My influences are too many to name, but anything that has bass and kicks hard is good with me. examples : Timbaland, TC, Switch, DJ Premier, J-Dilla, Magic Mike, Oizo. As for djing.....only A-trak & Klever
Craze's life is a legacy of rags to riches, geek to chic, no-name to world fame. He never had it easy – from fleeing battle in Nicaragua at the age of 3 to a geeky adolescence to Hurricane Andrew hitting Miami in 1992 – nor did have ever have any coattails to ride; his is a story that's an uphill battle, but a story that ends right at the top. "My mom always taught me I could do anything I put my mind to. So when she asked what I wanted to do with my turntables, I told her, 'Be the best DJ in the world,'" Craze casually laughs. And that he proved – 3 times at the DMC World Championships, an unprecedented record, and a title that no other solo DJ has yet to match. While Craze is regarded internationally and unquestionably as one of the best scratch DJs in the world, it's still astonishing to see his overwhelming number of titles on paper: Craze has won first place for the USA DMC Championships in 1998, World ITF Scratch Off Championships in 1998, ITF Western Hemisphere Scratch Off Championships (1998, '99), Winter Music Conference Scratch Off Champion (1996, '97, '98, '99), East Coast DMC Championships (1997), East Coast Rap Sheet Championships (1996) and Zulu National Championships (1995, '96), to name but a few. Additionally, DJ Craze claimed 2nd place in the first DMC Team Championship with his Allies' crew (which included fellow champions A-Trak and Infamous) in 1999 – and then in 2000, the Allies' won the Team Championship title, taking it from the previous year's winners the Scratch Perverts.
"I won the DMC's when I was 20. I joined the Regionals, won that, Nationals, won that, and then won the Worlds. And I took it from A-Trak – that's right! But he was only like 15 when I beat him. I was still scared. Then in that year, in '98 when I beat A-Trak in the [DMC] Worlds, I didn't wanna battle no more and I thought he'd be the icing on the cake, so instead we formed the Allies and we kicked everybody's butt. (laughs) Except the [Scratch] Perverts, they beat us once in the US, but then we came over here to London and we kicked their butt. So hey, payback's a bitch, Tony!" - Craze
On top of his untouchable turntablist skills and scratch champion showmanship, the world has also recognised that Craze is a second to none club DJ – he has toured the globe over, from Jamaica to Australia to Japan to Iceland to France to the country he was born, Nicaragua. All DJing aside, Craze is also a world- renowned producer, releasing wildly successful drum'n'bass records with labels such as Cartel Recordings, Breakbeat Kaos,C.I.A., and other hip hop inspired productions with the likes of DMC Records, Ninja Tune Records, OM Records and K7 Records. It's the respect from both DJs and audiences alike that has paved Craze's seamless move between hip hop and turntablism to drum'n'bass – both serious subzero clique/cult scenes the globe over demanding much of any artist trying to peddle their wares worldwide; to what now sounds like club-style Miami bass, formed with the technical love of hip hop with clean cuts and ridiculously dextrous scratching, but a mix up of straight up rap, ghettotech, raw booty house, old-school electro, Baltimore/Miami bass crossover and sweaty lo-end dancefloor music, making it all but impossible to keep still. Craze is currently on the road with Kanye West for the Glow In The Dark Tour featuring N.E.R.D, Lupe Fiasco and Rhianna. This is Craze – the man who arguably defined his hometown Miami turntablism scene, only to return now to reinvent this take on the Miami sound; a neo-genre of his own special blend of every which way club codes from the ghosts of discos past, present and future.
DISCOGRAPHY
Craze - Fabric Live 38 mix cd - Fabric
Craze - Craze Presents - "Bass Sessions" mix cd - Disque Premier
Craze - "Miami Heat" mix cd - System Recordings
Cartel Crew (DJ Craze, Juju, Infiltrata & GENR8) - "The Product 1" LP - Cartel Recordings 007
Mayday - "Groundhog Day" featuring Cee-lo Green & DJ Craze single - Southbeat Records
Cartel (DJ Craze & Juju) - "Survival/Superfly" LP - Cartel Recordings 006
Cartel Crew (DJ Craze, Juju, & GENR8) - "Take It EZ/Holywar" LP - Cartel Recordings 005
Hive - "Haterz" Remix featuring DJ Craze single - Renegade Hardware
DJ Craze - "Bully Breaks 1,2 & 3" LP - Ammo Records / Audio Research
Cartel (DJ Craze & Juju) - "Hustlin" EP EP - Cartel Recordings 003
Baron - "Nosher" Remix featuring DJ Craze - C.I.A.
