{{Short description|American record producer and songwriter}} {{BLP sources|date=December 2024}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox person | image = 2023 - PandaConf - CIS TMZ 1264 (53334067430) (cropped).jpg | caption = Harris in 2023 | birth_name = DeVon Harris | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|12|9}} | other_names = Devo Springsteen | occupation = {{plainlist|Record producer|songwriter|disc jockey}} | years_active = 1994–present | notable_works = | education = {{hlist|Columbia Business School (MBA)|Wharton School (BS)}} | relatives = {{plainlist| * Kanye West (cousin) }} | module = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes | origin = Columbus, Georgia, U.S. | genre = {{hlist|R&B|hip hop|pop}} | label = {{hlist|Astor Place|GOOD|Geffen}} }} }}
'''DeVon "Devo" Harris''' (born December 9, 1977), also known as '''Devo Springsteen''', is an American record producer, songwriter, and DJ.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theochre.com/about |title=Interactive Video |publisher=Ochre |date= |accessdate=August 3, 2013 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The cousin of American rapper Kanye West, Harris discovered and led American singer John Legend to sign with West's label,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/john-legend-receives-penn-wharton-entrepreneurship-2021-alumni-achievement-award|title=John Legend receives Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship 2021 Alumni Achievement Award|date=March 8, 2021|website=Penn Today}}</ref> GOOD Music, in 2003. Harris extensively contributed to Legend's debut ''Get Lifted'' (2004) and subsequent albums, along with releases for other artists including Nas, Britney Spears, Aretha Franklin, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and the Last Poets. For his production on West's 2005 single "Diamonds from Sierra Leone", Harris won the Best Rap Song honor at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/devon-harris/10766|title=DeVon Harris|website=grammy.com}}</ref>
Devo earned his BS in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. After earning his Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia Business School in 2011,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Devon Harris |url=https://www.cbsacny.org/members/?id=73952346# |website=www.cbsacny.org}}</ref> Harris has since shifted focus onto technology and media proprietorship.
==Biography== Harris grew up in the U.S. and Germany. Both of his parents were in the U.S. Army. He graduated high school from The Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Missouri, and then attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 8, 2021 |title=John Legend receives Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship 2021 Alumni Achievement Award |url=https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/john-legend-receives-penn-wharton-entrepreneurship-2021-alumni-achievement-award |access-date=December 7, 2024 |website=Penn Today |language=en}}</ref> At Penn, he wrestled, played football,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pennathletics.com/news/2016/6/27/5771a431e4b0028e7235af5b_131492753702547121|title=All-Time Penn Sprint Football Letterwinners|date=July 8, 2004|website=University of Pennsylvania Athletics}}</ref> and DJed at local radio stations WPPR and WQHS FM. After graduating with degrees in Economics and Strategic Management, he moved to New York City in 2000 with college roommate John Legend. While working in venture capital, he began working part-time assisting and serving as A&R at the production company G.O.O.D. Music.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Devo Springsteen |url=https://www.reservoir-media.com/listing/devo-springsteen/ |access-date=December 7, 2024 |website=Reservoir Media |language=en-US}}</ref> Harris eventually signed Legend to the label in 2003 and managed his project.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 10, 2022 |title=Devo Harris Helped Co-Found GOOD Music Alongside Kanye West. Now Hes Aiming To Change The Way We Consume Content With New Company, Adventr. |url=https://www.essence.com/news/money-career/devo-harris-kanye-west-good-music/ |access-date=December 7, 2024 |website=Essence |language=en-US}}</ref> Harris then earned an MBA degree from Columbia Business School.<ref name=":0" />
==Music== Harris's influences include Stevie Wonder, The Doors, Michael Jackson, Rick Rubin, Timbaland, and Dr. Dre. Harris has appeared on MTV Base, BET Style, and VH1 and was a featured guest DJ on BET's Rap City while DJing internationally from Turkey to Japan and Africa.
Harris also co-wrote the tracks "Lullaby" and "Let's Go" with Britney Spears and Tom Craskey. The song appeared on the demo version of Britney's album ''Blackout''.
In 2008, Harris collaborated with John Legend on "If You're Out There" which appears in John Legend's third studio album ''Evolver''. The song was used as Barack Obama's campaign theme song and was performed at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
==Technology== In 2010, Harris created an interactive music video, "Attack of the 5 foot Hipster",<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/dJwAkeOAoTI Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20211130190848/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJwAkeOAoTI&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJwAkeOAoTI| title = Riot !n Paris - Attack of the 5 Foot Hipster | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> by U.S. band Riot In Paris, which debuted on UniverseCity blog and was noted as the first interactive choose-your-own-adventure music video in the U.S. After graduating from Columbia Business School in 2011, Harris started his career in technology by teaching himself to code and launched Red Ochre Inc. in 2014. Soon after, he would become a Senior Product Manager at Vimeo.
