Engineer/producer/remixer Scott Harding, aka Scotty Hard, was a Canadian native (from Vancouver, British Columbia) who made his name in New York as part of the burgeoning hip-hop scene. Working in the background on a number of projects with the stars of hip hop, including Kool Keith, Cypress Hill, Boogie Down Productions, Wu-Tang Clan, and Biz Markie, he made the connections necessary to get an all-star cast of supporters when he was ready to do his own solo projects. His first album, Return of Kill Dog E, came out in 1999 and was released by WordSound Recordings, a label dedicated to the hip-hop underground. The album featured a unique, sludgy mix of bass, beats, and noise that recalled other white-boy metal rappers like Kid Rock. Hard was also featured on several WordSound compilations, including Crooklyn Dub, Vol. 2 and Subterranean Hitz. He also began working with jazz artists like Medeski, Martin & Wood and Sex Mob in the late '90s, contributing heavily to albums like Uninvisible, The Dropper, and Dime Grind Palace. In late 2004, Hard began work with John Medeski and Matthew Shipp, eventually releasing the collaborative Scotty Hard's Radical Reconstructive Surgery in October 2006. ~ Stacia Proefrock