9th Wonder is a North Carolina producer, DJ, and educator who has become one of the most influential names in hip hop thanks to a signature sound built on soulful samples, sharp drum programming, and timeless grooves. He rose to prominence with Little Brother’s debut The Listening and Jay Z’s The Black Album before producing chart driven hits for Destiny’s Child, Mary J Blige, and Erykah Badu, while later shaping the sound of Kendrick Lamar, Rapsody, Wale, and Talib Kweli. With Grammy recognition, collaborations across the rap and R&B spectrum, and placement on Billboard’s list of the top 25 hip hop producers of all time, he has built a catalog that defines the balance of mainstream reach and underground respect. Today 9th Wonder continues to release music, tour as a DJ, and teach hip hop history at Duke University and North Carolina Central, remaining a genre defining figure whose production legacy and cultural influence continue to expand.
