Reflections Of A Dj

Episode 38: DJ SKRIBBLE The iconic DJ Skribble joins the R.O.A.D. Podcast this week. With Jaime Da Great out of town, DJ Eddie McDonald comes through in a guest host capacity. Right away the fellas get Skribble's thoughts on the beef going on between 2 New York legends; Kid Capri and Funk Master Flex. Skribble explains the difference between the 2 DJ's style wise, who he relates to personally as a DJ, and who he thinks would win in a battle. Crooked brings up Skribble's days as a rapper in a group known as the Young Black Teenagers, the controversy that came with the name, and how they constantly had to prove themselves as MC's. Neva recalls Skribble as being one of the first DJ to spin hip hop and house music at a high level. Skribble speaks on his early residencies in Vegas, and well as doing some of the early legendary pool parties. Skribble also talks of his days with MTV, his role with "Yo MTV Raps" coming up under Ed Lover and Dr. Dre, and also bringing the brand back as a hip hop show.

Episode 37: DJ SCENE The legendary DJ Scene joins the crew on the R.O.A.D. podcast. Originally from Seattle, now living in Las Vegas; Scene has been holding down nightlife venues across the country for the past 20 years. Dating back to the early 2000’s, Crooked recalls DJ Scene as one of the first out-of-town resident DJ’s in Vegas, as well as one of the top 5 club scratching DJs. Scene speaks of his early days as a B-Boy and battle DJ, never focusing on clubs. And from there, evolving into a club DJ by way of his own Sunday party called “Yo Son”. Scene also talks about his upbringing and how he discovered hip hop music by way of radio. Originally a lover of rock music, he gravitated towards aggressive hip hop. Scene speaks of his time doing radio in Seattle, and the pros & cons that come with it. He also fills us in on his time living in San Fransisco and doing radio for 7 years with the help of DJ E-Rock. Now living in Vegas, the crew discusses with Scene what inspired the move, and how he finds

Episode 36: The Knowles The crew starts off the podcast by discussing the untimely death of rapper/singer XXXTENTACION and the affect it will have on the hip hop community. Crooked mentions how social media may have played a role in this happening. With Nas' latest album dropping, the crew gives an in depth review of the album. Neva speaks about several producers that worked with Nas in the past, and how they may or may not be bitter at not being apart of Nas' latest project. Next, the fellas discuss the release of "The Carters", new album by Beyonce and Jay-Z. Jaime and Crooked both question the timing of this release, in alignment with their upcoming tour, and with Nas having just dropped his album 24 hours prior.

Episode 35: DJ FASHEN One of the most well respected DJ's in the game; DJ Fashen joins the R.O.A.D. Podcast. Originally from Pennsylvania, Fashen starts by telling the crew about his move to Arizona as a child, and his early love for Hip Hip and break dancing (06:02). From there he tells the crew how he linked with a certain legendary DJ and how this DJ became an early mentor to him (13:20). Fashen explains how he got some of his firsts gigs, as well as how he got started with doing radio (26:40). After making a huge name for himself in his city, Fashen tells the crew of his move to LA, and why he felt it was a necessary step to take for his career (01:14:08). Fashen also goes into detail about his relationship with DJ AM, and how AM helped shape him as a traveling DJ (55:57). Aside from DJing, Fashen shares with the crew his love for Art, and some of the pieces he has owned for the last 20 years (1:59:20). Fashen also shares his thoughts on new music, and why he feels DJing is in a greater space than it has

Episode 34: Best Diss Song of All Time The crew dives right into the Drake vs Pusha T beef. Jaime explains how and why the beef started back in 2006. The fellas debate about who is winning the beef to this point. With Kanye stepping in to try and end the beef, Crooked gives his theory on what happened and why Kanye got in the middle of things. Crooked and Neva both elaborate on how Drake did not foresee this coming. The crew also discusses how the general public may view Drake after this beef. In light of Drake vs Pusha T, the fellas decide to make their own personal lists of the Top 5 best hip hop diss records of all time. Crooked and Neva recall the impact 50 Cent had on the city of New York after having beefs with so many rappers. The crew discuus new music, what they like and dislike about the Kanye West, Pusha T and ASAP Rocky albums.

