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
NOVEMBER TOP 10:
1) KILL THE NOISE - JOKES ON YOU
2) YEAH YEAH YEAHS - HEADS WILL ROLL (A-TRAK RMX)
3) PASSION PIT - LITTLE SECRET (JACK BEATS RMX)
4) CRAZE & ASH ROCK - SAUCY
5) SUB FOCUS - SUB FOCUS (THE ALBUM)
6) LITTLE JINDER - YOUTH BLOOD (12TH PLANET & FLINCH RMX)
7) KILL THE NOISE - PERFECT COMBINATION
8) LUDACRIS & SHAWNA - HOW LOW
9) DROP THE LIME - SET ME FREE (HARVARD BASS RMX)
10) SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO - CRUEL INTENTIONS (JOKER RMX)
WWW.TWITTER.COM/CRAZEARONI's Friend Space (Top 20)
Whats up bro ? I finally had my baby boy Jordan! I got your signature on my 23 throwback Jordan jersey hanging up over my sons baby crib. It was a blessing to get to hang out with you at the after party.. your the shhh mayn keep doing your thang
Word up Craze - Check out my crazy new layout, I just did DJ Immortal's too - he's workin on gettin me some new photo's for the top - I can design you some custom flash for your page if your lookin to pimp it - hit me up
Thanks for the add! Saw/heard you in Paris when you won your first DMC world championship. Big fan of your work since then. Peace, love & respect, you "scratch nerd"!
