Hi Isaac, I have interviewed some DJs who began their career young – you started at the tender age of a mere ten years old – amazing. So…how on earth did you develop a love for music so young?
“Hi Dan. Well, my parents had a broad spectrum of music which was instilled into me since I was about six or seven. I think the main thing I loved the most was being exposed to almost every genre of music which in turn, helped my DJ career to build sets that would cater to everyone.”
Who were your musical influences you looked up to when you first started to really understand what music was all about?
“Early on in my DJ career when I was about 11 or 12 years old (and even to this day as a DJ/Producer), Gang Starr (specifically DJ Premier) was a huge influence to me. Everything from the scratch hooks/choruses to Premier’s beat making, he was someone who subconsciously helped me develop my style of DJing and also production. As far as Turntablism goes, all credit goes to my crew the Trooperz (Geometrix, Enferno, Quixotic, Oz & Sneek) for exposing and educating me on the advancements of this uncanny art form. Without them, I don’t think I would’ve progressed to the calibre of what I’m at today.”
What is your earliest memory of a DMC World Final?
“The 1998 DMC World Finals. I remember watching that with my older brother and it blew my mind. It was held at the Palais De Sport in Paris that year. What stuck out to me the most, was seeing the competing DJs be treated like Rock Stars by the massive crowd. Dexta, Crazy B were two people that dropped a couple of songs which made crowd go insane before they even started the routine. I couldn’t believe it. Craze that year definitely helped solidify my decision to pursue towards becoming a DJ.”
What are your big 10 tunes you are playing out right now?
1. Pitbull – Hotel Room Service
2. LMFAO – I’m in Miami Bitch!
3. Black Eyed Peas – I Got A Feeling (David Guetta Remix)
4. Kid Cudi – Make Her Say (Afrojack Remix)
5. Flo Rida – Jump
6. Katy Perry – Hot N Cold – (Benja Styles Remix)
7. 3OH!3 – Don’t Trust Me (Benny Blanco Remix)
8. The Cool Kids – Miami Beach (Hydroz Metro-Dade Bass Remix)
9. Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
10.Kid Cudi – Day N’ Nite (Crookers Remix)
Why has DMC been so important to the DJ/Turntablist world?
“It’s the backbone, simple as that. If DMC didn’t exist at this very moment, Turntablism would more than likely be dead, if not, on the brink of extinction. We’re in a very fragile state with technology advancing and the whole soul and essence of the DJ slowly dying. I just hope that everyone who becomes a DJ or Turntablist gets the proper education and guidance whether it be through a DJ School or tutorial videos.”
You have won the DMC USA Supremacy three times and also scooped Scribble Jam and the Gong World Supremacy by the age of 19 – two questions – one, what title are you most proud of – and secondly, what was your best ever winning set?
“Looking back, when I first competed in the DMC at Age 15, all I wanted to do was make it to the national final and be on the DVD so that everyone could watch my set. I ended up doing that and more when I was fortunate enough to represent the USA in 2005. My best ever winning set was at the US Supremacy battle in San Francisco mainly because I had to do on the spot re-arranging the order of my routines which was a gamble, but it paid off.”
Why did you decide to hang up your battle headphones and concentrate on a full on DJ career in the clubs?
I attended culinary school and after that, opportunities came up to DJ full time since then. Honestly, it’s what pays the bills and buying me studio time right now because my real love at the moment is focusing on my production and trying to brainstorm ways to take Turntablism to the mainstream. If things go according to plan, the way I envision it in my head – and without sounding narcissistic, my second album could be monumental. Lets just say that I hired a vocal coach, -haha.”
Best album ever made?
“Michael Jackson – ‘Thriller'”
Best club you have ever played in?
‘Xaga’ – Taichung, Taiwan
You are playing New Years Eve at an open air gig to 20,000 people in New York – what is your final record?
“Kool & The Gang – ‘Celebration’ or Black Eyed Peas – ‘I Got A Feeling’.
You used to sneak into your brother’s bedroom as a kid and practise scratching on his decks whilst he was out…what ever happened to your brother’s DJ aspirations…?