Episode 33: DJ EDDIE MCDONALD & SEAN PERRY On Memorial Day Weekend the fellas sat down with 2 seasoned veterans in the DJ game; Sean Perry and Eddie McDonald. Both are by way of New York City, where they came up and made names for themselves. Eddie now residing in Vegas, and Sean with a short stent in Vegas as well, now living in LA. Crooked kicks things off speaking of his Friday night gig, and how D-Miles may or may not have sabotaged him during his opening set. Sean Perry and D-Miles both share stories of dealing with rough openers in past gigs. Eddie talks about his roots and how he started DJing with hip hop and reggae, and later took to house music. Sean Perry tells his story, Crooked speaks of the 2 growing up in the same neighborhood in New York. Sean credits his older brother with his start. Sean also tells of his gigs at the legendary "Tunnel". Neva shares an incredible story of when him and Eddie met at Jet Lounge in New York. Sean and Eddie both tell their stories of moving from New Y

Episode 32: Goodbye Shure, Hello Jico...? The fellas start off with addressing the bet that Jaime and Neva made 2 weeks ago involving Nicki Minaj. Speaking of, the fellas recap Nicki’s performance on Saturday Night Live with special guest Playboi Carti. Crooked asks the question if in 2018 can you still do a Nicki Minaj set in the club. The crew discusses what records from the Cardi B album are working well in the club, and how Bodak Yellow has become Top 40. The fellas discuss “Fire & Retire”, records that are doing well and records that you can do without, and possibly never play again. Crooked, Neva and Jaime laugh hysterically at D-Miles’ list. The crew revisits the debate over which record is bigger; “God’s Plan” or “Nice for What”. D-Miles and Jaime Da Great retract their previous statements. The crew does a review of EDC, and discuss the evolution of non EDM acts performing at the festival. Crooked tells of his EDC experience DJing the festival with Stonerokk. The crew also discusses recen

Episode 31: DJ MIGHTY MI This week the crew sits down with one of the staples in Las Vegas nightlife over the last decade, DJ Mighty Mi. Crooked shares a hilarious story of how the two connected for the first time through social media. Mighty Mi explains what got him into DJing, who his influencers were, and who he patterned his style after. Mighty Mi talks about growing up in Philadelphia, and how DJ AM was one of his best friends, who at the time was not into DJing. As one half of the group "High and Mighty" DJ Mighty Mi talks about how the group started, his role in the group, and how he took to production bacause he couldn't rap. He also explains how DJ AM was an original member of the group. Mighty Mi explains what made him decide to move to Las Vegas, and how that changed his life. He also talks about being very hands on with the transistion from open format music to EDM with all the the Wynn properties and venues he DJs. Mighty Mi also shares some intriguing stories with some of the talent he

Episode 30: This Is America Still new to Vegas, Jaime da Great talks about becoming a working DJ, and what has helped him progress since his move from L.A. The crew spends some time breaking down Kanye West and his recent rants on TMZ as well as his interview with Charlamagne The God. Neva shares his frustration on the matter, while D-Miles does agree with one of Kanye's points. The crew discusses Kanye's new music, and speculates on if these recent rants by Kanye will hurt him in sales. Fresh off of his Saturday Night Live performance, the crew discusses Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino and his new track "This Is America" and the significance of the video. Crooked compares Childish Gambino to another R&B star, based off of his performance on SNL. With Nicki Minaj appearing on SNL in two weeks, Neva and Jaime da Great make a friendly bet on Nicki's performance.

