Disco D

Dave Shayman, better known to the masses as Disco D, burst onto the scene at the age of eighteen as one of the originators of the ghettotech sound — a wicked hybrid of techno, electro and ghetto booty house. Once he brought his turntablist skills into the mix, it wasn’t long before media outlets from Alternative Press to Details were designating him as the Next Big Thing. After setting the underground on fire and relocating from his native Detroit to New York City, Disco D (due at the Root in Boulder on Friday, April 14) moved into the realm of commercial hip-hop — a sellout move to some. But his work with the likes of 50 Cent and Kevin Federline (that’s Mr. Britney Spears to you and me) has also allowed him to maintain his underground empire, including a series of self-released CDs and DVDs. And while his work with Federline may have introduced D to the world of tabloid journalism, his heart remains in the underground dance and hip-hop scenes where he got his start.