Michael George Dean (born March 1, 1965) is an American audio engineer, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his synthesizer-heavy instrumentation, guitar solos, outros, and audio mixing for high-profile music industry artists. Beginning his career in 1992, he was first credited on releases for Texas-based rappers Scarface, Willie D, and Geto Boys, though he has since worked with hip-hop and pop artists including Kanye West, the Weeknd, Beyoncé, Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, Jay-Z, Drake, Madonna, Selena Gomez, Playboi Carti, and Lana Del Rey, among others. As a non-performing lead artist, Dean has released six solo studio albums: 4:20 (2020), 4:22 (2021), Smoke State 42222 (2022), 4:23 (2023), 424 (2024) and 425 (2025).

Career In the 1980s, Dean started doing collaborations with numerous Texan artists, including Selena, for whom Dean served as musical director and producer. He began his career in hip-hop while producing two albums as a part of the Houston-based group, Def Squad, along with group member Norris Burse (Champ) and Kenny Bomer (KB) under the Mr. Henry/ Ichiban labels. Dean first became widely known for pioneering the Dirty South sound in the 1990s, particularly in work for artists from Rap-A-Lot Records. Dean has most notably worked alongside Scarface of the Geto Boys, Do or Die, Tha Dogg Pound, Yukmouth of the Luniz, C-Bo, Nate Dogg, Tech N9ne, UGK, Z-Ro, Devin the Dude, Outlawz, and 2Pac.

Dean went on to mix, produce, and master widely throughout American hip-hop. He has become known for producing work with Kanye West. After initially contributing to the mixing of West's albums The College Dropout and Late Registration, Dean contributed as producer on West's albums Graduation, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Yeezus, The Life of Pablo, Ye, and Donda. He also co-produced with West on his collaboration album with Jay-Z, Watch the Throne. Dean was an additional producer on "Mercy" and "Higher" from GOOD Music's 2012 compilation album Cruel Summer.

In recent years, Dean has served as a regular guitarist and keyboardist for West and Travis Scott at their live performances, being West's Watch the Throne Tour, the Yeezus Tour, abd Saint Pablo Tour alongside Scott's Birds Eye View Tour and Astroworld – Wish You Were Here Tour. Dean has also been a frequent collaborator with Scott. Dean's production has appeared on every one of Scott's musical bodies of work since 2013. In 2016, Dean mastered Frank Ocean's visual album Endless, wrote and produced tracks on Desiigner's mixtape New English, and produced Desiigner's single "Tiimmy Turner".

In May 2017, Dean announced he was launching a record label by the name of M.W.A. When asked what made him decide that now would be the best time to unveil his new record label, Dean responded: "Just a lot of new young artists that's been asking to get down with me and have me work on their projects and help them get deals. I figured I'd start a label and sign some new acts. Seems like a good time to start it. I got a studio out here [in Los Angeles] and I'm able to meet a lot of new artists." When asked the meaning of M.W.A, Dean answered: "That's just what I call myself when I DJ. Mexican Wrestling Association. It's something that I've done with the merch, so I just figured I'd keep the name going." He also revealed Dice Soho the first artist he signed to M.W.A: "One of my homies Gustavo Guerra brought [Dice Soho] to me. I think he's gonna be the next wave out of Houston. I picked him up. Dice has a nice swag."

He released an instrumental mixtape, 4:20, on April 20, 2020. On May 20, 2021, Lana Del Rey's single "Wildflower Wildfire" was released, which was produced by Dean. In an interview with Anthony Fantano before the song's release, Dean said that he was "planning on working with [Del Rey] a lot".

Since 2022, Dean has had several further collaborations with the Weeknd, who Dean has worked with on the Weeknd's 2014 promotional single "King of the Fall" as a co-writer. In 2015, Dean collaborated with the Weeknd on "Tell Your Friends" from the album Beauty Behind the Madness, on which he co-produced and played guitar, as well as his single "Where You Belong" for the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. Dean contributed live arrangements to the Weeknd's co-headlining performances with Swedish House Mafia at the 2022 Coachella festival. Dean has since been an opening act on the Weeknd's After Hours til Dawn Tour, during which his arrangements have been included in the Weeknd's shows. Dean also created a remix for the Weeknd's song "Starry Eyes" from his album Dawn FM, which Dean has performed live in his opening sets on the tour; he has become a touring musician for The Weeknd since the 2023 European and Latin American legs of the tour and onward. He plays synthesizers and saxophone. Dean contributed the musical arrangements for the "After Hours Nightmare" Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses at Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood. In 2023, Dean contributed live arrangements to Metro Boomin's performances at Coachella, during which the Weeknd appeared as a special guest; Dean also appeared as a guest musician during 070 Shake's performance during the second weekend of the festival.

