24: Introduce yourself to everyone and let the readers now how you got started as a DJ?
DJ NoPhrillz: What’s good world this is your boy DJ NoPhrillz definitely a Philly representative and of course a Hhip Hop representative. The representative for all signed and unsigned artists. I got started DJ’in back in the day when my mom bought me a fisher price turntable and one record. I used to run that one record to death and my brother’s would tease me. Little did my brother know down the road when he went to McDonald’s to work like Calvin off the old school McDonald’s commercial, I was in his room tearin up his belt drive turntable trying to scratch like Jazzy Jeff on the “Live from Union Square” record. Then I broke his turntable and I used to get three phone books and put them together and pretend it was a mixer and two turntables and practice like the videos I would watch on “Video Vibrations” on VH1 and “Yo MTV Raps” on MTV.
24: What DJ’s would you say were your biggest influences that made you decide to be a DJ compared to an artist, producer, etc?
DJ NoPhrillz: The DJ’s that inspired me were definitely Jazzy Jeff, DJ Cash Money, DJ Ran, Cosmic Kev and of course the legendary and most underrated DJ, DJ Ghetto.
My two brother’s were performers at local talent shows in my neighborhood, I tried to rap, didn’t work and I definitely wasn’t a dancer. It’s hard to explain maybe seein my dad change those records and play all that good ol soul music when I was a kid or maybe it was my mom buying me that fisher price turntable. I’m not really sure but I remember this one moment I was a kid and I was at a block party … you could hear the music from like 10 blocks away and when I got close up there was a big crowd and a circle and there was a DJ in the middle. I remember this like it was yesterday, all I could hear was some old school record and the DJ cuttin and there it was, the turntables, silver technique 1200’s and if you have ever seen them you would see that green light on the pitch control, for some reason it just mesmerized me and to see the platters spinnin with the red lights on it – it was a feeling you had to be there to understand. The sounds, the scratchin, the people, the bass from the speakers; it was just like some Bruce Leroy last dragon stuff.
24: What are some of your recent projects you have worked that everyone should know about and what’s some of the new projects you have coming soon this summer?
DJ NoPhrillz: Official Street Radio, that’s our radio show for the world. Official Street Radio is for signed and unsigned artists that are trying to break their records. Also we have a section called “Who Phrauded” with Nile Elo- host of Official Street Radio and me – where we let the feature artist put a rapper , an actor, a teacher, or a preacher and even someone’s mom on blast for fraudulent behavior and we keep it 100% real… it’s real and it’s raw. There also other dynamic segments including exclusive DJ NoPhrillz mixes.
Once again, I support unsigned, signed, backpack, crack rap, etc. My mission for the hip hop game is to find that next big Pac, Big L, Jay-Z, 50 cent, and right now it’s so hard with the industry being set up the way it is with that whole pay to play scheme. That’s why I don’t charge to be on my mixtapes or on our radio show. Official Street Radio is for the people all across the globe. So basically your pay is that hot music. If its whack … you got no chance. So don’t try to throw your money this way.
As far as mixtapes are concerned, out now is Reed Dollaz “Back 2Da Streets”, “Phuck Philly Most Underrated Vol 1 and 2”, J Mag “Sincerely Yours”, Young Hot “We Still Here” and “It’s Gettin Hot Out”. Comin up “Official Best of Freeway”, “The Best of E Ness”, Ram Squad Mixtape, and “Phuck Philly” Vol 3 Hosted by Tone Trump.
24: What would you say separates you from other DJ’s?
DJ NoPhrillz: My versatility as a DJ to be able to play mainstream music, top 40 music, old school hip hop, underground hip hop, mixtape hosting, and I’m a performance Dj, a turntabalist, a tour DJ, and I have my own unique style of blends and mash ups that really needs to be patented.
24: Where at a time where a lot of new DJ’s can’t actually take a record and a turntable but they can control a party with a laptop and a program so I wanted to know your take on that topic, do you think it helps things or not?
DJ NoPhrillz: Yes and No, and I’ll explain why.It helps a real DJ because first and foremost he earned the right to carry a laptop and a program into a party because of years of carrying 10 crates, and mastering his craft, he definitely deserves it.For the people that don’t know about this whole DJ craft, I don’t care what program you got it still can’t make you a good DJ. You have to have the knowhow and the experience to select the proper records and that proper time to rock a party like Kid Capri, Me, or Funk Master Flex. Now that music is switching over to all MP3s, the average Joe or Joanne can front like they’re a DJ and join a record pool and receive exclusives from all the major labels and call themselves a DJ and put out wack push play mixtapes with no excitement or substance. I’m really opposed to a person like that putting DJ in front of their name because they have to earn that right from spending years in their room practicing and mastering their craft. Now since little Joey got an iPod and iTunes he thinks he’s a DJ and the sad part about it is there are club owners and promoters booking these guys cause they only charge $75 and 5 beer tokens. So at the end of the day, that club is going to shut down, because people know that a push play DJ can’t take you on that musical roller coaster and you know where you heard it first “There’s a lot of phraud out there and it just might be you”. So please for the sake of hip hop keep your little iPod headphones in your ears and do your history on the forefathers of DJing like Jazzy Jeff, Funkmaster Flex, Grandmaster Flash, and Jam Master Jay. Google It!
24: You got DJ’s like DJ Clue, DJ Funkmaster Flex, DJ Khaled, DJ Drama releasing albums so do you see yourself doing the same in the future?
DJ NoPhrillz: Of course, cause a real DJ is a trained A&R by default. I could put a record on for 20 seconds and know if it’s hot or not or just some the same old BS. I’m definitely making beats, and there are a few artists all over the country that I want to work with that I feel might be the next superstars.
24: Who is an artist you did not work with that you really want to work with in the future?
DJ NoPhrillz: Jadakiss … his flow is crazy and consistent and to date I never heard Jadakiss spit some wack ish. Jada get at me “I Got You”!
24: What’s next up for you?
DJ NoPhrillz: More interviews, more travelin, more mixtapes, and focusing on Official Street Radio and working with unsigned and signed artists all over the globe. Next month check out my interview in Foundation Magazine. I want to shout out all the artists that didn’t front on me on my way to where I am today.
Exponent Entertainment, Foundation Magazine, On Da Run Entertainment, S.O.V & Dakota, Reed, Tone Trump, J Mag, Trel-Mack, Freeway, E. Ness, Young Hot, Indy 500, Jakk Frost, Beanie Sigel, Peedi, Neef from the Young Gunz, Tech 9, LP, Strictly Graphics, 2ew Gunn Ciz, 215hiphop.com, Spitwell, the Flow Live, DJ Ghetto, DJ Cash Money, DJ Sparkles, DJ Ran, Ace McClowd, P89, C.H.A.S.E, Gillie, and Sneaker Villa.
24: Any last words?
DJ No Phrillz: Yeah, Check me out on the Official Street Radio can be heard on theflowlive.com tues, thurs, and sat 9-11pm and at officialstreetradio.podomatic.com.
Visit DJ NoPhrillz at www.myspace.com/djnophrillz
Contact DJ NoPhrillz at info@exponententertainment.com
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