I'm a Disc Jockey. I perform solo and as the tour DJ for Brother Ali.
Influences
Those that created this culture called Hip Hop:
Kool Herc, Grandmaster Caz, Phase 2, Crazy Legs, Grand Wizard Theodore, Melle Mel, Tak 183, Africa Bambaataa, Prince Whipper Whip, Grandmaster Flash, Popmaster Fable, and many, many more...
Those that I worshipped in my childhood:
Big Daddy Kane, Ice Cube, Jam Master Jay, the Bomb Squad, Whodini, Rick Rubin, Boogie Down Productions, Dr. Dre, Slick Rick, UTFO, Pete Rock, Sir Jinx, Brand Nubian, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Marley Marl, LL Cool J, the D.O.C., Rakim, DJ Premier...
Those that remind me why I love music:
Stevie Wonder, Milt Jackson, Art Tatum, Sam Cooke, Jay-Z, Elvin Jones, Johnny Cash, Clyde & Jabo, Nina Simone, Ghostface, Roy Ayers, Donny Hathaway, McCoy Tyner, the Pixies, Ludacris, Willie Colon, Al Jackson Jr., 2Pac, Syl Johnson, James Jamerson, the Mizell Brothers, Curtis Mayfield, Charles Wright, Boots Riley, the Mars Volta, Sonny Rollins, Eddie Hazel...
Those that inspire me to try new things:
Charlie Mingus, Prince, Manu Chao, Shuggie Otis, Herbie Hancock, Sir George Martin, Tom Waits, John Coltrane, Zev Love X/MF Doom, Sly Stone, Mumbles, the Clash, Miles Davis, Fela Kuti, TV on the Radio, Tony Williams...
And those that I've been fortunate enough to learn from personally:
Cliff Gribble, Tom Noble, Brother Ali, Siddiq, Desmond Henry, Mr. Dibbs, Eyedea, Aaron Money, Brian Wolf, ANT, I Self Devine, Brooks Nagel, DJ Abilities, Slug...
I've been studying music for more than twenty years. I have played piano since I was eight, vibraphone since thirteen, and I started collecting records when I was fifteen.
I grew up in Milwaukee, where I met a lot of my early influences, and played in several bands (doing everything from Fishbone and Meters covers, to Tom Waits-inspired originals!). I studied jazz at Rosevelt Middle School and West Division High. There, I had the great fortune of meeting and playing with many of my heroes, including Barry Harris, Yusef Lateef, Jack DeJohnette, Eddie Palmieri, Josh Redman, T.S. Monk, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Carter, and many more. A huge influence on my musical taste was the large library of records and videos that one of my teachers lent out freely (on the low, he also let me borrow the school's music equipment over the summers).
In 1996, I moved to Minneapolis. Within a year, I met up with Aaron Money (a fellow Milwaukeen) and co-founded the city's first underground hip hop radio show, The Beatbox. Through The Beatbox, I met and formed friendships with many performers, including the Rhymesayers crew, Del tha Funky Homosapien, All Natural, the Living Legends, Aceyalone, and most significantly, Brother Ali.
Ali and I began performing together in 2000.
Since I started DJing in 1995, I have shared stages with De La Soul, Brand Nubian, Ghostface, Rakim, Hieroglyphics, The Coup, MF Doom, Big Daddy Kane, The Rocksteady Crew, J-Live, Freeway, Ice-T, Chuck D, Melle Mel, Aceyalone, The GZA, Devin the Dude, Lupe Fiasco, Umar Bin Hassan (of The Last Poets), Kid Capri, Dillinger Four, El-P, Mos Def, UTFO, Little Brother, The Lox, Biz Markie, Murs, Aesop Rock, The RZA, Lyrics Born, Jurrasic 5, David Cross, Mr. Lif, The Living Legends, Blueprint, Abstract Rude, Vast Aire, The Holdsteady, Immortal Technique, and many, many more...
In 2006, I helped throw The Rhymesayers 10th Anniversary Celebration. I co-created, organized, and DJ'ed the entire two hour long collective performance featuring Atmosphere, Brother Ali, I Self Devine, MF Doom, Felt (Slug & Murs), Los Nativos, P.O.S., Musab, Eyedea & Abilities, Greyskul, Boom Bap Project, Mac Lethal, and Psalm One.
My newest release "Set in Motion" is available now at
My fist official album "Rádio do Canibal" will be released this fall. The music is all from samples of records I found in Brazil. The rhymes are handled by Scarface, Black Thought, Raekwon, Slug, Murs, Phonte, Grouch, Blueprint, Haiku D'Etat, I Self Devine, Toki Wright, P.O.S., and of course, Brother Ali. The album is co-produced by Benzilla, a talented cat from Minneapolis. Look for it!
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My Friends
Does anyone really care how many friends I have?!?
I may B going 2 ROCK THE BELLS, hope U N Ali will B there 2............ Anyways, hope your summer is going well, and for a state with well over 10,000 lakes, well it's hot as hell here, I wish I were born in alaska!!!
Realized I haven't stalked you in a while (ha) and I wanted to check in and wish you all the best with the wrap of the album and what not. Can't wait until you guys get on the road again. So, did you hear? Atmos is coming to Florida soon - guess who's driving around the State and hitting up each and every show. Shhhhh...don't judge me. ; ) Hope all's well, Brendan.
awe thanks, bk1!!! i just now got your status comment! don't worry, we handled it, but next time you better get the magic carpet gassed up ASAP! ;-) how's thangs? xo -nettie
Thank you for being a good inspiring d.j. man I've seen you a couple times djing for Ali man your work is very precise and good man I like what you do up there on the stage your the back bone of the performance man and the stuff you do in between performances is amazing man stay up Peace.....
bk what up, my soundset experience was great.. people from the midwest are good peoples.that whole b-boy session with u, mr. dibbs, and prince paul was the highlight of my day. it let me know that HIP-HOP IS ALIVE AND WELL!!!
So, I had my phone all set up for the Twitter updates from your Rhymesayers buddies all day during Soundset...felt like I was right there with you guys...almost. :( Hope you had too much fun, Brendan! Now, go get to work on that Street Preacher. ha. ; ) Can't wait for it!
Hi Brendan! Just stopping by because I saw you were on - I am "working" right now (translation - trying to look busy while bouncing off the walls with excitement) until 3:30 and then I'm catching a plane to DC tonight! I'll be catching your co-conspirator live tomorrow and I cannot wait! Wish you were out there, but I know you have new album stuff to work on. Hope all's well.
Hey Brendan - Glad to see you doing so well. I worked with you WAY back in the day at Joe's Market in SE MPLS (this is Paul...we used to talk hiphop all the time, and you came by my apartment a couple times to spin records...). Anyways - good luck on the tour and I'll try to catch up with you at Soundset 2009 :) Take Care -
haha! ; ) I am still living in the days of banned cities, Brendan...and you know what? I dig it. ha. :) And, as it turns out, you'll be seeing me next month - May 16th to be exact...I think you and your co-conspirator will be there then, yes?? D.C. show. I'm sad about Soundset too, but I am only part super-woman and can't do it all. Hope all's well.
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