DJ Snake

DJ Snake – born William Sami Étienne Grigahcine on 13 June 1986 in Paris – is one of the most influential French DJs and producers working today. Raised in Ermont, a northern suburb of Paris, by Algerian parents, he immersed himself in hip-hop and graffiti culture from an early age; the nickname "Snake" came from his knack for evading police while spraying. He first made industry waves as a producer on Lady Gaga's album *Born This Way* (2011), earning a Grammy nomination (Album of the Year, 2012). In 2012 he signed to Diplo's Mad Decent label, then launched onto the world stage in 2013 with "Bird Machine" and the Lil Jon collaboration "Turn Down for What," which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, went octuple platinum in the US and won Top Dance/Electronic Song at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. The 2015 collaboration "Lean On" with Major Lazer and MØ matched that peak and hit number one in nine countries. His debut album *Encore* followed in 2016, with *Carte Blanche* arriving in 2019. In 2025 he released the 17-track album *Nomad*, featuring collaborations with Future, Travis Scott, Stray Kids and Damian Marley, among others. DJ Snake is also a member of the Parisian DJ collective Pardon My French and a regular headliner on the global festival circuit.