Reflections Of A Dj

Episode 63: MAD SKILLZ The legendary rapper @SkillzVA , who formerly went by the name "Mad Skillz" joins the crew on the R.O.A.D. podcast this week. Skillz starts by talking about his recent move to LA, as well as his epic battle with Supernatural in 1993 that helped put him on the map. Skillz goes on to discuss the art of freestyle rap, and how it's losing it's cool factor. Skillz recalls the story of the 2010 BET cypher in which he was not chosen for, and in turn made his own. Skillz sheds lights on record labels, and the difference between Hip-Hop and R&B budgets. Skillz talks about his first album dropping, and how it was released on the same day as two iconic names in the rap industry. Skillz tells of how he met @Timbaland for the first time, as well as meeting @Pharrell before he was into production. Skillz brings up Rawkus records, and his time spent on the label. Skillz talk about "The Wrap Up", how it all started, and what keeps him motivated to do it every year. Skillz opens up for the first time

Episode 62: ...Please Play Like Him This week on the R.O.A.D. podacast, the fellas discuss how music is mastered in 2018, and is this current process good or bad? The fellas talk about having a really good sound system, and how this affects the music listening process. The fellas discuss social media, and what it's doing to us mentally. Crooked tells a great story of this past weekend when DJ Scooter decides to play a prank on him. The fellas discuss the "New Age" of 1-Hit Wonders, and how social media ultimately helps prolong their shelf life in the eyes of the public. The fellas talk about what new music is working in the clubs, and what songs are starting to fall off. The fellas run through the upcoming Grammy nominations, and who will be the potential winners and losers. The fellas debate on what is Drake's biggest commercial record of all time. Crooked and Jaime bring up the the Cardi B and Offset situation, and what's the best way to get your significant other back after cheating.

Episode 61: DJ POLITIK LA based DJ Politik sits down this week with the fellas of the R.O.A.D. podcast. Politik starts off talking about how he got his start in the DJ game, growing up in LA, and his first gigs at the legendary Playhouse Nightclub. He shares the story of landing his first Vegas residency at LAVO Nightclub, and later opening Marquee Nightclub’s Boombox Room in 2011, where he held down marathon sets on Friday nights. The fellas discuss how DJs only start to reach their full potential after turning 30. Politik speaks on the importance of deep music knowledge, taste, instincts, and having older mentors as key components of being a successful DJ. The fellas shed light on some of the obstacles they face from managers when playing bottle service venues. Politik discusses the importance of building your own identity as a DJ and the challenges faced when transitioning to a DJ/Producer. The fellas debate how crossover music affects the industry and whether it’s good or bad for club sets. Politik contin

Episode 60: Hair Whisperer The fellas start out discussing the newly released and highly anticipated Meek Mill album. Each of the fellas give their opinion of the best tracks on the album, as well as the best features. Crooked gives a critical analysis of the Jay-Z verse on "What's Free". D-Miles and Jaime Da Great share their thoughts on the new Anderson .Paak album. Crooked talks about the art of "Quick Mixing" and how it isn't done properly by most DJs. The fellas disuss who had the best features in 2018; Drake vs J. Cole and Nicky Minaj vs Cardi B. The fellas talk about the ongoing beef between Joiner Lucas and Tory Lanez. Crooked questions Tory Lanez' style. The fellas talk about the continued drama surrounding Tekashi 6ix9ine.

Episode 59: THE CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY 2.0 The Captians of Industry(DJs Stonerokk and Graham Funke) make their return to the R.O.A.D. podcast this week. With the recent fires plaguing Southern California, Stonerokk talks about his foundation and how he's doing his part to help save the city. Crooked and D-Miles give a short review of the movie "Mid 90s". Crooked questions the validity of the film, and asks Stone & Graham for their opinion as they came up in LA during the era depicted in the film. Graham Funke and Crooked discuss the importance of having a well rounded catalog of music when DJing open format clubs, and also when is it a good idea to play "old school" classics, and for how long. Graham explains why he feels it's important to play a heavy dose of new music when he DJs. Stonerokk brings up the debate of "Greatest Producer of All Time" which leads to a lengthy conversion by the entire crew, everyone agrees that this discussion is essentially a 3-man race.

