Degiheugi

Since 1998, Degiheugi (pronounced D.J.E.J) has been immersing himself in vinyl and scratching it on his turntables as part of a rap group. In 2001, he acquired his first sampler and began producing music. Feeling constrained by the traditional hip-hop genre, Degiheugi delved into the world of sampling, unearthing hidden gems from dusty vinyl records of past decades and reimagining them to breathe new life into the sounds.

A pioneer in using open licenses and leveraging the rise of streaming platforms in France in the early 2000s, Degiheugi's vision of shared music led him to establish his own label, "Endless Smile," in 2015 to coincide with the release of his fourth album of the same name. With over 35 million streams on various platforms, his compositions blend orchestral tones from the 60s and 70s with vintage soul-funk samples, forgotten song fragments, tropical samba rhythms, romantic string arrangements, and whimsical flutes intertwining effortlessly with wah-wah guitars, jazzy basslines, and hip-hop beats, captivating an international audience.