JEREMY COCHISE BALL is a multi-platinum record producer, mix engineer, and DJ from Buffalo, NY. Cochise comes from a musical family, and by the age sixteen he had a manager booking his first DJ gigs. He soon began recording local artists, and his hip-hop group, Poverty, landed a deal with Polygram Records. The group was signed to Payday Records alongside Jay-Z and Gangstarr, who collaborated on his 1993 project. Within Buffalo’s thriving music scene, Cochise developed a cultural movement that would become his trademark. In 1997 and 1998, another of Cochise’s bands, the Insomniacs, won Buffalo Music Awards for Best Hip-Hop Group by showcasing talent of every age, race, sex, and religion on one stage. Now operating as a full-time DJ and promoter, Cochise broke your favorite 90’s records while throwing local artist showcases to consistently sold-out crowds.
A chance invitation to stay with a friend in NYC became one of the biggest turning points in Cochise’s career. Within a year, he was offered a job at Battery Studios and Jive Records as an engineer. In this world-class studio, he mentored under some of the top engineers and producers in the music industry. Long nights were spent assisting sessions with Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Jaheim, Dead Prez, and Big Pun to name a few. It wasn’t long before Cochise’s talent was noticed. The heavyweights Naughty by Nature asked him to produce and engineer their session, catapulting him to another level of professionalism. Cochise later teamed with his protégé, now multi-Grammy winning producer Emile Haynie, and they began selling beats between sessions. Soon they were hired for projects working with Michael Jackson, Eminem, Notorious B.I.G, The Beatnuts, Remy Ma, and many others. Branching into the film industry, Sony Pictures licensed one of his songs for their hit movie Superbad. Cochise had started had his own company, and embarked on a freelance career that would take him around the world. He executive-produced and engineered New Zealand’s top hip-hop album The Weekend by MTC/Universal Records artist Smashproof. Together, they shattered music sales records that stand unrivaled to this day.
Coming full circle, Cochise returned to Buffalo and was recruited by Griselda Records to engineer projects for hip-hop sensations Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine. Eager to give back to the community that set him on his illustrious musical path, Cochise re-launched Quiet As Kept Records and signed unique artists such as pop-rock singer Blaise Mercedes and jazz crooner Curtis Lovell. He has dedicated himself to empowering the next generation of artists, and continuing his message of unity, love, and community. In a return to the DJ booth, Cochise performed alongside Shaggy, Pete Rock, Afrika Bambaata, and many other hip-hop legends. Always looking to give back, he took on AVA & Telly Award-winning production projects for Buffalo’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), and spent time teaching at the University of Buffalo and the BAVPA performing arts high school. Cochise is currently managing a busy schedule of mixing sessions and teaching. After decades of recording, Cochise still displays a tireless energy for learning and sharing his love for music, serving as a bridge between the artist and the industry. He speaks everyone’s language—the language of music.
Quincy Jones, Pharell Williams, DJ Premier, Bob Power, Dave Pensado, Manny Marroquin
If you are interested in working with Jeremy Cochise Ball for pro music services or performances, please email us at info@buffalomusicclub.com.