A Grammy-nominated producer, France's
DJ Snake is at the forefront of the electronic trap music movement, having taken the genre to the charts with his 2013 single "Turn Down for What" featuring
Lil Jon. He scored an additional mainstream hit with 2015's "Lean On," a multi-platinum, global chart-topper that featured
Major Lazer and vocalist
MØ, before topping that song's success with 2016's
Justin Bieber collaboration "Let Me Love You," off
Snake's Top Ten Billboard 200-charting debut,
Encore. He has remained a chart regular, landing at number one on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums list with 2019's
Carte Blanche. The record also spawned the dance hits "Taki Taki" with
Selena Gomez,
Cardi B, and
Ozuna, and "Fuego" with
Sean Paul,
Anitta, and
Tainy. In 2021, he again joined
Gomez for her song "Selfish Love" before reuniting with
Ozuna (as well as
Megan Thee Stallion and
BlackPink's
Lisa) for the Top Ten dance single "SG."
Born
William Grigahcine,
Snake's production work on
Lady Gaga's 2011 effort
Born This Way earned him a Grammy nod when it was nominated for Album of the Year in 2012. He signed with
Diplo's imprint Mad Decent that year and released the single "Bird Machine" on the label in 2013. The singles "Slow Down" and "Together" also arrived in 2013, along with more work for
Gaga on her
ARTPOP album.
Snake's big break as a solo artist came late in the year when "Turn Down for What," featuring
Lil Jon, arrived and became the most popular crossover trap hit since
Baauer's "Harlem Shake." In 2014, he collaborated with
Dillon Francis on the single "Get Low," while 2015 saw him join
MØ and
Major Lazer on the worldwide hit "Lean On."
In 2016,
DJ Snake delivered his debut album,
Encore, which appeared at number eight on the Billboard 200 chart. Included on the record were the singles "Middle" featuring guest vocalist
Bipolar Sunshine and "Let Me Love You" with
Justin Bieber. The latter track topped the charts and was certified multi-platinum across the globe. More singles followed, including 2017's "A Different Way" featuring vocalist
Lauv.
The following year,
Snake landed hits first with his solo track "Magenta Riddim," followed by "Taki Taki," a collaboration with
Selena Gomez,
Cardi B, and
Ozuna that charted across the globe, including a number two placement in France. "Try Me" with Plastic Toy and "SouthSide" with
Eptic followed in early 2019. All of these singles were included on
Snake's sophomore full-length,
Carte Blanche, which arrived in July 2019 and hit number four on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Also featured on the album were appearances by
J Balvin,
Anitta,
Majid Jordan,
Bryson Tiller,
Zomboy, and others. A stand-alone track, "Trust Nobody," appeared in June 2020. The following year, he collaborated with
Selena Gomez on her song "Selfish Love," and with
Rick Ross and
Rich Brian on "Run It." Another single, "SG" with
Ozuna,
Megan Thee Stallion, and
BlackPink's
Lisa, appeared in 2021 and hit the Top Ten of Billboard's Dance chart. ~ David Jeffries