On August 12th, 2021, fans of Marvel and DJ Snake could sense something big when he dropped a tweet at Marvel, only adding a mysterious “pair of eyes” emoji. From the moment he pressed “send”, they braced for a huge surprise on the horizon, and sure enough, he didn’t disappoint.
Just a day later, the French producer announced “Run It”, his joint track with Rick Ross and Rich Brian, which was produced for Marvel’s movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”. If someone tells you this heart-racing banger didn’t make his heart run wild while watching the bus fight scene, he probably is lying.
Living in this era, many of us have grown up on the Internet and witnessed several monumental milestones in music– be it the rise of YouTube which eventually paved the way for content creators to blow up internationally, or viral tracks that introduced us to a new generation of artists around the world. DJ Snake is ultimately one of them. Seeing all of his chart-topping hits, Grammy nominations, and now the massive collaboration with Marvel, we can’t help but wonder: How much is DJ Snake’s net worth? How is this man in real life, and what makes him one of the biggest names in the music industry?
Read on, and these facts about DJ Snake will give you the answer you need!
Table of Contents
DJ Snake Wasn’t A Normal Teenager
For those who don’t know, DJ Snake’s real name is William Sami Etienne Grigahcine. He was born on 13 June 1986 in Ermont – a banlieue district outside Paris, France.
Ermont is “just like every ghetto in the world”. “A lot of poverty. Drugs. Criminality. No hope. You just feel like no one cares”, said Snake. “All they give you is a few soccer fields in your hood, and everything is closed. So you just play soccer. You don’t have anything else.”
Now, though, Snake never misses an opportunity to rep for the City of Light. According to him, it’s the place where he grew up, that taught him life. Snake obtained most of his inspiration on the streets of Paris, which he describes as “a melting pot of so many cultures”.
As Rolling Stone reports, Snake discovered his passion earlier than most of his peers. He began to DJ at the mere age of 14 and decided to go all-in just a year later.
That said, the young boy dropped out of school and worked full-time in some of the area’s most famous record stores, where he could pore over the catalogs of the artists who inspire him. It was during this time that Snake managed to gain crucial contacts who would help him further his career in this field.
He Thinks His Stage Name Sucks
Until now, Snake still recalls his teenage as a rough urban space. Well, he’s not lying, and we can see it from his stage name.
So how did William Sami Etienne Grigahcine become DJ Snake, you ask? Before discovering his enthusiasm for music, this fella was all about graffiti art. Maybe he truly had the talent as a street artist, but he was better at slipping away from the police as they chased him through the streets. This uncanny ability earned him the nickname “Snake”, and when he had to pick a stage name, he just ran with it.
Getting stuck with the nickname we used as teenagers probably isn’t the best idea, but at least DJ Snake has recognition and success to show for it. “The name sucks, but it’s too late now”, he said with a laugh.
He Got His First Grammy Nomination At The Age Of 25
Kickstarting his career at a very young age, there is no surprise that success comes to him early as well. In 2011, DJ Snake obtained a life-changing opportunity: He partnered with Lady Gaga for composing, recording, and releasing her album, “Born This Way”.
Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”
The album was a massive success, and thanks to it, he earned the first Grammy nomination for “Album Of The Year” at the age of 25. With that, Snake has joined the club of under-30-year-old Grammy nominees, along with Bo Burnham and Billie Eilish.
The Massive Hit “Turn Down For What” Got Him Sued
But “Born This Way” isn’t the first thing we recall when someone mentions DJ Snake. Since 2013, the whole world has been listening and dancing to the hypnotic tune of “Turn Down For What”. This is undoubtedly Snake’s most iconic track, gaining him a Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song and million followers across the globe. Admit it, you can hear it playing in your mind right now: “Turn down for what? Turn down for what? And turn down for what? Turn down for what? Turn down for what?”.
Lil’ Jon, DJ Snake ‘Turn Down For What’
As much as you have been replaying this massive hit, you might still miss out on the complicated story behind. A few years after the release of “Turn Down For What”, DJ Snake was sued by a musical group known as The Architectz. They accused him of ripping off the song of the same name, which was produced by Freddie GZ – one of the group’s members – in 2013.