In 2020, Harris launched Adventr, an interactive streaming platform.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Braiden|first=Sue|title=Celebrating Big on Small: The Official Small Business Podcast Launch!|url=https://www.inspirehub.com/blog/celebrating-the-launch-of-our-new-big-on-small-podcast-for-small-businesses-with-guest-devo-harris|access-date=November 9, 2020|website=www.inspirehub.com|language=en-us}}</ref> In September 2021, Adventr became a finalist in the 2021 TechCrunch Disrupt Conference and announced its patent on voice-controlled interactive media.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/22/here-are-the-five-startup-battlefield-finalists-at-disrupt-2021/|title = Here are the 5 Startup Battlefield finalists at Disrupt 2021| date=September 23, 2021 }}</ref>
==Discography== ===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title (Album) ! Artist/Project ! Label Released |- | 2009 | "Magnificent" | Rick Ross | |- | 2008 | "If You're Out There" | John Legend | GOOD/Sony/Columbia |- | 2008 | "Association" | Nas | The N Mixtape |- | 2008 | "The Promise" | Deborah Cox | Deco Recording Group |- | 2008 | "You Know Where My Heart Is" | Deborah Cox | Deco Recording Group |- | 2007 | "What Y'all Came To Do" | Aretha Franklin | J Records |- | 2007 | "Misunderstood" (''Finding Forever'') | Common | GOOD/Geffen |- | 2007 | "Always Lovin' You" | Kreesha Turner | Virgin |- | 2007 | "Celebrate" | Cassidy | J Records |- | 2007 | "Let Go"<ref name="BMI">[https://web.archive.org/web/20160119142519/http://repertoire.bmi.com/writer.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&page=1&fromrow=1&torow=25&querytype=WriterID&keyid=1126069&keyname=SPRINGSTEEN+DEVO&CAE=0&Affiliation=NA BMI Repertoire] @ BMIRepertoire</ref> | Britney Spears | Jive Records |- |2007 | "Sweeter" | Estelle | Homeschool/Atlantic |- | 2007 | "Come Together" | Estelle | Homeschool/Atlantic |- | 2007 | "Blowin' My Phone Up" | Consequence | GOOD/Sony/Columbia |- | 2006 | "Let There Be Light" (''Hip Hop Is Dead'') | Nas | IDJ/Sony/Def Jam |- | 2006 | "Stereo" (''Once Again'') | John Legend | GOOD/Sony/Columbia |- | 2006 | "My Love, My Life" | GLC | GOOD Music |- | 2006 | "When I Was..." | Rhymefest | J Records |- | 2006 | "Back In The Day" | The Last Poets | Jambetta |- | 2005 | "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" (''Late Registration'') | Kanye West | Roc-A-Fella/IDJ |- | 2004 | "Refuge (When It's Cold Outside)" (''Get Lifted'') | John Legend | GOOD/Sony/Columbia |- | 2004 | "So High" (''Get Lifted'') | John Legend | GOOD/Sony/Columbia |- | 2004 | "Live It Up" (''Get Lifted'') | John Legend | GOOD/Sony/Columbia |- | 2004 | "Sunkist Sunlab Radio" | Sunkist Soda | |- | 2004 | "And You Say" | Consequence | SureShot Records |- | 2003 | "Summer Beach House Direct Effect Theme" | MTV | |}
===Mixtapes=== *2007, "Bacardi Grandmelon And Devo Springsteen Present: The Good The Bad The Ugly" <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/24080498-GLC-Featuring-Crucial-Conflict-Consequence-Bacardi-Grandmelon-And-Devo-Springsteen-Present-The-Good-|title=GLC Featuring Crucial Conflict / Consequence (2) – Bacardi Grandmelon And Devo Springsteen Present The Good The Bad The Ugly|website=Discogs |date=2006 }}</ref> *2006, "Bacardi Big Apple & Devo Springsteen Present: The Good Life"
==Awards and nominations == {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Category ! Song/Album ! Artist ! Result |- | 2006 | Best Rap Song | "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" | Kanye West | '''Won''' |- | 2006 | Best Rap Album | ''Late Registration'' | Kanye West | '''Won''' |- | 2006 | Best R&B Album | ''Get Lifted'' | John Legend | '''Won''' |- | 2006 | Best Album | ''Late Registration'' | Kanye West | Nominated |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060616123938/http://www.allhiphop.com/features/?ID=1439 AllHipHop Feature - Devo Springsteen: Whip It!] *[http://www.bigmusicbiz.com/devospringsteen/index.html BigMusicBiz.com Interview - Devo Springsteen]{{dead link|date=August 2013}}
{{GOOD Music}} {{Grammy Award for Best Rap Song}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Springsteen, Devo}} Category:African-American musicians Category:1977 births Category:Musicians from Philadelphia Category:Record producers from Pennsylvania Category:American DJs Category:Wharton School alumni Category:Living people Category:Grammy Award winners Category:21st-century African-American people Category:20th-century African-American people Category:Columbia Business School alumni Category:Pembroke Hill School alumni