Cartel (DJ Craze & Juju) - "I Want My Money/You Aint Ready" LP - Cartel Recordings 002
Cartel (DJ Craze & Juju) - "Soulshine/Murda" LP - Cartel Recordings 001
Adam F - "Drum & Bass Warfare" The Remixes - DJ Craze Mix CD - System Recordings
DJ Craze & Klever - "Scratch Nerds" LP - Ammo Records
DJ Craze - "Rugged Radio Saturday" LP - Audio Research
The Allies - "D-Day" EP - Asphodel
DJ Craze - "The Nexxsound" - United DJ's of America Mix CD DMC Records
DJ Craze - "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder" EP - Zoo York
Push Button Objects - “360 Degrees" featuring Del tha Funkee Homosapien & Mr. Lif single - Chocolate Industries
Faust, Shortee, DJ Craze - "Fathomless" EP - Bomb Records
DJ Faust - "Man or Myth" Cameo - Bomb Records
Herbaliser - "Missing Suitcase" DJ Craze Remix - Ninja Tune
East Flatbush Project - "Tried by 12" DJ Craze Remix - Chocolate Ind.
Propellarheads - "Tektonics Project" DJ Craze Remix - OM Records
Ko Wreck Technique - "Ko-wrection" EP - Chocolate Ind.
DJ Craze - "Crazee Musick" LP - Bomb Records
REMIXES
DONE:
A-Trak - "Say Whoa" (CRAZE RMX) White Label
Kill the Noise - "Hey You" (Craze Remix) SLOW ROAST
Company B - "Fascinated" (Craze Remix) remix White Label
Tittsworth - "Drunk As F@!K"
Mayday - "On To Something"
COMING SOON:
SLOW ROAST!!!!!!!
FOR MANAGEMENT & BOOKING INFO CONTACT:
DENISE@AMONLY.COM
JUNE TOP 10:
1) KILL THE NOISE & CRAZE - JUST LET ME BE
2) LA ROUX - BULLETPROOF (FOAMO DUBSTEP RMX)
3) JOKER + JAKES - 3KLANE (DUBBLE STEP EDIT)
4) BURAKA SOM SISTEMA - IC 19 (L-VIS 1990 RMX)
5) SENOR STEREO - DANCING TIME (XXXCHANGE RMX)
6) HATIRAS - OPEN UP YOUR EYES
7) CHAIRLIFT - EVIDENT UTENSIL (SINDEN REMIX)
8) LENKA - TROUBLE IS A FRIEND (NADASTROM RMX)
9) BOLTAN - CREEPY (MIGHTYFOOLS RMX)
10) MAJOR LAZER - HOLS THE LINE (DZ RMX)
CRAZE - FREE MIX @ DJCRAZE.COM's Friend Space (Top 24)
So pumped u coming to L.A. I won't miss it, btw is there anyway I can download your free mix? the link on your website expired:( the tracklist looks wicked! Peace.
JULY 9, 16, 23 & 30, 2009 Crotona Park Jams: Bronx
Held in assoc. with Council Member Joel Rivera and The Friends of
Crotona Park. feat. DJs: Biz Markie, Lord Finesse, GrandMaster Caz,
Cash Money, Jazzy Joyce, Scratch, Afrika Bambaataa, Jazzy Jay, Kool DJ
Red Alert, PopMaster Fabel, GrandWizzard Theodore, Roc Raida, Rockin'
Rob, DJ Supreme +. 5-9pm. FREE! All Ages. Host: GrandMaster Caz. Enter
at Charlotte St & Crotona Park East, Bronx NYC 10457. 2 or 5 to
174th St. itsmypark.org/brochures/crotona.swfmyspace.com/toolsofwar
AUG 4, 11, 18 & 25, 2009: Digger's Delight: Harlem
feat. DJs: Miss Shing-a-ling, Rockin' Rob, Chuck City, Lean Rock,
Chairman Mao, JBX, Jazzy Jay, Danny Dan the Beat Mann, Forrest
Getemgump, Lord Finesse, and more tba. 4-8pm. FREE! All Ages. St.
Nicholas Park Plaza @ 135th & St. Nicholas Ave, Harlem NYC 10027. B
or C to W. 135th. Held in assoc. with The Friends of St. Nicholas Park:
stnicholaspark.org. myspace.com/toolsofwar
Hello
I am here in Brazil and would like to saber whether there is any
possibility of making a sound together, it is not an introduction or an
interlude, much admire your work and would be more than an honor it is
that certain
craze what up man..just tried downloading the free mix on you're site... it said it was already maxed out...always been a big fan..bumped into you randomly in chitown before the kanye tour.. you know some of my boys out in LA.. any chance youre going to put more downloads up?..anyway keep doing what you do. peace