Well, there are indeed some similarities between the two tracks (you can listen to Freddie’s song here). However, it is worth noting that “turn down for what” was a popular phrase in some circles around that time, so the fact that the two tunes share a name isn’t likely to be enough to get anyone in trouble.
Have You Ever Seen Him Without Glasses?
On Reddit, there has been a hoax about DJ Snake being cross-eyed, which spread like wildfire. Truth be told, I almost fell for this hoax as well, considering I’ve hardly seen him without his trademark glasses, even at night time. That was until I discovered the little story to it.
Back when Snake was started to gain recognition, he was about to play at one of his biggest gigs at the time. The huge crowd overwhelmed him, thus he became anxious and terrified. His manager suggested wearing glasses while performing to maintain his concentration and, today, those glasses have become a part of his signature style.
Snake even mentioned this in an interview, saying: “When I became big I suddenly found myself playing on stage with 200,000 people and that is scary. Now people recognize me with my glasses, and it helps me feel better.”
So a takeaway for your next presentation, kids: When in doubt, get yourself a pair of sunglasses!
DJ Snake Has Some Kind Of Obsession With India
“India is possibly my favorite country in the world. To be able to come and play in more cities than I have before is going to be for sure one of the highlights of 2019. It’s not hard to see the influence India has had on my music”.
This statement sparked some questions about DJ Snake’s obsession with the country. While it is no surprise to see international artists expressing their fondness for Indian music, Snake seems to be more passionate than anyone else. In 2021, he even said that the first thing he wanted to do post-pandemic is to come to India, throw a big party, and collaborate with a famous Indian artist.
DJ Snake’s Indian-Inspired MV Magenta Riddim
Turned out, the producer has an old connection with the country. As Snake reveals, he has an Indian buddy in Paris. He has spent many meals at their place, requesting his friend’s mother to go easy on the chilies. “He’s from south India and the food is fiery, but one of my favorites. One thing I know is that you can’t go wrong with butter chicken. You walk into any Indian restaurant in the world and that’s the one dish no one can ruin.”
That explains why India feels so dear to him, as if it was his second home.
The Only Drug He Uses Is…
As much as they earn, celebrities lead rather stressful lives. It’s not a surprise to see many of them indulge in substance abuse and drug addiction. For DJ Snake, though, the only thing he is addicted to is music.
In 2015, the Paris native dropped a short tweet that said, “Hate watching the drugs fuck up my friends’ life”. Having lost people closest to him to such dangerous practices, DJ Snake tries his best to avoid drinking, smoking, or using drugs. Instead, he devotes all of his attention and energy to making music. That’s the only thing that can make him feel better.
So, How Much Is DJ Snake’s Net Worth?
With all of those successes, can you guess how much DJ Snake’s net worth is? As of 2022, the musician has achieved a whopping fortune of $8 million. So far, Snake hasn’t been known to have any venture outside of music. Most of his net worth figures have been earned by him through his concerts around the world and collaboration with popular artists.
You might wonder why DJ Snake doesn’t make as much money as other DJs. Speaking of this, the Paris native said he is extremely picky when it comes to his works. To him, music is extremely personal. He does not believe in the latest trend or what the most happening artists are doing at the time. Instead, he aims to be his own coach, his own fan, and his own critic. “I make a lot of music but don’t release many, and while I’m aware that they might sound the same at some point, I prefer to stick to my own style”, Snake stated.
Walking alone on his own path might be the reason DJ Snake’s net worth is not as impressive as others. As he starts working with the likes of Marvel for movie soundtracks, though, we have a reason to believe that his wealth will continue to expand in the next few years.
“People Trust Me Because I’ve Had Success”
This quote has said a lot about the dance-music’s viral hitmaker. While DJ Snake’s net worth has yet to reach the $10-million milestone, the fact that the whole world swoon to his beat has cemented him as a headline-tier producer.
After an accelerated rise, though, the one thing that remains is his approach towards creating music. He is still picky as ever, sticking to his own principles, and only trusts himself when it comes to making his tracks. Well, every artist requires some stubbornness to triumph, right?
Are you interested in other celebrities’ stories? Head to our Entertainment section! Everything is free and informative on JobandEdu!