He co-wrote and produced the Weeknd's single "Double Fantasy," "Popular," "The Lure (Main Theme," "Family," "Devil's Paradise," "A Lesser Man," "Take Me Back," "One of the Girls," "Jealous Guy," "Fill the Void," "Like a God," "False Idols," "Dollhouse," and "My Sweet Lord" for the soundtrack of the Weeknd's HBO series The Idol, which Dean is part of the starring cast of, and premiered on June 4. Dean released his fourth mixtape, 4:23, which the Weeknd co-produced, on April 29.

Since 2024, Dean has co-written and produced "Young Metro," "We Still Don't Trust You," "All to Myself," and "Always Be My Fault" by Future and Metro Boomin with the Weeknd from the former two's respective albums We Don't Trust You and We Still Don't Trust You, on which Dean is also credited with producing "Beat It." On the Weeknd's 2025 album Hurry Up Tomorrow, Dean co-wrote and produced the tracks "Wake Me Up," "Cry for Me," "São Paulo," "Until We're Skin in Bones," "Baptized in Fear," "Opening Night," "Reflections Laughing," "Enjoy the Show," "Given Up on Me," "I Can't Wait to Get There," "Timeless," "Niagara Falls," "Take Me Back to LA," and "Big Sleep".

Discography

Studio albums 4:20 (2020) 4:22 (2021) Smoke State 42222 (2022) 4:23 (2023) 424 (2024) 425 (2025)

Live albums Echoplex (Live 2021) (2021)

Production discography

1980s Def Squad, Texas

1990s

1992 Bushwick Bill – Little Big Man UGK – Too Hard to Swallow Willie D – I'm Goin' Out Lika Soldier

1993 5th Ward Boyz – Ghetto Dope Ganksta NIP – Psychic Thoughts DMG – Rigormortiz Abdullahi A - "Crashin'"

1994 5th Ward Boyz – Gangsta Funk Big Mello – Wegonefunkwichamind Big Mike – Somethin' Serious Blac Monks – Secrets of the Hidden Temple Odd Squad – Fadanuf Fa Erybody!! Scarface – The Diary

1995 5th Ward Boyz – Rated G Bushwick Bill - Phantom of the Rapra Immature - "Just a Little Bit (We Got It)" Jamal – Last Chance, No Breaks Menace Clan – Da Hood Monica - "Before You Walk Out of My Life (Remix)" Poppa LQ - "Housen the Scene" 5th Ward Juvennilez - Deadly Groundz

1996 Various Artists - High School High (soundtrack) Various Artists - Original Gangstas (soundtrack) 3-2 – The Wicked Buddah Baby Quindon - "Dream About You" Do or Die – Picture This Facemob – The Other Side of the Law Rappin' 4-Tay - Off Parole Ganksta NIP – Psychotic Genius Geto Boys – The Resurrection

1997 3X Krazy – Stackin Chips 5th Ward Boyz - Usual Suspects Big Mike – Still Serious Eternal - "Dreams (Mike Dean Remix)" Immature - The Journey Luniz - Lunitik Muzik Scarface –The Untouchable Scarface - "Mary Jane (Mike Dean's Xtra Remix)" Seagram – Souls on Ice

1998 Various Artists- Caught Up (soundtrack) A-G-2-A-Ke – Mil-Ticket Devin the Dude – The Dude Do or Die – Headz or Tailz Ganksta NIP – Interview with a Killa Geto Boys - Da Good da Bad & da Ugly Scarface - My Homies Yukmouth – Thugged Out: The Albulation

2000s 2000 C-Bo – Enemy of the State Do or Die - Victory Outlawz – Ride wit Us or Collide wit Us Scarface – The Last of a Dying Breed

