A long, long time ago...my dad let me play a record on his old record player-the ones with the eight track player and from then on I love vinyl and the art of mixing music. Raised in Chicago, I clearly remember staying up at night, at only 10 years old, listening to the radio, waiting for a cool mix so I could record it. Chicago stations like WGCI and WBMX were my favorite and djs like the Hot Mix 5 and the legends, like Julian Perez and Bad Boy Bill were all whom I looked up to. It wasn't till 1988 when I bought my first pair of turntables -200s. Not the 1200s but the 200's! After pretty much teaching myself how to mix I started playing at family parties and eventually got hired to spin at weddings and cotillions (ooohh!). I'd get paid 50 bucks a night and I thought I was the sh*t. My job at the time was working in an office at a church where I helped throw the youth dances. It was there that I learned first hand to coordinate events and during the dances I took center stage to practice my programs. I loved seeing my name in print (who doesn't). I started getting noticed by local party promoters and got gigs as a guest dj at different halls and clubs. In 1995 I guest-mixed at a club inside the Marina Towers. The young then Vol. Entertainment had taken over the place on the weekends and after a couple of sets they invited me to stay indefinitely. After a couple of years and having played at many venues, I-they (depends on how you look at it) decided it was time to venture in the land of music on my own. I promoted parties at clubs and halls, wherever it was possible. Needless to say, I would also mix at my own events, but it got harder to keep doing this as the events got bigger-to point where I couldn't even enjoy the music because I was doing other tasks. Staying in one company was not possible because it was hard to always see things eye to eye with everyone. In the end I wasn't in any company. I became more settled in my life. I graduated and I took on a career as a teacher. Long story short, I did not become a world-renowned dj. But my love for music and mixing is still the same. I don't see myself selling my stuff because I suddenly realized it was only a hobby. I'm now married and still have all my stuff (records and TTs) and my own space to do my thing. The way things look right now, I will have to teach my kids (whenever I have any) how to mix and maybe THEY will become world-renowned. Even if they don't, at least my love for mixing and music will stay alive through them even after I'm gone. Damn that's deep!