Episode 58: DJ KARMA Las Vegas' very own DJ Karma joins the R.O.A.D. podcast. To start, Karma talks about growing up in Las Vegas, how he got started as a DJ, and who some of his early influences were. Karma recalls being 22 years old and landing his first residency at a lounge inside the Palms Hotel & Casino. Crooked gives Karma praise by calling him one of the best local DJs in the city. Karma speaks of his first club residency in Vegas at Tangerine Nightclub in 2005. Karma and Crooked shed light on what's missing in nightlife in 2018, and how not having consistent residents makes it tough for nights to have any identity in regards to music. Karma talks about being more of a West Coast style DJ but has learned plenty from the East Coast as well. Karma explains why he still prefers turntables over CDJs. Crooked tells of his crazy encounter with Snoop Dogg this past week. Karma speaks of his 10 year residency that he held at Bank Nightclub inside the Bellagio, and how they reigned as the #1 Sunday night spo

Episode 57: DJ C.L.A. This week DJ C.L.A. joins the R.O.A.D. podcast. C.L.A. starts off talking about how she came up with her DJ name. She then shares her story of growing up in the Bay Area and later moving to LA. In need of change, C.L.A. explains why she made the move to Las Vegas. C.L.A. speaks of her first DJ residency at Club Rio, and later getting her opportunity with Tao Group. Crooked asks C.L.A. the pros and cons of being a female DJ. C.L.A. gives her opinion on female DJ's that do it for the look and not for the love of the craft. C.L.A. goes on to shed light on some of her favorite female DJ's in the industry. C.L.A. educates the crew on "Silent Savasana", which is a unique yoga experience that she DJ's as well as takes part in during the summer months at locations throughout Las Vegas. C.L.A. gives her perspective on the current state of music in 2018.

Episode 56: KONSTANTINE DESLIS Konstantine joins the fellas on the R.O.A.D. podcast this week. He starts off by telling the fellas how he grew up as a child; splitting his year between Greece and Utah, 6 months at a time. Konstantine speaks on his love for 2Pac, and how Snoop Dogg’s “Doggystyle” album is vastly underrated and should be considered top 10 all-time. Konstantine talks about Sun-dance Film Festival, and how he used that platform to build relationships in the music industry. Konstantine speaks about signing The Weeknd and Chris Brown to their first Las Vegas residencies, and breaking new artists such as Logic, G-Eazy, Post Malone, etc. Crooked asks Konstantine about his process and what he looks for when booking DJ’s. D-Miles asks Konstantine his perspective on the Raiders coming to Las Vegas, and what it could potentially mean for the city.

Episode 55: Red Flags Crooked and Neva start off talking about a wedding they DJ'd over the weekend in LA. They both admit to the challenges of playing a wedding, as opposed to DJing a nightclub. Each of the fellas discuss who they'd like to DJ their weddings and why. The fellas discuss Halloween, and is it cool for DJs to dress up for the occasion? The fellas also discuss if Halloween is overly done in Las Vegas. Each of the fellas shed light on what it's like to date a DJ, and also if dating an attractive woman takes away from DJing. The fellas also talk about what kind of girl a DJ can/should date; who's considered "wifey" material. Crooked speaks of being blocked by a certain celebrity. D-Miles and Crooked address a couple questions asked by listeners of the podcast. The fellas debate on who's more important to please as a DJ; the dance floor or the tables popping bottles.

Episode 54: DJ WONDER This week the fellas sit down with @RealSway in the morning DJ @djwonder. The fellas start by discussing the “Wonders Choice” podcast, being podcast of theme parks specially during Halloween season. Wonder also explains his late night show “Animal Status” and why he chose the music he plays on there, as well his metal edits he plays. The fellas then explore Wonders career in radio and how he worked with the likes of @JoeBudden and @AngelaYee. Crooked then asks about the legendary moment of Kanye West at the “Sway In The Morning” show in 2013. In addition, they discuss the state Kanye is in and his take in politics and how it’s affecting his fans and likeness. The fellas deep dive into dating in Vegas and the struggles it is to find a dope chick in the midst of the industry.

