
10 | 9 | 12 | 20 | — | — | —[A] | ||
Production credits
edit2013
edit- Nazar - OZ Interlude
2014
edit- Fabolous – "Ball Drop" (feat. French Montana) from The Young OG Project (produced with The MeKanics)
- Travis Scott – "Backyard" from Days Before Rodeo (produced with Syk Sense)
- The Game – "Really" (feat. Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz, Soulja Boy & T.I.) from Blood Moon: Year of the Wolf (produced with The MeKanics)
- Summer Cem – "Nike Airs" from HAK
2015
edit- DJ Khaled – "How Many Times" from I Changed a Lot
- Meek Mill – "Been That" (feat. Rick Ross), and "Cold Hearted" (feat. Puff Daddy) from Dreams Worth More Than Money
- G-Eazy – "Random" from When It's Dark Out
- Chinx – "Hey Fool" (feat. Nipsey Hussle & Zack) from Welcome to JFK
- Logic – "I Am the Greatest" from The Incredible True Story
- Jeremih – "Giv No Fuks" (feat. Migos) from Late Nights: The Album
2016
edit- Drake – "U With Me?" from Views
- Ali Bumaye – "Best Friends" (feat. Bushido) and "Missgestalten" from Rumble in the Jungle
- Meek Mill – "Offended (feat. Young Thug & 21 Savage) and "Outro" (feat. Lil Snupe & French Montana) from DC4
- Dreezy – "See What You On" from No Hard Feelings
- Travis Scott – "the ends" and "outside" from Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight
- Shindy – Dreams [full album]
- Gucci Mane – "Drove U Crazy" (feat. Bryson Tiller) from The Return of East Atlanta Santa
- 6lack – "Rules" from Free 6lack
2017
edit- Khalid – "Saved," "Let's Go," and "Keep Me," from American Teen
- Travis Scott & Quavo / Huncho Jack – "Dubai Shit" (feat. Offset) from Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho
- Bushido – "Moonwalk"
- DRAM – "I Had a Dream," "Crumbs" (feat. Playboi Carti), and "Eyeyieyie," from Big Baby DRAM
- G-Eazy – "Shake It Up" (feat. 24hrs, MadeinTYO and E-40)
2018
edit- Nav – "Champions" (feat. Travis Scott) from Reckless (produced with Foreign Teck)
- Logic – "Contra" (produced with Nico Chiara and BLWYRMND) and "Wizard of OZ" (produced with 6ix), from Bobby Tarantino 2
- Trippie Redd - "UKA UKA," "BANG!," "Shake It Up," "Gore," and "Missing My Idols," from Life's a Trip
- 6lack – "Cutting Ties"
- Smokepurpp & Murda Beatz – "Big Dope" from Bless Yo Trap (produced with Murda Beatz)
- RIN (Rapper) – "Avirex," "Burberry/SuperParisLight," "Oldboy," "XTC," and "Outro" from Planet Megatron
- Lil Baby – "Bank" (feat. Moneybagg Yo) from Harder Than Ever (produced with Turbo)
- Travis Scott – "Sicko Mode" from Astroworld (produced with Cubeatz, add. prod. by MD)
- Tory Lanez – "FeRRis WhEEL" (feat. Trippie Redd) from Love Me Now? (produced with Dez Wright)
- Trippie Redd – "Can't Love," "Love Scars 3," "A.L.L.T.Y. 3" (feat. Baby Goth), "Emani Interlude" (feat. Emani22), "Wicked", "Loyalty Before Royalty," and "1400 / 999 Freestyle" (feat. Juice WRLD) from A Love Letter to You 3
- Meek Mill – "24/7" (feat. Ella Mai) from Championships (produced with EY, Austin Powerz, and Pro Logic)
2019
edit- Shindy – "DODI"
- Zacari – "Midas Touch" (produced with Teddy Walton and Syk Sense)
- Tory Lanez – "Freaky" (produced with Nil$)
- Shindy – Drama (complete album)
- Nav – "To My Grave" from Bad Habits (produced with Pro Logic)
- Drake – "Omertà" from The Best in the World Pack (produced with Deats & EY)[19]
- Dreamville – "Got Me" (featuring Ari Lennox, Omen, Ty Dolla Sign and Dreezy) from Revenge of the Dreamers III (produced with Deputy & MD)
- Rick Ross – "Gold Roses" (featuring Drake) from Port of Miami 2 (produced with Vinylz, Syk Sense, and The Rascals)
- Trippie Redd — "Throw It Away", "Be Yourself", and "Lil Wayne", from !
