Real Name: William Sami Étienne Grigahcine
Date of Birth: June 13, 1986
Place of Birth: Paris, France
Profession: DJ, music producer, composer
Genres: EDM, trap, house, hip-hop, pop, reggaeton
Active since: 2009
Early Years
William Sami Étienne Grigahcine was born in the suburbs of Paris to a family of Algerian immigrants. He grew up in a multicultural environment where French pop culture blended with hip-hop, North African, and Latin American music.
From an early age, William showed a keen interest in DJing — by the age of 14, he was already performing at local parties. The nickname DJ Snake came to him in his teenage years for his ability to “slip out” of tricky situations quickly and precisely — a trait that later became symbolic of his stage persona.
Snake began experimenting with music production on his home computer, creating remixes for French rappers and American artists. He has admitted that he was heavily influenced by Cypress Hill, Dr. Dre, Daft Punk, and Timbaland, whose work helped shape his own understanding of rhythm and sound design.
First Steps and Collaboration with Lady Gaga
DJ Snake began his career as a producer and sound engineer. In the early 2010s, he worked on remixes for underground artists, but his major breakthrough came in 2011 when he co-wrote and produced the track “Government Hooker” for Lady Gaga’s album Born This Way.
The song was praised by critics as one of the album’s standout tracks, and the record itself was nominated for a Grammy Award. This collaboration launched DJ Snake onto the global stage and opened doors to the mainstream electronic music industry.
Global Fame: “Turn Down for What” and “Lean On”
The real explosion came with the release of “Turn Down for What” (2013), recorded with Lil Jon. The track fused trap, EDM, and hip-hop, while its viral music video amassed hundreds of millions of views. The single went multi-platinum in the U.S. and earned Snake an MTV Music Award.
In 2015, he teamed up with Major Lazer and singer MØ to create the legendary hit “Lean On”. The track topped charts worldwide and became one of the most streamed songs in Spotify’s history. It changed the perception of electronic music by introducing Indian and Eastern rhythms into the mainstream.
Following this success came a series of hit releases:
- “Middle” (2016) featuring Bipolar Sunshine — a melodic and emotional song showing the softer side of his production.
- “Let Me Love You” (2016) — a collaboration with Justin Bieber that became a global success and a symbol of crossover EDM.
Studio Albums
| Year | Title | Key Tracks and Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Encore | Debut album that established DJ Snake as a global EDM headliner. Includes hits like Middle, Let Me Love You (with Justin Bieber), Propaganda, Talk, and Sahara. The album blends melodic house and trap elements. |
| 2019 | Carte Blanche | His second album, reflecting a broader musical range. Features tracks such as Taki Taki, Loco Contigo, Enzo, Magenta Riddim, and Fuego. Combines EDM, reggaeton, afrobeat, and hip-hop influences. |
| 2025 (announced) | Nomad | A new project focused on a more atmospheric, cinematic sound with global collaborations. |
Key Singles and Collaborations
| Year | Track | Collaborators / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Turn Down for What | With Lil Jon; explosive trap anthem that brought him global fame. |
| 2014 | Get Low | With Dillon Francis; a club favorite and festival staple. |
| 2014 | You Know You Like It | With AlunaGeorge; a rework of a British indie hit. |
| 2015 | Lean On | With Major Lazer and MØ; one of the most streamed songs of the decade. |
| 2015 | Middle | Featuring Bipolar Sunshine; a melodic crossover between pop and EDM. |
| 2016 | Let Me Love You | With Justin Bieber; a global radio hit that solidified Snake’s mainstream status. |
| 2016 | The Half | With Young Thug, Jeremih, and Swizz Beatz; a blend of trap and hip-hop. |
| 2017 | A Different Way | With Lauv; an emotional track with a strong lyrical focus. |
| 2018 | Magenta Riddim | A dance anthem with Indian-inspired motifs. |
| 2018 | Taki Taki | With Cardi B, Selena Gomez, and Ozuna; one of the biggest Latin-EDM hits ever. |
| 2019 | Enzo | With Sheck Wes, Offset, 21 Savage, and Gucci Mane; a heavy trap banger. |
| 2019 | Loco Contigo | With J Balvin and Tyga; smooth reggaeton-inspired hit. |
| 2019 | Fuego | With Sean Paul, Anitta, and Tainy; a mix of dancehall and electronic beats. |
| 2020 | Trust Nobody | A return to darker, club-oriented techno-trap sounds. |
| 2021 | Selfish Love | With Selena Gomez; a Latin-pop track with atmospheric production. |
| 2021 | SG | With Ozuna, Megan Thee Stallion, and Lisa of BLACKPINK; a global collaboration uniting three continents. |
| 2023 | Please Don’t Change | With Jung Kook; EDM integration into the K-pop market. |
| 2025 | Noventa | With J Balvin; a return to reggaeton and global bass roots. |
Notable Remixes
- Lean On (Remix Series) — reimagined versions with added trap drops.
- Propaganda (Remix EP) — a set of festival remixes from top producers.
- You Are My High (with Malaa, 2021) — a reinterpretation of a classic house track.
- Let Me Love You (Club Edit) — extended club version with boosted bass and drop sections.
Discography Achievements
- Over 15 billion streams across all platforms.
- More than 10 platinum and gold certifications worldwide.
- Over 10 singles that reached the Top 10 in global charts.
- “Lean On” and “Taki Taki” are among the most streamed songs of the decade.
- Carte Blanche recognized as one of the best EDM albums of the 2010s.
Musical Style and Philosophy
DJ Snake refuses to be confined by genre boundaries. His sound is a hybrid of EDM, trap, pop, house, and hip-hop, built on powerful rhythm and emotional delivery.
His productions are characterized by tight bass architecture, sharp drops, vocal sampling, and attention to sonic dynamics.
Known for his perfectionism, Snake can spend months fine-tuning a single track to achieve flawless sound balance. Every release is meticulously crafted and accompanied by a strong visual concept.
Concerts and Visual Shows
DJ Snake is a master performer, blending lights, lasers, and immersive sound into a single experience.
He is one of the few DJs to have sold out the Stade de France (capacity over 80,000) with a solo show — a historic milestone in French electronic music.
He regularly headlines the world’s biggest festivals — Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival, Coachella, EDC Las Vegas, Creamfields, and many others.
Awards and Achievements
- Multiple platinum and gold certifications in dozens of countries.
- Nominations for Grammy, Billboard Music Awards, and MTV Europe Music Awards.
- Over 10 billion streams on Spotify.
- Music video for “Taki Taki” surpassed 8 billion views on YouTube.
- Ranked among the Top 10 DJs in the world by DJ Mag and Billboard Dance.
- The first French DJ to perform atop the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, delivering a historic live show in 2021.
Personal Life
DJ Snake keeps his private life low-key, believing that “an artist should speak through music.” He divides his time between Paris and Los Angeles, stays active in sports, and lives a disciplined, almost ascetic lifestyle.
He openly supports young artists and often mentors emerging producers. His motto:
“Music is not a competition — it’s the language the world speaks.”
Legacy and Influence
DJ Snake is more than an artist — he is a global cultural icon. He has united musical worlds — from Parisian clubs to Los Angeles streets, from Arabic influences to Caribbean rhythms.
His work has blurred the lines between pop and electronic music, making EDM an integral part of global popular culture.
Today, he remains a symbol of the French wave in world music — following in the footsteps of Daft Punk and David Guetta, yet maintaining his own distinctive sound.
His influence can be heard in the productions of a new generation of artists, while Snake continues to expand the boundaries of electronic music, staying true to his roots and street spirit.
