Warning To The DJ World

I recognize that authentic DJing is becoming meaningless as technology advances. But I’ll never accept it, and those of you who call me a “hater” or antiquated for my refusal to go along to get along can shove it.

There’s a system hell-bent on centralizing DJ culture, and some of my own very contemporaries are guilty of assisting influencers and the big tech companies that fund them in stomping out our craft. Legends in our field, who, differences in ideologies aside, I have immense respect for, are selling people on this idea that you must spend thousands of dollars on new DJ gadgets under the guise of adaptation. But I will forever be on the opposite side of the spectrum. DJing was, and will always be, about your ability to extract more out of less. No amount of propaganda or culture smothering I see on social media by famous people will ever scare me into forgetting DJing; I’m talkin’ about the fun stuff you see on the internet, the turntable wizardry that inspires people to spend their hard-earned money on DJ lessons was pioneered by poor Black and Brown teens during the 1970s Fort Apache the Bronx era.

Orwellian times have arrived at the doorstep of an industry I’ve channeled every ounce of my being to since 1983. It’s hard for me to see the overt mind control of the citizens of DJ culture. Most of y’all follow suit, like good little foot soldiers who wouldn’t dare step out of line. Of course, I’m a different type of dude, though. The idea of remaining silent or, worse, helping promote gadgets and artificial intelligence that remove the human element from DJing isn’t even conceivable. But at any rate, they plug y’all into their matrix whenever they want to, and so many of y’all allow it because you want to be accepted and “liked” and “followed.”

“We don’t see this as a business that will take over people’s jobs. We’re gonna create jobs to be able to create these digital humans that will help in businesses.” ~ Denise Harris (Co-Founder & CCO | Sum Vivas)

I get it; business people are going to do their business. But it’s the DJ mules, influencers, grifters, and charlatans who infiltrated DJ culture to exploit it for personal gain that disgust me. These hoaxers present themselves as “for the culture,” but in reality, they’re spreading misinformation about how to become a “success.”

Brolic Army is a community I established because a decade ago, I saw the first signs of the DJ ethos becoming blurred by “DJs” who look and talk the part. Still, their presence in our culture is causing the true DJ backdrop that makes up the traditions, philosophies, and heritage that shaped me to be forgotten. I’m the last of a dying breed, so I hope that by passing DJing and the greater history of hip-hop to my students, the lie that became the truth will be exposed by my soldiers.

“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been re-written, every picture has been re-painted, every statue and street and building has been re-named, every date has been altered. And that process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. Don’t let it happen. It depends on you.” – George Orwell