- Travis Scott – "Highest in the Room" (produced with Nik D and Mike Dean)
- Young M.A. – "Bipolar" (produced with Syk Sense)
- Killumantii - "Kill Em" (produced with Don Cannon)
- Tinashe - "Story of Us" from Songs for You
2020
edit- Future - "Life Is Good" (produced with D. Hill and Ambezza)[20]
- Drake - "Toosie Slide"[20]
- Shindy - "What's Luv" and "Sony Pictures"
- UFO361 - "Bad Girls, Good Vibes"
- Drake - "Time Flies" from Dark Lane Demo Tapes
- Drake - "Losses" from Dark Lane Demo Tapes (produced with Sevn Thomas and co-produced by Foreign Teck and Elyas)
- DJ Khaled - "Greece" (featuring Drake) (produced with Tiggi and DJ Khaled)
- DJ Khaled - "Popstar" (featuring Drake) (produced with DAVID x ELI)
- Gunna - "Relentless" (featuring Lil Uzi Vert) from Wunna (Deluxe) (produced with Wheezy and Nik D)
2023
edit- Jack Harlow - "Lovin on Me" (Single)
References
edit- ^ "Schweizer Beats im US-Hip-Hop". 20 Minuten (in German). 28 May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "Zirvede bir Türk prodüktör: Ozan Yıldırım". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 16 January 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "OZ".
- ^ "Oz (39)". Discogs.
- ^ "Swiss producer OZ in Grammy race - KXAN36 - Austin Daily News". 10 December 2018.
- ^ "OZ co-produced "Sicko Mode" on Travis Scott's #1 album 'Astroworld'".
- ^ "Here are all the nominations for the 2020 Grammy Awards". The Fader. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "Wattwiler mischt Musikszene auf und stürmt weltweit Charts" (in German). fm1today.ch. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- ^ a b Künzler, Remo (25 June 2020). "Drake, Travis Scott, DJ Khaled: Der Ostschweizer Musikproduzent "OZ" kooperiert mit globalen Stars und erobert die US-Charts" (in German). St. Galler Tagblatt. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Wey, Moritz. "«Vom Papierkorb zu Platin»: Die grosse Coverstory von OZ aus 2018" (in German). Lyrics Magazin. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ a b Schräder, Adrian (4 December 2022). "Ozan Yildirim produziert Hits für Superstars wie Drake: "Ich habe mich immer nach einem Hit gesehnt"" (in German). Blick. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ Nazar nimmt Produzenten O.Z unter Vertrag (in German) on 16bars.de, accessed on 13 November 2016
- ^ a b Schräder, Adrian (21 November 2022). "Der Schweizer Star-Produzent OZ: "Ich bin der Falsche, um Drake zu sagen, was er rappen soll"" (in German). Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ a b c Modler, Joshua (31 August 2020). "Beats für Drake, Travis Scott und Shindy: Was du über OZ wissen musst" (in German). DASDING. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (2018). "Y'all Know I Don't Follow Suit: How Travis Scott's 'SICKO MODE' Became the Unlikeliest No. 1 Hit of 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ^ "Drake schnappt sich OZ' Solo-Song: Der Weg von der Insta-Skizze bis zu "Greece"". lyricsmagazin.ch (in German). 17 July 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ Mosberger, Luca (2 June 2022). "So reich ist OZ" (in German). Lyrics Magazin. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ "Official Audio Streaming Chart". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "Listen to Drake's 2 New Songs, "Omertà" and "Money in the Grave" f/ Rick Ross". Complex Networks.
- ^ a b Skelton, Eric; McKinney, Jessica (3 April 2020). "5 Big Takeaways From Drake's New Song "Toosie Slide"". Complex. Retrieved 4 April 2020.