Bizzey

As a founding member of Dutch DJ collective Yellow Claw, singer/MC/DJ Bizzey spent years making music with his group before emerging as a solo artist in 2017. Incorporating a wide tapestry of styles and voices into his music, Bizzey’s solo material drew from hip-hop, electronic, Latin rhythms, and various currents of underground club sounds. After finding great success with a series of one-off tracks like the Yung Felix-produced “Drama” and viral hit “Traag,” Bizzey issued his debut album, November, in 2018. Bizzey was born Leonardo Roelandschap in 1985 and grew up in the town of Amersfoort in the Utrecht province of the Netherlands. His father owned the local record store and Roelandschap quickly gravitated toward music, writing his own raps and breakdancing by his early teens. His time in the spotlight began with collaborations with producer Don Diablo in 2006, spawning online hits like “This Way (Too Many Times)” as well as other songs. Now active as Bizzey (or DJ Bizzey), the rapper co-founded the group Yellow Claw in 2010 with other multi-talented performers Nizzle and Jim Aasgier. The group climbed to international success and Bizzey spent years on the road and in the studio as their fame grew. In 2017, now a father, Bizzey left Yellow Claw to begin a solo career that would afford him more time with his family. Early singles like “Lovesong,” “JA!,” “Shaka Zulu,” and the internationally tracked club hit “Traag” all found enormous success, wracking up millions of streams, video views, and plays in clubs all over the world. In early 2018 Bizzey released his debut album, November, the most complete example of his multifaceted approach to date. The album included contributions from Dopebwoy, Chivv, Prince Ehis, and many others. ~ Fred Thomas