Ayatollah first received main-stream recognition after producing Rawkus rapper Mos Def's hit Ms. Fat Booty, the first single off his Black on Both Sides album; whilst subsequently receiving a gold plaque for probably his most well-known track to date, Styles P's hit "The Life" featuring Organized Konfusion legend Pharoahe Monch, which appeared on the Rawkus Records compilation Soundbombing III.
Ayatollah is a favoured producer of many Queensbridge MCs in particular, and after working with Cormega on Rap's a Hustle on his debut The Realness, the latter spoke of working on a subsequent album produced solely by Ayatollah, an eagerly awaited project which has since failed to transpire.
He has released nine instrumental albums, 2003's unofficial debut So Many Reasons to Rhyme and since then in 2006, Listen, on Nomadic Wax and Now Playing on Nature Sounds. He has also worked with hip hop legend Rakim on an unreleased song from The Wash soundtrack entitled A Cold Feeling.
His production has also featured on a flurry of a releases over the first half of this decade and he has since collaborated with Brooklyn newcomer Okai on the album Dekonstruktion of the Mind, a well-received 2006 debut entirely produced by Ayatollah. He recently became the producer for the group T.H.U.G. Angelz, with Wu-Tang Clan affiliates Hell Razah and Shabazz the Disciple.
Albums* So Many Reasons to Rhyme (2003)
* Personal Legend Vol.1 (2003)
* Listen (2006)
* Now Playing (2006) Nature Sounds
* Louder (2008)
* Drum Machine (2008) Nature Sounds
* The Quixotic Remix EP (2010)
* The Quixotic (2010) Nature Sounds
* Cocoon (2010) Nature Sounds
* Live From The MPC 60 (2010) Nature Sounds
Production* Satchel Page "Young Patriarch" (Entire Album) (2010)
* Cormega "Rapture" (2009)
* Traum "Hip Hop Feat. Big Noyd" (Mad Dreamz, 2009)
* Traum "Blast Off Feat. Lil' Fame of M.O.P. and Cormega" (Mad Dreamz, 2009)
* Sean Price "Crazy" (2007)
* eMC "Four Brothers" (2007)
* Okai Dekonstruktion of the Mind (Entire Album) (2006)
* Tragedy Khadafi "No Equivalent" (Thug Matrix, 2005)
* Sean Price "Spliff N Wessun" (Monkey Barz, 2005)
* Saigon "Do You Know" (Do You Know EP, 2005)
* R.A. The Rugged Man "Chains", "Make Luv Outro" (Die Rugged Man Die, 2004)
* Wordsworth "Right Now", "Evol" (Mirror Music, 2004)
* Cormega "Bring it Back" (Legal Hustle, 2004)
* Vast Aire "Elixir" (Look Mom...No Hands, 2004)
* The Last Emperor "Karma", "Tiger Trail" (Music, Magic, Myth, 2003)
* Inspectah Deck "The Movement", "Who Got It", "Shorty Right There", "Vendetta", "That Nigga" (The Movement, 2003)
* Afu-Ra "Think Before You..." (Life Force Radio, 2002)
* R.A. The Rugged Man "You Don't Wanna f*** Wit" (2002)
* Royce Da 5'9" "Life" (Rock City (Version 2.0), 2002)
* Styles P & Pharoahe Monch "My Life" (Soundbombing III, 2002)
* Talib Kweli "Joy", "The Proud" (Quality, 2002)
* Screwball 4 tracks (Loyalty, 2001)
* Cormega "Rap's a Hustle" (The Realness, 2001)
* Ghostface Killah "WTC Pt. 2"
* Guru "Cry" (Baldhead Slick & Da Click, 2001)
* Tragedy Khadafi "Lift Ya Gla**" (Against All Odds, 2001)
* Masta Ace "Hold U" (Disposable Arts, 2001)
* Mos Def "Ms. Fat Booty 2" (Lyricist Lounge 2, 2000)
* Cella Dwellas "Game of Death" (The Last Shall Be First, 2000)
* Mos Def "Ms. Fat Booty", "Know That" (Black on Both Sides, 1999)
* Ilacoin, Labba, Black Rob "By a Stranger" (2000)
