VERNON D. HILL
Artist, producer, musician, composer, engineer.
Vernon D. Hill is a native Detroiter whose musical background stretches from classical to jazz, hip-hop, RNB, Heavy Metal, Rock, Kreyol soul, house, ambient Gospel and Electro.
Graduated from Northwestern High School, playing trombone and piano in the jazz band and orchestra studying Jazz and classical music from Detroit legends such as Harold McKinney, Ernie Rodgers, Bess Bonnier and John Massenburg, while also playing live gigs as a student with Motown artist like the Dramatics, Michael Henderson and the Contours. He also studied music and received a diploma in music education and liberal arts from Anderson College in Indiana.
Vernon developed his professional career living for 20 years in Germany, where he toured with his band, Vernon and the Crew. Since returning to Detroit in 2000, he has recorded with Dwele, Slum Village, Phat Kat, J Dilla and the Platinum Pied Pipers, Greg Dokes, Luniz, Joy Delelane and Calvin Richardson to name a few.
Europe:
Hill moved to Heidelberg, Germany, in 1980 and started working in several funk bands with Sydney young Blood, David Haynes, Armin Ruhl, KJ Dallaway, Robbie Mariano (Xavier niado bassist) Frank Itt, John Davis and a many other musicians from the European music scene.
In 1991 Vernon opened a recording studio in Germany, near the French border. which evolved into creating his first band “Detroit Meets Trinidad” with Trumpeter KJ Dallaway.
Currently residing in Berlin Germany as a producer and publisher for artists from Europe and the USA and continues to tour and record as Dwele's bandleader.
Detroit:
After meeting with studio musician Alvin Moore songwriter with “Fred Hammond” prompted an invitation to RJ Rice's studio where he met RJ Rice founder of BARAK RECORDS where he worked as head engineer and mentor to now producer Young RJ.
He produced, engineered and recorded tracks for Slum Village such as "Disco" "What’s that all about”, Unisex, the 2003 hit Tainted and played keyboards on the underground hip hop classic “Climax” with J dilla for the album “Fantastic vol.2” by Slum Village, Dwele for the album “Subject”, played Keyboards and engineered for Calvin Richardson for the album “2:35pm”.
He also produced and co produced tracks with producer Waajeed Bryant (Platinum Pied pipers) such as “LaLa” along the opening title (From the highly acclaimed album by Slum Village “Trinity “Past present future”) in addition to engineering and recording tracks for other international and national recording artists and producers such as:
D112, MC Breed, RAS Kaz, MC Serch, Mario Winans, Kurupt, Miss Jade, Ol Dirty Bastard, Calvin Richardson, Phat Kat, Ron Banks, LJ Reynolds (The Dramatics) and T-Love to name a few.
Served as the band leader for The Family tree Tour 2001 backing up Slum Village, Phat Kat, Mystic, Phiff Dawg, Rasta Roots, Jaroubi (tribe called Quest) and Bahamadia which later lead to a tour and recording collaboration with Dwele.
Vernon continued being band leader for Slum village with the Roots on the Okay player tour 2001, Lyricst lounge tour, and D'Angelo "Voodoo tour".
Shared the stage with Angie Stone, Jill Scott, Chaka Kahn, Floetry, Brian McKnight, Toni Braxton, Patti Labelle, Layla Hathaway, Mint Condition, The Time, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Monica, Montel Jordan, Wu Tang Clan, Musik Soulchild, Eryka Badu, Ronnie Laws, Roy Hargrove, Roy Ayers, Guru, Dela Soul, Raphael Sadiq, Nelly Furtardo, The Black eyed Peas and Justin Timberlake.
Vernon relocated back to Europe after completing a project in Hollywood with frank and Dank and Illa J (younger brother of the late legendarily J Dilla) titled the “Yancey boys” and now resides in Berlin Germany currently working on new productions in Italy and Germany.
Recording experience:
R.J. Rice Studios
Detroit Michigan
Chief engineer, keyboardist and producer for Barak Records.
Planet to Planet Studios
New York
Assistant Engineer with Kirk Yano
Jumping productions UFA
Germany
Chief recording Engineer, keyboardist and producer for BMG
Sterling Sound
New York
Assistant Mastering Engineer with Tom Coyne for Capitol records.
Pilot studios
Munich Germany
Assistant engineer and producer with Lee Curly for Sony/BMG
DISCOGRAPHY USA/EUROPE
Slum Village (“Fantastic vol.2”)
Released 2001-goodvibe records
Keyboardist Engineer
Slum Village / Phat Kat (“LaLa”}
Released 2002- Capitol Priority records
Keyboardist co producer
Slum Village (“Trinity “Past Present and Future)
Released 2003 - Capitol Priority Records
Co- produced, Keyboardist, Engineer.
Dwele (“Subject”)
Released 2003 Virgin Records
Engineer
Dwele (“Some Kinda”)
Released 2005 Virgin Records - Engineer.
Black Milk (“Sound of The City”)
Released 2005 independent. -Engineer.
