Tommy Tee

Tommy Tee, also known as Father Blanco, birth name Tommy Flaaten, is a Norwegian musician, record producer, broadcaster, record company owner, concert promoter and magazine publisher. Tee owns the label "Tee Productions", which is located in Oslo, Norway and is Norway's leading hip hop label. As well, he publishes Norway's only graffiti magazine and hosts a weekly national radio program.

Early Years 1980-1991

Tommy Tee started out as a graffiti artist and BBoy. Tee then became interested in DJing and started making mixtapes. He has been a radio and club DJ since 1986.

In 1989, Tee started Norway's first and only hip hop magazine "Fat Cap" which has become one of the world's leading graffiti magazines with international distribution. He also started doing production work in the late 1980s. For Ice Cube's 1990 Oslo concert he was the support act. He was DJ for Norway's first rap group on record. Tee would later work as a promoter for concerts by Ice Cube, Run DMC, The Fugees, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest and 50 Cent in Norway.

Radio program

In 1992, Danish company Mega Records appointed Tee as its Norwegian sales manager. Norway's national broadcaster NRK offered him a prime time show on its new P3 network. The show is called "National Rap Show" and runs every Friday night from 21:00 to 00:00. It quickly became popular and has featured guest acts such as Snoop Dogg, the Roots and Big Pun.

Tee Productions 1995-

Tommy Tee started Tee Productions in 1995. He produced his first whole album by jazz artist Helén Eriksen called "Standards" in 1996. This album was later released by Blue Note Records in Europe and Japan. Eriksen won a Norwegian Grammy as Best New Artist in 1996.

Tee's first album "Bonds Beats and Beliefs" was released in 1998 becoming Norway's most successful hip hop record. It featured Talib Kweli on the track "Day by Day" which was released as a single in the US. While the album was not officially released in the US, it did have a following on college radio and in hip hop magazines and also received reviews in Australia, England, Germany, Sweden and Denmark.

Tee then featured on a compilation album of the artists on his label "T.P. Allstars: Norske Byggeklosser" debuted in the Norwegian top 5 and was released in the US in late 1999 through Fat Beats Records. It featured US rapper Pete Rock on the first single "World Renown". "The Source" said the single was a "contender for Indie Release of the year."

The "T.P. Allstars" album also featured a collaboration between Swedish artist Petter and TP artist Diaz on the track "Crossing Borders" which was a top ten hit in Scandinavia in 1999. In return, Tee produced two tracks on Petter's album "Bananrepubliken" which went platinum and won three Swedish Grammy awards in 2001.

In 2004, Tee released a collaborative album with Ken Ring of Sweden called "2 Legender utan Penger", as well as a single two videos, "BB Berättelsen" and "Måste Seja Hei". He also releases the mixtape series H.E.A.T. (vol1-6) and the album Fred Frihet & Alt Gratis with group Gatas Parlament which got international exposure in CNN, XXL, Billboard and more.

As of 2005, Tee Productions has seven artists on its roster including Tee, Diaz, Warlocks, Opaque, Son of Light, The Loudmouf Choir and Gatas Parlament.

In January 2007, Tee signs Oslo new rap sensation A-Lee to Tee Productions

Tommy Tee's recent work includes producing the song "Church" on Sean Price's 2007 album Jesus Price Supastar, 2 songs on the album "Ghetto Warfare" by M.O.P. and 5 songs off the new Smif-n-Wessun album "The Album" (2007).

Tommy Tee just released a street-album entitled "No Studio No Time" with artists like Grafh, Masta Ace, Agallah, Tim Dog, AG, Party Arty, Large Professor, JoJo Pellegrino and many more to warm up for the new offial album.

Tommy Tee is now getting ready to release his new album Studio-Time in 2008.

