Damion "Damizza" Young

Damion Young is an American radio executive, record producer, artist, and author with a career spanning more than three decades in the music industry. Young began his radio career at age 12 and became the youngest program director at 17. In this role, he played a part in launching songs by Hootie and the Blowfish and No Doubt. He served as senior director of programming at Power 106 in Los Angeles and spent significant time at Hot 97 in New York.

As music director, Young led Power 106 to the top of the ratings, contributing to the rise of artists such as Eminem and Jay-Z, and facilitating the collaboration between Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on the album "2001." He supported Jay-Z's international reach, assisted Janet Jackson in revitalizing her career, and provided guidance to Dr. Dre on introducing Eminem to a wider audience. Young was recognized by The Source magazine as one of the most influential figures in hip-hop. His industry nickname, Damizza, was given by Mariah Carey during the production of "I Still Believe," which marked his first commercial release as a producer.

Young's production debut with a remix of Carey's "I Still Believe" led to his first Billboard Hot 100 hit with "Where I Wanna Be," a collaboration with KG. He went on to produce for Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Shade Sheist, and Butch Cassidy, and continued to work with Carey on tracks such as "Crybaby," "If We" featuring Ja Rule and Nate Dogg, and "Irresistible (West Side Connection)." Young contributed to Carey's career transition following the "Glitter" project and managed her move to Benny Medina, which resulted in the single "We Belong Together."

Young expanded his production work to artists including Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Lil Wayne, and Ludacris. He played a role in easing the East/West Coast rap feud by introducing Snoop Dogg to the Notorious B.I.G. and arranging Snoop's performance with Jay-Z at Hot 97's Summer Jam. With 50 million record sales and multiple awards, Young's career reflects his influence in hip-hop, radio programming, and music production.

Young is the author of "Guilty by Association," which received critical attention and was featured in Page Six, the BBC, and USA Today. He has spoken at California universities and colleges about his experiences in radio and hip-hop. After a period away from the public eye to care for his grandmother, Young returned to social media, where his commentary on hip-hop history attracted a large following and significant engagement, underscoring his ongoing relevance in the music and media industries.