Beautiful People 2006: Sam Spiegel

Sam Spiegel (aka Squeak E. Clean) is something of a joker. When the DJ and producer told MTV.com late last year that the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs record was to be titled Coco Beware and would be dedicated to lead singer Karen O's cat, many media organizations broadcast it as fact. (His playfulness runs in the family -- Spiegel's big brother is Spike Jonze.) Instead, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' latest is called Show Your Bones, and though it has nothing to do with cats, it is the group's finest release to date. Spiegel also worked on Karen O's forthcoming solo record, and produced the song for "Hello Tomorrow," last year's award-winning adidas commercial. Karen O sang that one too.

Despite how rock 'n' roll that sounds, Spiegel's actually a hip-hop head. "I like to keep a wide musical variety in my life," the 26-year-old says. "I love records that bridge different types of sounds." Spiegel's NASA project (North America/South America) is an example; the album features contributions from the likes of Fat Lip (the Pharcyde), KRS-One and the last recorded track from the Wu-Tang's ODB. The New Yorker moved to L.A. after he graduated from high school, and now runs Crack Alley Studios (it's in Hollywood, in an actual crack alley). That's where he's produced tracks for everyone from Ben Lee to Jose Cuervo, T-Mobile and Reebok. Who would he want to work with in the future? "Al Green, Prince, James Brown, M.I.A., Lady Sovereign," he says. "No rules. That's the M.O."
Jonathan Durbin

Sam wears pants by X-Large, sunglasses by Spy Optic, watch by Nixon, sneakers by Gravis.

BACK TO THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE 2006 LIST >