Blockhead (born October 8, 1976),^[5][6][7] is an American hip hop record producer and DJ from Manhattan, New York. Aside from his solo efforts released on the Ninja Tune label, he is most associated with producing tracks for Aesop Rock.^[8] He has been a member of the groups such as Party Fun Action Committee^[9] and The Mighty Jones.^[10]

Simon was born and raised in Downtown Manhattan.^[11] He is the son of the late Sidney Simon, a well-known sculptor in New York City, and Renee Adriance, a social worker.^[12] He has one brother and five half siblings.^[12] At a young age, he loved hip hop in both the lyrical and musical aspects.^[11] In his early teens, Simon and his friends formed a group called the Overground, where he started making music.^[11] As an aspiring rapper, he enrolled in Boston University and encountered Aesop Rock, another BU student.^[13] At this point, Simon quit rapping and focused on producing music.^[13] According to him, his stage name comes from the shape of his head: "While it's not square, it's pretty close."^[14]