Episode 29: VICE The legendary DJ Vice joins the R.O.A.D. podcast and starts off by telling the crew of his first DJ battle at age 19 in New York, in which he placed 2nd to DJ Skribble. Going back, Vice tells his story of growing up in LA, how he started DJing at age 10, and also how he grew up listening to Power 106 and ultimately put himself in position to be an on-air mixer for the station. Vice goes on to talk of his relationship with DJ AM, and how AM introduced him to the Hollywood nightlife scene. Vice breaks down how radio DJ's were not getting booked in Hollywood clubs, and the struggles he faced in order to break into that scene. Vice tells the crew how much radio meant, at the time in the late 90s and early 2000s, to artists in order for them to get their music out. And because of that, he was able to build relationships with artists. Vice tells how he got started in Vegas, and how DJ OB-1 and DJ Five took him under their wing, and also his first residency at Body English. Now well establish

Episode 28: Call Fat Joe! The crew starts off the show talking about Meek Mill, his release from jail, and what we should expect from him moving forward. With J. Cole's album dropping this past week, the crew breaks it down track by track, and discuss where this album ranks in comparison to his others. Drake drops his new single "Nice For What" and the crew is torn between which record will last longer; "Nice For What" or "God's Plan". After an amazing Coachella performance, the crew discusses Beyonce, and where she ranks amongst some of the greatest performers of all time, and if she's even close to being compared to Michael Jackson. With all of his recent outrageous tweets, the crew questions what's going on with Kanye West, if he's going crazy, or is it all strategy on his part? The crew also discusses Kendrick Lamar winning the Pulitzer Prize, and what a milestone this is for hip hop moving forward. R.I.P Aviccii, the fellas reflect on the DJ/Producer and the contributions he made with his music, a

Episode 27: DJ SPIDER The legendary DJ Spider joins us on the R.O.A.D. Podcast. Spider starts off by telling the crew how he came up in the LA rave scene, and how he got his start as a College Radio DJ. Crooked recalls knowing Spider from the "Next on Decks" competitions thrown by BPM Magazine in which Spider won. Upon winning he was awarded the opportunity to travel and tour with Mark Ronson. Spider talks about the trials of DJing in different cities and how regional certain records were before the social media age. He goes on to talk about his relationship with DJ AM and how they met at a convention in Las Vegas, which led to them building a friendship. Through his relationship with AM, Spider talks about how he met Travis Barker, which lead to him becoming the DJ and touring with Blink 182. Now married and with a son, Spider fills the fellas in on how he tries to balance his DJ career, as well as be a good husband and father.

Episode 26: DJ ROCTAKON While in Hollywood, the crew sits down with New York legendary DJ Roctakon. Born and raised in Alexandria, just outside of DC, Roctakon explains his path which led to him having a passion for DJing. After commuting back and fourth from DC to New York, Roctakon elaborates on his move to New York to further advance his DJ career. Shortly after, Roctakon feels the need for management. After considering all options, he decides to sign with S.K.A.M. Artist. After hitting a crossroads in his life, Roctakon talks about how he no longer wanted to DJ, and the struggles that came along with it.

Episode 25: Strangling Reflex This week on the R.O.A.D. Podcast the crew discusses if they’re feeling the newly upgraded Serato DJ Pro. D-Miles reviews most of the changes to the software, and gives a few pros and cons, after using the program for the first time. Crooked reflects on his crazy DJ schedule, in which he played seven days straight in multiple cites, and how that helped him be refreshed. With plenty of new music out, the crew critiques The Weeknd’s new EP, as well as the new Wale EP. With Cardi B’s debut album dropping this Friday, the crew gives their projections on how they think the album will do numbers wise. Jaime has a new found respect for 2-Chainz with his increased catalogue of club hits. Neva challenges the fellas to put together a list of at least 25 records that work in the club from 2-Chainz.

Episode 24: "CIPHA SOUNDS" This week the R.O.A.D. Podcast crew make their way to L.A. to interview New York legend Cipha Sounds. The Bronx native starts out by discussing how he found his love for DJing, and recalls his first gigs as an opener for Funk Master Flex at the legendary Tunnel. He goes on to tell us how he became Flex's intern at Hot 97, and spent the next 5 years in that role. Upon making a name for himself, Cipha became a full time DJ on Hot 97, and was known as one of the few DJ's that could spin on any mix show, with exception to Kay Slay. Simultaneously, Cipha became the tour DJ for Lil' Kim in the mid 90's. Cipha also tells the story how Junior Mafia was responsible for him knowing about 2Pac. Now having made a name for himself, Cipha becomes known for breaking artists and records alike. Some of which are Rihanna, Rick Ross, Nina Sky, etc. This led to him stepping into the record label side of music, becoming an A&R for Pharrell at Startrak, and also Tommy Boy and Rawkus Records.

