GRAMMY-Award winner Mike Dean is renowned for providing the secret sauce to the world’s biggest artists. Whether they need a veteran producer’s touch, a keen ear for engineering and mixing, or even a searing guitar solo, he’s who they turn to. His career began in the early ‘90s with legacy-making work for southern rap icons—and fellow Texas natives—Scarface, UGK, and Devin the Dude. Since then, Dean has evolved to blend hip-hop, pop, experimental rock, and soul into a potent concoction that’s both malleable and uniquely his own. “Producers should never get stuck in time. They should always be time travelers living in the future,” he said. Throughout the 2010s, dean has played a crucial role in the realization of seminal albums such as Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Watch The Throne, Frank Ocean’s Blonde, Beyoncé’s Lemonade, and Travis Scott’s Astroworld. Dean has described himself as “the finisher” for his ability to collaborate and expand on the work of other producers and artists, bringing a shared vision to life. He’s also helped craft some of the decade’s biggest singles like “Sicko Mode,” “N*ggas in Paris,” and “Mercy.” His debut album, 4:20, showcases his talents as an arranger, synth player, and guitarist. The songs are textured and psychedelic, filled with surprising sonic twists that rarely keep the listener in one place for long. It’s a well-earned moment in the spotlight for one of popular music’s most pivotal behind-the-scenes figures.