Tony Cottrell, better known by his stage name Hi-Tek, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 5, 1976. With his collaborations with Talib Kweli, he is most recognized. In his second album, Hi-Teknology 2, Hi-Tek featured singer Willie Cottrell of the Willie Cottrell Band.
Hi-Tek began his career with the hip-hop ensemble Mood, and his song “Hustle on the Side” became a local smash. The song was written for the Mood album Doom, which also included Brooklyn rapper Talib Kweli. The majority of Talib Kweli and Mos Def’s Black Star was eventually produced by Hi-Tek (1998). Train of Thought (2000), an album comprising raps by Kweli and beats by Hi-Tek, was released in 2000 on Rawkus Records by Tek and Kweli as Reflection Eternal. The singles “The Blast” and “Move Somethin’” saw some radio crossover success. On May 18, 2010, Reflection Eternal issued a follow-up album titled Revolutions Per Minute.
Hi-Tek works as a producer for Aftermath Entertainment, its subsidiaries, and former collaborators Kweli and Mos Def. Also, he has recorded music for Aftermath-signed R&B vocalist Dion Jenkins. Hi-Teknology 2 was made available on Babygrande on October 17, 2006, and it was distributed by Koch Entertainment. On December 11, 2007, the creator released the third chapter, Hi-Teknology 3: Underground.
Hi-Tek joined the production team of record label It’s A Beautiful World Music Group’s The Soul Council in November 2015, according to producer 9th Wonder.