“My older brother DJ D-Nero was featured in The Source Magazine back in 2003 for his Best of DJ Premier mixtape. He was always a bedroom DJ and once I surpassed him skill wise, he took a step back and helped guide me with his wise opinions which is still vital to me today.”
What one country has really blown your mind after winning DMC that you have visited?
China without a doubt. The crowds were insane, more livelier than here in the States. On a side note, I’ve been fortunate enough to showcase and judge various DMCs that are still building their foundation. Ukraine was one of the more recent ones and I never realized I had so many fans out there. I was signing shoes, shirts, flyers, anything people could grab on before I could even start my set.”
How has the art of Turntablism changed since you started mixing?
“The technicality and skill level has always progressed year after year. Fly’s 2008 set was a great example of fusing advanced scratches into juggling patterns. DJ Enferno always talked to myself and the rest of our crew about combining scratching and juggling together in attempts to try to take things to a new level. My only gripe is the lack of originality and the whole custom record debate. I think that’s one of the main reasons why turntablism is dying in general because whether you’re a first time or regular attendee to a DJ battle, its hard to appreciate what they’re doing when there isn’t a song that the listener can recognize. The only people who can appreciate it are the nerds in the scene which is a fairly small amount. The competing DJs (with an exception of a few) are completely oblivious to that factor. Everyone needs to step their game up.”
Who do you think is the best ever DMC Champion?
“Craze.”
What did your school friends and parents think about you DJing at such a young age?
“I remember bringing my turntables into my 7th Grade science class, ha ha. All I remember was doing some drumming. It’s funny when some old classmates find me on Facebook and bring up that specific occasion. Both of my parents originate from South America so Hip Hop in general is a bit of struggle to break down to them. My Dad had a stereotypical image of his son “DJing” until my brother and I showed him a couple of my battles on video and his eyes were finally “opened” in a sense. My Mom just recently started appreciating work once I was featured on Univision and G4TV. It was hard for them to support such a thing that I devoted massive amounts of time to when their mentality coming into this country was to work, work, work and make a better living.”
You have shared the stage with the likes of Lady Sovereign, Fat Joe, 3 Doors Down, Jean Grae and Pete Rock – who rocked it the most?
“Jean Grae. She’s like an older sister to me. We try to keep in touch as much as possible via e-mail or Twitter. That aside, she’s the one of the best MCs in the world, guy or girl… period.”
What one band do you secretly love, that you probably wouldn’t want your fans to know you like?
“Los Colorados, look them up on YouTube.”
Tell us all about the debut album….
“Which is on iTunes, Amazon, Zune, Rhasphody might I add, ha ha. ‘Solitude’ is basically the album I always wanted to make. It contains of a lot of my childhood feelings, thoughts and adult depressions. I did however learn a lot from the project. I ultimately found myself restricted to a certain extent and I’m still experimenting on trying to find a way to communicate with the listener on a more personal level for my next album. At first, I was really nervous on how it be received from the community but it got a nice seal of approval from turntable recording musicians like Rob Swift and Q-Bert. Special shout out to Roc Raida, I was honored to release Solitude on his label.”
Best bit of advice you have ever been given…
“Always maintain humility.”
Tell us about your performance that’s coming up at the DMC World Final 25th anniversary in September that you’re doing with Numark?
“First off, special thanks for DMC and Numark for having me back at the World Finals as a headliner. I’m really excited to be amongst my peers again and showcase my stuff on the new NS7. I don’t want to give away too much but there will definitely be Michael Jackson and DJ AM tributes. I have a good chunk of time for my set so expect a nice 15-20 minutes as opposed to a brief four or five.”
Sum up the Numark NS7 for us that aren’t in the technical know?
“It’s basically a performance DJ controller that runs on Serato itch, All-in-1 DJ console. If you’re coming from a turntable or CD-DJ background, you notice at first glance that it already has a friendly set-up with two rotating platters and mixer. Without getting nerdy about it, it’s a great piece of equipment that’s extremely easy to set up which is its big advantage along with its mobility. I look forward to transcribing the same skills I have on the turntables towards the NS7.”
What are you most looking forward to at this years DMC World Finals?
“The after-party! Sally knows how to get everyone crunk!”