The first single "Feelin' It" (feat. JoJo Pellegrino & Noora Noor) is out now:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF9B_6aJpUU

Discography

Albums

* "Bonds Beats and Beliefs" (1998)
* "T.P. Allstars: Norske Byggeklosser" (1999) (with other Tee artists)
* "Various: ScandalNavia vol.1" (2000) (with various Scandinavian artists)
* "Back To Work" (2005)Official Tee Prod. mixtapealbum
* "2 Legender utan Penger" with Ken Ring (2004)
* "Tommy Tycker Om Mej" (2005)
* "No Studio No Time" (2007)
* "Absolute Music Tee" (2007)
* "Studio-Time (music is the message)" (2008)

ingles

* "Takin Ova" (feat. N-Light-N, Diaz, Warlocks, Opqaue & Father Blanco)(1998)
* "Takin Ova US" (feat. Shabam Sahdeeq, Mr. Eon, A.L., Joe Sexxx)(1998)
* "Crossing Borders" (feat. Diaz & Petter)(1999)
* "International Connects" (feat. Mike Zoot & El Da Sensei)(1999)
* "Day by Day" (feat. Talib Kweli and Punchline & Wordsworth) (1999)
* "Blood Rush" (feat. F.T. & P-Dap) (1999)
* "World Renown" (feat. Pete Rock, Mike Zoot, Large Pro & AG)(2000)
* "What's Your Name" (feat. Nice N Smooth) (2002)
* "BB Berättelsen" (2004) with Ken Ring
* "Måste Seja Hei" (2004) with Ken Ring
* "Gimme Dat" (feat. Stat Quo, Rah Digga & Young Zee) (2006)
* "Feelin' It" with JoJo Pellegrino & Noora Noor (2007)

Gimme Dat is available for free download at Tommy Tee's official website, www.teeproductions.com [http://www.teeproductions.com/music/tommytee_gimmdat.mp3 [Click here to download]

All Tee Productions release are available at iTunes and various other digital music outlets.

Production credits

* "Standards" by Helén Eriksen (1996) [whole album]
* "Top Notch" by Warlocks (1998) [3 songs]
* "Deep Green" by N-Light-N (1997) [whole album] '
* "Lovevirgin" by Helén Eriksen (1998) [whole album]
* "Mic Knights" by Warlocks (1998) [3 songs]
* "Bananrepubliken" by Petter (1998) [2 songs]
* "Mitt Hem Blir Ditt Heim" by Ken Ring (1999) [2 songs]
* "2050" by Diaz (2000) [whole album]
* "Gourmet Garbage" by Opaque (2001) [whole album]
* "Afterlife" by Warlocks (2001) [2 songs]
* "EP" by Son of Light (2002) [whole album]
* "Trilogy" by Souls of Mischief (2002) [2 songs]
* "Velkommen Hjem Andres" by Diaz (2002) [whole album]
* "Soundscience remix" by Souls of Mischief ft. Del (2003) [single]
* "The Great Escape" by Paperboys (2003) [3 songs]
* "It's All a Mad Con" by MadCon (2004) [1 song]
* "Klikk" by SkillsMissseBaren (2004) [1 song]
* "Planet Ph3" by Phenomena 3 (2004) [3 songs]
* "Fred, Frihet & Alt Gratis" by Gatas Parlament (2004) [4 songs]
* "Difficult to Understand" by The Loudmouf Choir (2004) [2 songs single]
* "Neverending Story" by Warlocks (2005) [1 song]
* "Marxmen" by MOP (2005) [1 song]
* "Appointment with the Underground" by Zombi Squad (2006) [3 songs]
* "Jessheimfanden" by Diaz (2006) [2 songs]
* "Ghetto Warfare" by MOP (2006) [1 song]
* "Get Dirty Radio" by AG (DITC) (2006) [2 songs]
* "Disgusting" by Bestruck (2006) [3 songs]
* "Kohi De Browny" by Kohinoor (2006) [5 songs + executive producer]
* "Jesus Price Superstar" by Sean Price (2007) [1 song]
* "Antligen Hemma" by Ken Ring (2007) [4 songs (3 singles)]
* "The Album" by Smif N Wessun (2007) [5 songs]
* "Kidsa har Alltid Rett" by Gatas Parlament (2008) [5 songs]

www.myspace.com/tommyteemusic

MIXTAPES:Florrockin' (1993)Beasts from the East vol.1. (1994)Beasts from the East vol.2. (1994)Stikking (w/Diaz - 1995)Basic Education (w/Dj Herkules) (2001)Girls, Girls, Girls (2003)H.E.A.T. vol.1-6 (2004/2005)Golden Era (2006)

External references

* [http://www.teeproductions.com/artist_tommy_biography.html Tommy Tee Biography on Tee Productions site]
* [http://www.teeproductions.com/artist_tommy_discography.html Tommy Tee Discography on Tee Productions site]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jekcikkkbb19 Tommy Tee All Music Guide article]
* [http://www.myspace.com/tommyteemusic Tommy Tee on Myspace]