Lawless Element
Released 2005 Engineer, Keyboard. Babygrande records
Slum Village (“Detroit Deli)
Released 2004 Capitol records
Keyboard, Sound Engineer
Slum Village – (Prequel To A Classic)
Keyboards - Vernon D. Hill . (Slum Village/Scott Storch) Barak records
USA
Released 2005
Slum Village - Get Live! / One (Slum Village/Scott Storch)
2001|Vinyl|JCOR Entertainment, Barak Records
keyboards, Engineer
Slum Village (Villa manifesto)
Barak records
USA
Released 2010
Co producer, composer and keyboardist.
Phatt Kat (“Undeniable”) Barak records
Released 2004.
Co- produced and Sound Engineer.
Phatt Kat (“Quiet Bubbles”)
Released 2007 Look records
Engineer.
Platinum Pied pipers: (“Triple P) Ubiquity records
released 2005
Keyboardist, co producer.
Waajeed Presents. The War LP Part 1
2007|Vinyl|Fat City|
Vernon D. Hill Keyboards Mixed By Vernon D. Hill Waajeed
Produced by Waajeed Vernon D. Hill
Calvin Richardson (“4:30a.m.”).
Released 2003 Hollywood /Disney records
Recording Engineer
Greg Dokes (“Pleasure”)
Released 2005 - Independent –
co pruducer Engineer, Keyboards,
DJ Romanto (“Out of the Drum”)
Released 1998 BMG (Europe)
Engineer, Keyboards.
Andr�s - II
2009|Vinyl|Mahogani Music|MM24
Knight Keyboards Step Pattern Vernon D. Hill Featuring Vernon Hill Sing About It Kenny Dixon Jr
sn00ze - Mellow Soulfood EP (Europe)
2008|Vinyl|Enemy Movement|NMEMOVE001
Backing Vocals
KJ Dallaway & friends (“KJ Dallaway & friends Live”)
Released 2004 Independent (Europe)
Co produced, Keyboards, Engineer.
Mike Marshall (“If I Could Get the Chance”)
Released 1999 BMG (Europe)
Joy Denalane(“Time Heals the Pain”)
Released 1999 BMG (Europe)
Co producer, keyboardist , Engineer.
Stevy Mahy(“The beautiful side of a Kreyol trip”)
Released 2010 C records (Europe-Guadeloupe)
Co producer keyboardist and arranger.
Media (Television/Video USA Europe middle east)
Jimmy Kimmel show Dwele Virgin records”
Orlando Jones show Dwele Virgin records
Soul Train Dwele Virgin records
MTV Base Lounge UK Dwele Virgin records
BBC Radio with Giles Peterson Dwele Virgin Records
Music choiceT.V. Slum Village Barak Records
Tom Joyner morning show Dwele Virgin records
Jimmy Kimmel show Dwele Virgin Records
(Super bowl special)
VH1 Unplugged Dwele Virgin Records
MTV Unplugged Dwele Virgin Records
BET Live Dwele Virgin Records
XM Radio Dwele Virgin Records
BBC Radio 1/w. Giles Peterson Dwele & Roy Hargrove Virgin records
TEL AVIV TV (new years concert) Temptations
Tours: USA/Europe/Middle East
Slum Village:
2001-2003
Family Tree Tour Goodvibe Recordings
Barak Records.
Timotheus Entertainment
The Roots & Eryka Badu
2001-2002
Okay Player Tour MCA Records
Rapheal Saadiq
2002
Lucy Pearl Tour Atlantic Records
D’Angelo
2002
“Voodoo Tour” MCA Records
Mos Def
2002-2003
MTV’s Lyrics Lounge Tour Interscope records
Common:
2006
J dilla Tribute concert Stones throw records
Dwele:
2003 Dwele Subject Tour Virgin Records, Barak Records
2003 Montreux Jazz Festival Virgin Record
2003 North Sea Jazz festival Virgin records
2005 Some Kinda tour USA/Europe Virgin Records
2005 Temptations Israel
2006 Dwele Japan Tokyo-Virgin Records
2007-2008 Sketches of a man tour USA & Europe-Koch Records
2010 Dwele Setches of a man world tour Europe-Koch Records
Stevy Mahy:
2010 Beautiful side of a Kreyol trip tour Guadeloupe, Guinea, Martinique
Caribbean Records
Theater:
Basel, Switzerland
Scala Theater Company.
Keyboardist, programmer and musical director for the following musical productions;
“West Side Story”(with Jennifer Lopez)
“Hair”,
“Jesus Christ Superstar”
“ Best of Broadway”
“Gershwin Revue”
“Rocky Horror Picture Show” (Theatrical Version).
Email
vernongerman@yahoo.com
Contact in Europe
Studio24
Wittekind str.15
10178 Berlin Germany
49 176 850 88819
Contact in the US
Natasha’s world publishing LLC
18944 Warrington drive
48221 Detroit Michigan
E. Hill
001 313 345 9519
Affiliations:
Member: ASCAP/BMI
Detroit Federation of Musicians Union