Episode 53: DJ BOBBY KONDERS The crew sits down with the legendary Bobby Konders this week on the R.O.A.D. podcast. Konders starts off by explaining this was only his second time ever in Las Vegas, the first being when he DJ'd at what was then Jet Nightclub. Originally from Brooklyn, Konders talks about being a vinyl junkie and street DJ. He explains how he was always a producer first, starting out with house music, and later got into DJing. Konders speaks of his company "Massive B" which he started in 1991. Konders explains to the crew where he believes dance-hall music started, as well as the difference between dance-hall and traditional reggae. Konders talks about his career in radio; starting out at WBLS and later making the transition to Hot 97 in New York. Konders speaks on being white, being embraced by Jamaican culture, and some of the trials he faced in the process. Konders continues by telling the crew the importance of investing in yourself, and also changing along with the times. When DJing went d

Episode 52: 1 Year Anniversary This week the fellas celebrate their 1-year anniversary of the R.O.A.D. podcast, reflecting on where the show started, expectations on what was possible, and the progress made in between. D-Miles attends Drake’s “Scorpion” tour in Vegas and gives a full recap. Crooked talks about the huge UFC fight in town, while Jaime explains the recent history of both fighters involved. The crew discusses Hypefest, and the possible effects it will have on ComplexCon. Neva talks about his recent experience of DJing outta town, and the issues he had with his opener as well as Serato DJ Pro. The crew discusses a tweet sent out by DJ J. Espinosa as well as some of the reactions it drew from other DJ’s. One by one, the fellas grade the “Carter V” album by Lil Wayne. The fellas discuss the pros and cons of having a cult following as an artist, and is it possible to have commercial and global success at the same time. The fellas also answer some frequently asked questions by their listeners of the

Episode 51: DJ KONFLIKT This week the fellas are joined by Miami's very own DJ Konflikt also known as “My Favorite DJ” on social media platform( @myfavoritedj ). Crooked starts off by giving praise to Konflikt for his extreme level of discipline as a DJ. Konflikt talks about growing up in Miami, and having the likes of DJ's such as Mr. Mauricio ( @mrmauricio ) for an influence. Konflikt also discusses Miami nightlife in the mid 2000s as he was coming up, and the politics involved, however the Miami native still manages to play all across the country. Konflikt speaks on DJ management, and how he and Louis Rich (owner of @WeAreRichGroup ) met and developed a working relationship. The fellas discuss the pros and cons of Serato DJ Pro with Konflikt, and also which program is his go to for club gigs. Konflikt addresses his experiences while battling in the Redbull 3Style ( @redbullmusic3style ) competition, and some lessons he learned in the process. Konflikt also sheds light on adjustments made when DJing in Ve

Episode 50: DJ SOURMILK This week the fellas sit down with LA based DJ, and one half of the "LA Leakers" DJ Sour Milk. Sour Milk starts off telling the crew how he was really big into underground hip-hop, which also led to him getting his name. He also talks about DJing for a certain celebrity to help get his name out, which led to him getting the opportunity to mix on-air for Power 106. Before being a DJ on Power, Milk talks about paying his dues by being on the radio station's street team, and what DJ's inspired him. Sour Milk discusses the LA Leakers, when and where it started, and how they came up with the name. Milk speaks about being on the road as a tour DJ for the likes of Tyga, Nippsey Hussle, Chris Brown, etc. Crooked brings up the story of how him and Sour Milk met years ago in Vegas.

Episode 49: DJ ROSS ONE 2.0 Ross One rejoins the crew on the R.O.A.D. podcast. The fellas reflect as Ross One was one of the first guests on the podcast almost a year ago. Ross talks about doing production, as well as his infamous video "Keep It Moving", in which Crooked stated "Changed the way DJs make videos". Ross goes on to express his opinion on the Fatman Scoop/Crooklyn Clan situation. Crooked does a live call-in with DJ Sizzahandz in response to Scoop. Ross One discusses the current state of New York hip hop, and the buzz generating in the city. The crew evaluates the new Lil' Pump and Kanye West single "I Love It". Ross gives his opinion on the Nicky Minaj vs Cardi B beef, as he was there in attendance during New York fashion week. The crew also breaks down with Ross One the "Bobby Brown" special, and his place in music history.

