Cipha Sounds got his start carrying crates and opening for Funkmaster Flex at legendary New York nightspots, the Tunnel and the Palladium. Eventually his talent for song selection and infectious personality brought him to Hot 97 (New York’s #1 Hip Hop station), where he moved up the ranks—from Flex’s intern, to running his own show “Cipha Saturdays,” and finally to hosting the coveted morning spot. During his 17 years at Hot 97, and as a host for Eminem’s Shade 45 on SiriusXM, he helped launch the careers of Rihanna, Rick Ross, 50 Cent, and Sean Paul. His keen ear also led him to work as an A&R executive for Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella and Pharrell Williams’ Star Trak record labels. Jay-Z, Rihanna, J.Lo, Mariah Carey, Lil Kim, and Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) are just a few artists he’s worked with as a live DJ.

Whether on the radio, as a VJ for MTV, or as a live DJ, Cipha always maintained a sharp sense of humor on the mic. He first emerged on the comedy scene as the official DJ for Chappelle’s Show and has worked with the eponymous host ever since. Despite persistent encouragement from Dave to pursue comedy, it wasn’t until well after the iconic series ended—when Cipha attended his first improv show—that he was fully inspired towards a career in comedy.

He came up studying improv at the original UCB while practicing stand-up throughout NY. He created the critically acclaimed UCB show Take It Personal – The Hip Hop Improv Show, which featured guests like Questlove, Zoe Kravitz, Donald Glover, 2 Chainz, and Fat Joe. He went from being a regular DJ at SNL afterparties to opening for Michael Che on international tours, appearing in his Netflix special and in That Damn Michael Che for Max. Ciph is known for hosting the TruTV series Laff Mobb Laff Tracks and more recently garnered critical acclaim as the host of A&E’s Hip Hop Treasures alongside producer LL Cool J. His earlier on-screen work includes a small role in Spike Lee’s 25th Hour and Wild-N-Out, which he served on as a consulting producer.

When not traveling the world to do stand-up with Chappelle, Che, Michelle Wolf, Mo Amer, Ronny Chieng, and others, you can catch him at New York’s Comedy Cellar or headlining celebrated clubs around the country. You can listen to him Monday through Friday on New York’s 94.7 The Block and on the beloved Hip Hop podcast Juan EP Is Life (with Hot 97 and ESPN’s Peter Rosenberg). In 2023, Cipha became a key player on Bert Kreischer’s long-running Fully Loaded Festival Tour. He also performed at SXSW, New York Comedy Festival, and Just For Laughs.


Cipha is also a brand ambassador for the Japanese clothing company, A Bathing Ape and has curated monthly playlists for BAPE stores worldwide for over 10 years