2001 Jennifer Lopez & Daz Dillinger – Play (Jennifer Lopez song) Mike Dean Remix Kurupt - Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey Oz (soundtrack) Tha Dogg Pound – Dillinger & Young Gotti Yukmouth – Thug Lord: The New Testament Sherm – Sherm Smoke

2002 Big Syke – Big Syke Daz Dillinger – This Is the Life I Lead Devin the Dude – Just Tryin' ta Live E-40 – Grit & Grind Hussein Fatal – Fatal Kastro & E.D.I. Mean – Blood Brothers King T – The Kingdom Come Scarface – The Fix Young Noble – Noble Justice

2003 Scarface - Balls and My Word Yukmouth – Godzilla

2004 Devin the Dude - To Tha X+Treme Z-Ro – The Life of Joseph W. McVey Shyne – Godfather Buried Alive Kanye West – The College Dropout

2005 Bun B - Trill Geto Boys – The Foundation Pimp C – Sweet James Jones Stories Z-Ro – Let the Truth Be Told Kanye West – Late Registration

2006 Juvenile – Reality Check Pimp C – Pimpalation Scarface - My Homies Part 2 Z-Ro – I'm Still Livin'

2007 Kanye West – Graduation Scarface – Made

2008 Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak

2009 Mike Jones – The Voice UGK – UGK 4 Life

2010s

2010 Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager Pimp C - The Naked Soul of Sweet Jones Z-Ro – Heroin

2011 Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch the Throne

2012 GOOD Music – Cruel Summer

2013 Beyoncé – Beyoncé Big Sean - Hall of Fame Jay-Z – Magna Carta Holy Grail Kanye West – Yeezus Angel Haze – Dirty Gold Travis Scott – Owl Pharaoh

2014 Rick Ross - Mastermind Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo Freddie Gibbs & Mike Dean – "Sellin' Dope"

2015 The Weeknd - "Where You Belong" ASAP Rocky - At. Long. Last. ASAP Madonna – Rebel Heart Travis Scott – Rodeo Freddie Gibbs – Shadow of a Doubt Scarface - Deeply Rooted The Weeknd – Beauty Behind the Madness Justin Bieber – No Sense

2016 Beyoncé – Lemonade D.R.A.M. - Big Baby DRAM Kanye West – The Life of Pablo Desiigner – New English Frank Ocean – Endless Frank Ocean – Blonde Travis Scott – Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight Ty Dolla Sign – Campaign Yung Lean – Warlord 2 Chainz – Hibachi for Lunch Kid Cudi – Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin' Z-Ro – Legendary

2017 2 Chainz – Pretty Girls Like Trap Music Vic Mensa – The Autobiography Lunice – CCCLX Ty Dolla Sign – Beach House 3 Huncho Jack – Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho

2018 AJ Mitchell – Skyview Migos – Culture II Desiigner – L.O.D. Pusha T – Daytona Kanye West – Ye Kanye West – "Lift Yourself" Dermot Kennedy – Mike Dean Presents: Dermot Kennedy Kids See Ghosts – Kids See Ghosts Christina Aguilera – Liberation Nas – Nasir The Carters – Everything Is Love Teyana Taylor – K.T.S.E. Travis Scott – Astroworld Genetikk – Y.A.L.A

2019 2 Chainz – Rap or Go to the League Madonna – Madame X Maxo Kream – Brandon Banks Kanye West – Jesus Is King Pusha T - "Coming Home" City Morgue – City Morgue Vol 2: As Good as Dead Smokepurpp – Deadstar 2 Sunday Service Choir – Jesus Is Born JackBoys & Travis Scott – JackBoys

2020s 2020 Selena Gomez – Rare 070 Shake – Modus Vivendi Gorillaz - Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez Don Toliver – Heaven or Hell Teyana Taylor – The Album Future - High Off Life Pop Smoke – Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon Burna Boy – Twice as Tall Spillage Village, JID & EarthGang – Spilligion 2 Chainz – So Help Me God! Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon III: The Chosen

2021 Kanye West – Donda Lana Del Rey – Blue Banisters Don Toliver – Life of a Don Mike Dean & Rich the Kid – "Blue Cheese" Aaliyah – "Poison"

2022 FKA Twigs – Caprisongs Kanye West – Donda 2 Fivio Foreign – B.I.B.L.E. Pusha T – It's Almost Dry