Episode 23: DJ MOMA This week the fellas have the honor of interviewing one of New York's finest, and Queen's native, DJ Moma. Crooked starts off by describing Moma as someone who served as a mentor to him, as well as putting on one of the best parties in New York, "Everyday People". Moma explains how he got his start in DJing, how he created his following, which in turn helped build his brand and make a name for himself. Moma also tells the crew of how he held down a full time career as an electrical engineer, while DJing 4-5 nights a week, and how it's ok to burn the candle at both ends while you're young. Crooked brings into conversation "The Good Spot", a one of a kind party experience that Moma created in 2008, and later shut it down in 2011. Moma tells the crew of the first time he met J. Cole, by way of his younger brothers IB, the pressident of Dreamville, and BAS, also signed artist of Dreamville. Moma then tells us of the evolution of his infamous day party "Everyday People" which started in 2

Episode 22: MICHAEL MAYEDA aka "DJ MEGA MAN" This week the fellas sat down with Michael Mayeda aka “DJ Mega Man” and learn about his DJ career, his current production career and his thoughts about life and pain. They begin discussing Mayeda’s upbringing, growing up in Oxnard, CA and learning how an abusive care taker experience made him turn to music in order to cope with the pain. Mayeda explains how obsessive he became with DJing, that lead to him booking raves at the age of 14 as well as getting his first radio gig at the same time. Mayeda goes on to speak of how pain relates to creativity and the similarities between stand up comedians and DJ’s. He also talks about his time living in Las Vegas and his reasons on why he stopped DJing. Once removed from DJing, he turned his full attention to music production. He has worked with the likes of Lil Jon, SIA, Lady Gaga, and Pitbull, along with making soundtracks for a handful of motion pictures. Finally, they discuss the evolution of music, and dissect some

Episode 21: Rick Ross...Heart Problem or Gas Problem? This week the fellas sit down and start the show discussing Oscar winners, Jordan Peele and Guillermo Del Toro. The fellas review DJ Khaled's new single "Top Off" with Jay-Z, Beyonce and Future. With rumors of Drake leaving Jordan Brand and going to sign a deal with Adidas, the fellas debate on how this will effect the rapper and both competitive brands. Finally, the guys get into the DJ topic of the week: backlash regarding the new Pioneer DDJ-SB3 Controller designed by DJ Jazzy Jeff. Conflicting opinions on the new product arise and the question of it possibly hurting the DJ culture becomes an issue.

Episode 20: FOUR COLOR ZACK This week the fellas sit down with Seattle native, Redbull Thre3style World Champion and 1/2 of the renowned DJ duo 2¢, Four Color Zack. Zack discusses his early years of juggling DJ gigs all while launching his own design agency. He also discusses how he linked up with DJ Craze to collaborate on a mixtape which later evolved into their group 2¢. Zack elaborates on how he became The Dream's tour DJ and why it was always important to have a "made bed" with him. The fellas also revisit their conversation from last week's episode on "scratching in club gigs". Zack revisits how he won the 2012 Redbull Thre3style World Finals and what the judges are looking for in a winning set. Finally, the crew touches on politics in the DJ world in Las Vegas.

Episode 19 - “Bloods, Crips & Slam Poetry” The fellas recap NBA All Star Weekend and the controversy over Fergie performing the National Anthem. Neva speaks on the YG x Tekashi 6ix9ine beef, and the diss record YG put out over 6ix9ine coming to LA. D-Miles and Jaime break down the gang culture in LA, and how most celebrities pay for their services. Jaime recalls incident the happened involving gangs for his 5th birthday party, and also shares knowledge of the latino gang culture. D-Miles sheds light on his family in relation to the bloods & crips. The fellas go to the premiere of Black Panther, and give an in depth review of the film, as well as the soundtrack being #1 on the Billboard Top 100. Crooked shares his thoughts on which tracks are hot, and which you can pass on.