Episode 48: FATMAN SCOOP The legendary Fatman Scoop sits down with the crew this week. Eddie McDonald joins in as a co-host in place of D-Miles. Fatman Scoop comes through to tell his story of how he came up in Harlem, NY as well as how he got started in the music industry. Before it all he was in line to intern for Puff Daddy at UpTown Records however he went another direction to intern at a smaller record label named Chemistry. In a direct response to DJ Sizzahandz joining the fellas on Episode 42, Scoops gives the fellas his version of events that transpired while himself, along with Crooklyn Clan (DJ Sizzahandz and DJ Riz) all co-wrote and produced the timeless hip hop break “Be Faithful”. Scoop tells the fellas the real meaning why he wanted to do records and what was his real motive behind it all.

Episode 47: Best of Summer ‘18 DJ Neva starts off the podcast talking about a very special birthday tribute private party he DJ'd during the week for one of the all time legends in pop music, which included a heavy list of celebrity guests and DJs. With Summer 2018 coming to an end, each member of the crew takes time to reflect on the last 3-4 months of music. Which records held down the clubs, which ended up being flops, surprise artists, etc. Categories included (1) Top 5 Club Anthems (2) Top 5 Over-hyped Songs (3) Top 5 Summer Let Downs (4) Top 5 Albums and (5) Personal Favorites. Between the crew there was a general consensus on a few records, while Crooked and Neva both have some unexpected entries on their list. Jaime da Great surprises the crew with a couple of different genres on his list as well. The fellas all agree on where this summer ranks as far as strength of music is concerned.

Episode 46: DJ ZIMMIE This week the fellas sit down with @DJZIMMIE ! The episode kicks off with Zimmie sharing his stories from the mid 2000’s and how he used to come check out Crooked’s marathon sets in Las Vegas and also how his friendship began with Neva and Crooked. Zimmie shares stories on how it was growing up in Pittsburgh and how he always felt outta place, and even though living in one of the biggest sports cities in the Country, he was still never a fan of sports. He also explains his current living situation in Portland, Oregon and how the night life and hip hop scene is in the northwest. Then the fellas explore Zimmie’s life as a working tech for the world famous @DJJazzyJeff and how his life has changed since being involved with Jeff. He then also explains his latest experience at @playlistretreat and how crazy it was. Finally, zimmie paints us a visual to his on going current project @soundtrackdjdoc which is microscopic lens into the history of DJs and explained in depth on how far it has c

Episode 45: SADAT X (Brand Nubian) Co-Host Mark Da Spark This week the fellas sit down with the legendary New York rapper and 1/4 of the group Brand Nubian, Sadat X. The fellas kick it off by going back to Sadat’s earliest days as a teenager and his upbringing with this week’s cohost and childhood friend Mark Da Spark. X speaks on linking up with Grand Puba and Lord Jamar, and explains how the group first formed, as well as the groups trials and tribulations. He also speaks about his college life while playing basketball and how he managed to get by during those years away from New York. He dives into the tragic story of the day Big L passed away and how he had spoken to him hours prior to his death. Sadat X speaks on meeting Tupac and hanging out with Mark in LA, as well as the reception they had on the west coast during the 90’s. While still in his prime he met actress Regina Hall, dated her for roughly 8 years, snd helped her attend acting school and also saw her flourish into her first couple of acting r

Episode 44: DJ AUDIO 1 The fellas begin the show listening to and reviewing Kanye West' new track entitled "XTCY". Bay Area DJ/Producer Audio 1 joins the R.O.A.D. Podcast. Audio 1 tells the crew about his come up in Hayward, CA just outside of San Jose. Audio 1 currently serves as an in house producer/editor for Direct Music Service record pool, aka DMS. Audio 1 tells the crew who he credits as the top producers on DMS in his opinion. He speaks of how he connected with Kevin Scott, their 12-year friendship and how he became a part of DMS. Audio 1 educates the fellas and how you can make a living making edits as a DJ. Audio 1 also talks about how he used his editing skills to network and build relationships in the industry. Audio 1 speaks on coming up in the rave scene in the bay, and what inspired him to produce.