Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?

I'm a 22 year old student studying Multimedia Technology at Peninsula Technikon. I'm the youngest of five children and I still live at my parents house.

What does it mean to you to be regarded as one of South Africa's most talented hip hop djs?

It is an overwhelming feeling and it's good to know that some of my hard work has paid off. I just hope that I can keep on producing the goods and living up to what people expect of me.

How and when did you start djing?

My brother Thurston was a dj and i thought that dj'ing would be something cool to learn, so I asked him to teach me and since then we have been battling and teaching each other everyday at home. I would say I started in about 1993/4

Do you have any favourite artists?

Busta Rhymes is my favourite, but enjoy and appreciate all other artists in all genres of music because it takes a lot of hard work, determination and talent to make it in the music industry.

How often do you practice?

I used practice at least seven hours a week, but now I think it's down to about two hours.

What is more important in your opinion when it comes to djing - passion or skill?

It's hard to say because i feel that some people were just born to be a dj, but dj'ing is something everyone can do and it just requires lots of dedication, hard work and patience. Passion and skill also works in direct proportion to each other. The more passion you have, the more skills you get. And the more skill you have, the stronger your passion for dj’ing will grow.

What is your opinion of the dj scene in Cape Town and in the rest of South Africa?

The dj scene throughout South Africa has become very competitive as of late because there are so many dj's nowadays and everyone wants to play somewhere or the other.  There is also a lot of backstabbing because everyone wants to take care of him or herself and not care about their fellow dj's. However, as a result of this competitiveness, the standard of dj’ing has become better and in some cases its almost near world class standards.

What in your opinion is the reason why South African djs have not made an impact on the world scene?

I think the main reason is that the price of good quality equipment is too expensive for most dj's to afford, so they settle for the cheap equipment and as a result they can only produce average technical dj skills and tricks. 

The price of good equipment in the rest is relatively cheap, so most of the dj's can buy the best stuff, practice on the best stuff and as a result produce the best type of performances.

What are your top five tracks of all time?

Bone Thugs N Harmony - Crossroads
Busta Rhymes - Break your neck
Ja Rule - Put it on me
Brian McNight - Love of my life
Extreme – More than words

Do you have any advice to up and coming dj's?

Practice hard, listen to how other dj's play for tips and tricks, practice as much as possible and when you get frustrated while practising, take a break and then practice some more. The only way to be the best is to dedicate most of your time to practising the art.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

As a producer doing remixes and new tracks for artists.
Owner of and lecturer at a dj school
Dj'ing around the world with both local and international acts

Would you ever consider playing any other type of music besides hip hop? 

I would like to start playing old school house again and maybe even play some funky house

What is the weirdest thing that has happened to you while you were djing? 

I was playing a hectically funky hip hop set at a club and then suddenly everyone just started walking out towards the balcony and out of the club. I thought my set must have really sucked big time, but then my eyes started to burn and I realised someone let out some kind of tear gas in the club and everyone went outside to get away from it

Are their any local or international djs who have influenced you? 

My biggest influence was Ready D. But the guy I have the most respect for and who inspired me the most in the last five years is DJ Qbert from the Invisble Skratch Piklz. In my opinion, he has revolutionised dj'ing and took it to a level no one thought was possible. He has contributed the most to the art of dj’ing and turntabilism.

Are you involved in producing music? If not, is it an avenue you might consider?

I'm not involved in music production as of yet but that is something I'm going to get into hopefully within the next few months.

If you were not a dj, what would you be doing right now?

Probably playing with my toes or something. I cant picture myself not being a dj.

What is the most important skill a dj must have?

Mixing and being able to choose the right selection of music.

What has been the most memorable moment in your dj career thus far?

Competing in the SA DMC National finals 1999 in Durban against Ready D. I couldn't believe that I was competing against the person that inspired me to become a hip hop dj. I took third place in that competition.

Was there one particular moment that made you realize that you wanted to become a dj?

One day a long while ago, I came into our garage and he was busy mixing and skratching. I thought that was so cool what he was doing that I told him he immediately had t teach me how to do that.

What is your dream gig?

Playing with the Invisible Skratch Piklz and the Beat Junkies at a massive hip hop/skratching extravaganza

What is the best and worse thing about being a dj?

The best thing is the look of fascination and appreciation on the crowds faces when you do something amazing or something they didn’t expect while you were playing. The worst thing is feeling you got in the pit of your stomach when you are about to do your set in a dj competition.

If you could be reborn as any person who would that be and why?

I wouldn't want to be reborn as anyone else because I'm having too much fun with my life as it is.

Interview Contributed by Miss L

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