Ayatollah (producer)

Lamont Dorrell, better known as Ayatollah is a Hip-Hop producer from Queens, New York who has produced for predominantly New York-based rappers including Mos Def, R.A. The Rugged Man, Tragedy Khadafi, Wordsworth, Vast Aire, Afu-Ra, Guru, M.O.P., Inspectah Deck, Cormega, Ghostface Killah as well as many others. R.A. the Rugged Man had said in an interview that he was the first person to ever buy a beat from Ayatollah. Broadly speaking Ayatollah's production encompasses a soulful, authentic east coast hip-hop sound which has brought him steady success and acclaim since the late 1990s.

Biography

Ayatollah first received main-stream recognition after producing Rawkus rapper Mos Def's hit Ms. Fat Booty, the first single off his Black on Both Sides album;Strock, Owen (2005) "", CMJ New Music Monthly, Issue 137, 2005, p. 40, retrieved 2010-02-05 whilst subsequently receiving a gold plaque for probably his most well-known track to date, Styles P's hit "The Life" featuring Organized Konfusion legend Pharoahe Monch, which appeared on the Rawkus Records compilation Soundbombing III.

Ayatollah is a favoured producer of many Queensbridge MCs in particular, and after working with Cormega on Rap's a Hustle on his debut The Realness, the latter spoke of working on a subsequent album produced solely by Ayatollah, an eagerly awaited project which has since failed to transpire.

He has released nine instrumental albums, 2003's...
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