Deric Angelettie

Deric Angelettie
Birth name Deric Michael Angelettie
Also known as
  • D-Dot
  • Mad Rapper
  • D.O.P.
  • Papa Dot
Born July 31, 1968
New York City, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Record producer
  • rapper
  • songwriter
  • television producer
  • film producer
  • entrepreneur
Years active 1990–present
Labels
Member of
Website madrapper.com

Deric Michael Angelettie (born July 31, 1968), also known as D-Dot, Papa Dot, and the Madd Rapper, is an American record producer. He has served as executive producer and A&R for No Way Out (1997) by Puff Daddy & the Family, which won a Grammy Award, as well as three other Grammy-nominated albums. He also won the BMI Urban Award in 2001.

While attending Howard University in the late 1980s, Angelettie and Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence formed the conscious hip hop duo Two Kings In A Cipher, and released their debut album From Pyramids to Projects (1991) through RCA Records. He received further success as a producer, with credits on albums for artists including The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent, among others; he produced 1997 singles "Hypnotize" by Notorious B.I.G., and "It's All About The Benjamins" by Diddy. Angelettie was the "Captain" of Bad Boy Records' production team, The Hitmen. As a recording artist, he created the character The Madd Rapper, who made his recording debut on B.I.G.'s second album, Life After Death (1997). He released his debut album as the character, Tell Em Why U Madd (1999) through Columbia Records. The album featured the then-unknown rappers 50 Cent (on the song "How to Rob") and Kanye West, the latter of whom Angelletie managed.

Outside of music, Angelettie is the founder of Crazy Cat Catalogue and Crazy Cat Cinemas. He has appeared on and produced the titlular song for MTV's reality show Making The Band 1 & 2. He co-hosted the television series Hip-Hop Hold 'Em on UPN, and was a "music consultant" for the 2009 film Notorious, due to his personal connection with the film's subject. He was an associate producer for the 2018 film Steps-The Movie, executive produced by Shaquille O'Neal.

Career

Two Kings in a Cipher

While attending Howard University from 1986 to 1989, Angelettie and his friend Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence formed the conscious rap Two Kings in a Cipher. In 1990, the duo signed a recording deal to RCA/Bahia. In 1990, they debuted their first single "Movin 'On 'Em" and in 1991, they released their debut album From Pyramids to Projects. The album received critical acclaim but the duo was dropped from RCA in 1993.

Bad Boy Entertainment

After moving back to New York City from Washington, D.C., D-Dot joined Bad Boy Entertainment in 1993 and in a 5-year span, Angelettie went from intern, to director of merchandising and management, to booking shows for artists Craig Mack and the Notorious B.I.G., to managing R&B diva Mary J. Blige on her My Life Tour (1994-1996), to becoming the head of Bad Boy's A&R Department as vice-president, and then finally in 1996 becoming the "captain" of the Hitmen — Bad Boy's in-house production team.

As a producer and songwriter, D-Dot produced and wrote multi-platinum songs for legendary artists such as Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Outkast and Eminem among many others. He produced and wrote mega hits such as Diddy's "It's All About the Benjamins", and the Notorious B.I.G's "Hypnotize", and has sold over 30 million records as a producer, executive producer, songwriter and artist.

Angelettie executive-produced multi-platinum albums for the Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, Mase, Faith Evans, the Lox, Black Rob, and Da Band.

As a producer, Angelettie's credits also include songs for artists: Lil' Kim, Nas, Nicki Minaj, Busta Rhymes. Angelettie has managed artists such as Kanye West.

The Madd Rapper

The Madd Rapper persona debuted on a skit on the Notorious B.I.G.'s second LP (Life After Death) in 1997. In 2000 he had to drop the word "the" and the "d" from The Madd Rapper due to legal issues with MADD. The new stage name became Mad Rapper. Angelettie's alter ego released his debut album, Tell 'Em Why U Madd, on his own Crazy Cat Catalogue Label in 1999. The album featured guest appearances from Puff Daddy, Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, Jermaine Dupri, Lil' Cease. The album also introduced young rapper 50 Cent and young producer Kanye West.

On November 19, 1998, Angelettie was charged with participating in the assault of Blaze Magazine editor Jesse Washington. Washington claimed that the assault was made because he published a photograph (taken with Angelettie's consent) that revealed the Madd Rapper's identity, which up until that time had been concealed from the general public but widely known in the music industry. The editor and Angelettie settled out of court.

Business

Angelettie has appeared on MTVʼs reality show Making the Band 1 & 2. He has co-hosted the television show "Hip-Hop Hold 'Em" on UPN, and was the "Music Consultant" for the "Notorious" movie on Fox/Searchlight Pictures - 2009. Angelettie also owns and runs Connect the Dots, a management and strategy company with clients such as multi-platinum producer, Stevie J from VH1's #1 cable reality show, Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta and Eddie Harris, a screenwriter whose credits include House of Bodies (2014) and Steps (2015). Angelettie was a producer on the film Steps, and executive producer of the documentary Rules To This $hit, distributed through Complex Networks.

Personal life

Angelettie was born and raised an only child in Brooklyn, New York, to an African-American father Eric Angelettie and a Puerto Rican mother Dr. Noemi Angelettie-Wallace. He graduated from Samuel J Tilden High School in 1986 and then later attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., and dropped out in 1989 to pursue his music career. He is married to author Lisa Angelettie and has four daughters.

Studio albums (as an artist)

Two Kings in a Cipher

  • From Pyramids to Projects (Bahia Ent./RCA) - 1991

Madd Rapper

Mad Rapper

  • Appreciate The Hate - Vol #2 - 2013
  • Appreciate The Hate - Vol #3 - 2019
  • Fire Sign - The EP - 2020

Awards

MTV Video Music Awards

Year Nominee/work Credits Award Result
1998 "It's All About the Benjamins" (Rock Remix) Co-production Video of the Year Nominated
Viewer's Choice Won
"Come with Me" (from Godzilla) Best Video from a Film Nominated

Grammy Awards

Year Nominee/work Credits Award Result
1998 No Way Out Executive production Best Rap Album Won
Life After Death A&R Best Rap Album Nominated

NARAS Awards

Year Nominee/work Credits Award Result
1998 Deric Angelettie Producer of The Year Grammy Naras Governor's New Horizon Award Won

Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

Rank Artist Album Credits Year
483 The Notorious B.I.G. Life After Death A&R 1997

Filmography

  • Behind The Music (2001) - Self
  • Driven (Lil' Kim) (2003) - Self
  • Making The Band 1 & 2 (2004) - Self, Music Producer
  • Hip-Hop Hold 'Em (2006) - Host
  • E! True Hollywood Story (2006) - Self
  • Life After Death: The Movie (2007) - Self
  • Notorious (2009) - Music Consultant
  • Rules To This Shit (2019) - Executive Producer
  • Steps - The Movie (2021) - Associate Producer
  • Neutralize (2021) - Producer