Bios
DJ X-CELL aka JoeyKrash
(The following is taken from an interview with DJ X-CELL by "Insomniac Magazine.")
IM: Give us a brief description of your background and how you were first introduced to the Hip Hop world?
X-CELL: Well, it was around 1984 and at the time I used to listen to all different types of music on various radio stations. I used to make compilation tapes of all my favorite tracks. I remember listening to 98.7 Kiss FM in NYC and I heard a song called "Here Comes That Beat" by Pumpkin and the Profile All-Stars. It quickly caught my attention really because it was different from the music I was listening to at the time. After hearing that track, I stayed in tune with 98.7 Kiss FM, waiting to hear more tracks like that. After listening for some time, I was introduced to artists such as Lovebug Starski, Davey DMX, Run-DMC, Kurtis Blow, The Fat Boys, Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde and many others. One Saturday night while listening to Kiss FM, I heard a DJ by the name of Red Alert mixing it up. He was playing all these really dope rap tracks. Some of which I had heard and some I had never heard before all mixed together. I really liked what I was hearing and I had to find out when he was on again. I learned that he was on every Saturday night and that there was another DJ by the name of Chuck Chillout on Friday nights. I listened every Friday & Saturday night for 2 years. One Friday night I turned the dial to 107.5 WBLS and found "The Rap Attack" with Mr. Magic & DJ Marley Marl. So, I gave it a listen and it wasn't like other mix shows I was used to. I was hearing tracks I had never heard on Kiss FM, from new and different artists. They were also playing remixes to songs I never knew had remixes. Marley Marl would scratch and do doubles more than the other DJ's I was familiar with. That was what made me change from one station to the other and from that point on I wanted to be a DJ.
IM: How do you feel about Hip Hop these days?
X-CELL: Hip Hop today is very different from when I was first introduced to it and I really don't like much of what I hear on the radio. I am more into "Underground" Hip Hop which doesn't get much airplay.
IM: What would you say is the most interesting experience you've had while DJing?
X-CELL: I would have to say a rave. There had to be about 2,000 heads in this wearhouse all dancing to Techno music. I was hired to do a melodic Hip Hop breakdown set. It consisted of funky jazz beats, classics and instrumentals. I was used to doing Hip Hop clubs, so I had no idea how these Techno maniacs would would react to the way I played. I went on around 3:00am and I started my set off with "Blow Your Head" by James Brown & Fred Wesley. The crowd went nuts and they loved my set from begining to end. I had a lot of fun. It really was a bugged experience and very interesting.
IM: I know that you have been in this game for quite some time. Do you have any favorite DJs?
X-CELL: There are many DJs out there that I respect and like. There are also many DJs that should just hang it up. I like a DJ with skills. I think a DJ should stand out from from other DJs. I also think that DJs should be creative and shouldn't be afraid to experiment with a new style or sound. I'm picky when it comes to who I listen to because I am a very critical of my own work. Messy mixing, sloppy scratching and yelling over songs is just plain garbage.
IM: What plans do you have for yourself down the road?
X-CELL: Well I'm doing some remixing and getting into the production side of things, so who knows what life has in store for me. Whatever it is, Hip Hop will definitly be involved.
IM: Do you have any last words or any advice for young DJs just getting started?
X-CELL: Never let anything stop you from what you want to do and become. Practice always makes perfect. A negative comment always works out for the best because it makes you practice and try harder.
DJ LeSage
When I was younger, I remember that my stepfather was working for The Bee Gees. I was in the studio a lot at a very young age and I was always around music during the most influential years of my life. When I came to Central Florida, I was intrigued by the emerging electronic music scene and I jumped in head first. After watching the way crowds would respond to DJs and witnessing the power of music firsthand, I knew that I also wanted to become a DJ. It wasn't a hard decision after touching my first pair of decks 10 years ago. Turntables were destined to be my instrument of choice. After selling the drums and guitar, I purchased my first pair of Gemini turntables. I believe that every DJ should start with belt driven tables, because you have got to pay your dues. It really makes you appreciate the 1200's when you finally get them!
I started out playing house music, but the passion for Hip Hop and other genres was always present and their influence was evident in my sets. I played a lot of Hip House and primarily produced hip hop beats. So, after getting my Recording Engineering Degree, I moved to NYC to learn about Hip Hop from its birthplace. I grew musically and as a human being in that city. I had the opportunity to meet and work with some of Hip Hop's pioneers. It was a blessing, but I was a small fish in a very large pond. I returned to Florida with the plan of taking what I learned in New York and implementing it in Florida.
Shortly after moving back, a mutual friend introduced X-Cell and myself. After a lot of talk about old school Hip Hop, NYC, and what dance floors were missing nowadays, we formed Tha Mixfits and the rest is history my friends!
