The Rail Runners "The Takeback" is BACK!

Back in 2012 while visiting family in Battle Creek Michigan, I took the 2 hour drive up to Detroit to visit one of my favorite record shops, Peoples Records.  Those that have been to Peoples know that they are the capital for funk and soul 45's and it's nearly impossible to leave without a handful of gems to add to your mini record boxes.  Now usually I find rare funk from days past and this trip was no different, but I also picked up a "new" release from a group called The Rail Runners.  After dropping it on at the listening station, it took me about 5 seconds to realize that I was going to need 2 copies.  For years to come, whenever I spun this record at a party, no one seemed to know of it, but everyone loved it.  I can't front, I dug how it felt as if I was the only cat around with this hidden gem and I got a kick out of rubbing it in the faces of all the other 45 jocks, I mean who wouldn't???  Well recently, and just by chance,  I connected with Ryan Pieper, the bass player and frontman of The Rail Runners.  After "geeking" out a little about how much I dig his record, he agreed to bless me with an interview and tell me a little more about himself and this cool little 45.

Darrell D - How did you become a musician? 

Ryan - I spotted a Gibson Ripper bass in a pawn shop window circa 1993, it was the exact same model that Krist Novoselic was using in Nirvana at the time and I totally gravitated to it.  It was only $250 but still a lot of money to me back then.  I then formed a punk band with some friends in middle school and I still have the demos we recorded on a boom box.

D - What musicians have inspired you and why? 

R - Vic Chesnutt and James Jamerson.  Those guys are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of music.  However, I appreciated Vic's verbal vocabulary and James' melodic vocabulary.

D - What was the first record you ever bought? 

R - Metallica - Jump In The Fire / Creeping Death EP

D - How did The Rail Runners form?

R - Craigslist.  For real!  I've met so many great players this way.  Also a lot of oddballs too.

D - Why funk music?

R - I was already a DJ / Funk 45 collector and I had been wanting to be in a band again.   ...As a bass player it is pretty fun to play.  'Hot Pants Road' by James Brown is a favorite of mine to play.  Fred Thomas who is on bass, is able to keep this delicate balance between 'tight' and 'loose' at the same time.  That early 70s line up was the best version of the JBs.

D - What's your favorite funk record? 

R - Tough question, but "Slapping Some Soul Upon Me" by Little Jimmy Edward is pretty awesome.  It packs in so much and is under 2 minutes long.

D - What's the backstory on the recording of "The Takeback/Crash Burn Learn"  45?

R - We recorded 6 songs onto a Tascam 4 track cassette Portastudio.  Everyone had one mic, including the drummer, which was a bit tricky to dial in.  I used the same pawn shop Gibson Ripper I've had since I was 13 and ran it through an Ampeg B15.

The guitarist had a 335 type hollow body and the organ player used a real Leslie cabinet.  The drummer played an old Ludwig kit and used a 1930's Leedy snare on Crash Burn Learn, I thought it had a nice deep sound.  

The cassettes were then mixed down to 1/4" tape at Inner Ear Studio (Arlington VA), mastered at Nashville Record Productions (Nashville, TN), and then pressed 300 copies at Archer Record Pressing (Detroit, MI).  Needless to say, this little record got around.  We went through the headache of using strictly analog gear though out the entire process.  It was partly for sound and partly for the challenge of doing it that way.  Was it worth it?  I'll let the listener decide.  Either way, we had fun making it and really appreciate DJs like yourself who include it within their sets.  Thanks!

D - Was it a conscious decision to include a "break" on the "Takeback/Crash Burn Learn" 45?

R - Probably.  You (usually) cant go wrong with some open drums.

Listen - https://www.instagram.com/p/BwKzDEylzBC/

D - What's the weirdest thing that has happened to you while performing?

R - I remember a fight breaking out at one of the dive bars we played.  We honestly didn't know if we should stop or keep playing.  We kept playing.

D - Besides music, do you have any other hobbies/interests?

R - I enjoy restoring old instruments and tube amplifiers that probably should be thrown away.  Recently I reset the neck and added a p90 (pickup) to a '67 Silvertone archtop.  ...now I just need to learn how to play guitar.

D - Where can this 45 be purchased?  

R - You can purchase the vinyl here: 

https://therailrunners.bigcartel.com/product/the-rail-runners-vinyl-single-mp3s

and you can also purchase the the vinyl from these record stores: 

Crates Records and Gear, Phoenix AZ

Street Corner Records, Oak Park MI

Friends of Sound, Austin TX

Steady Sounds, Richmond VA

Dj Spotlight-SWAMP

Darrell D- How did you get started Dj'ing?                                                                                            

Swamp- I grew up in Cleveland and there were tons of Dj's. Back then the radio station was WDMT. It sounds tripped out now cause Dmt is like a crazy drug now but that was the name of the station, 108 WDMT. Every night they had the "club style master mix" and Dj's like GrandWizard Johnny O, Dj Cochise, & Dj Cruz would spin. I was just a kid, like 15 or 16, breakin on cardboard, listening to those guys. After that station went off air 93 Wzak started doing 20 minute workout mixes by Dj Mix Master Quick every week on the rap show they had on Saturday night and people would bug out on those mixes. Then they had this college radio show and the Dj was this dude named L-Dog and he would invite other Dj's to come up and mix and that's when I got in the game. People were making 4 track cassette mixes. I worked odd jobs and at Wendy's to get my first 4 track. I didn't even have a 1200 turntable. I was using a Gemini 1100 and an Edis mixer with a reverb in it but the 4 track was my secret weapon because I could put an instrumental on one track, scratch some rock stuff on another track, throw an acapella on another track, and just keep layering the mix for a 30 minute mix that sounds flawless and insane like you were a professional. You could also do "shout-outs" on the air so everybody in my school would ask me give to give them a shout-out. Even the teachers would ask,"You gonna give me a shout-out too?" So I would and when I would get back to school I was like a little celebrity Dj at 16 years old at my high school. 

 

 

 

D- What was the first record you ever bought?                                                                                    

S- Rod Stewart "Young Turks". It was a 45. I was 9 years old. That beat was tight and I ended up acquiring the same drum machine he used on that song. It was the LM-1 drum machine. There were only 300 made and it was also the same one that Prince made all his beats with. All that 1999 stuff, "When Doves Cry", all the hits were made with that Linn LM-1 drum machine. I've had 3 in my lifetime.  

 

 

D- Any crazy digging stories?                                                                                                              

S- Back in 1991 me and my boy Mike would go digging all the time. One day we were on the west side of Cleveland and we drove past this house that just had "RECORDS" on it. That's all it said was "RECORDS". It was just a regular house filled from top to bottom with vinyl. They were everywhere. The owner was this guy named Larry who smoked a big cigar and sat in the back. Me and Mike thought we were in heaven & Larry would look at us like we were just a couple of crazy kids. We bought a ton of records that day and returned the next weekend and got real cool with the guy. He had two record players in the store so we would go there every Sunday and listen to records all day and he was always getting new stuff in. We would dig for beats and find doubles of stuff like Herbie Hancock "Rock It" and Divine Sounds "Do Or Die Bed-Sty". We'd find sealed James Brown Lp's, just tons of stuff. After a while we started bringing in records to trade. Most stores rip you off in trades but this dude would do even trades. We could bring in a stack of records we didn't like and trade them for really good stuff and he was cool with it. When we realized we could get away with that we started asking anyone if they had any old crappy records they were getting rid of or we would go to garage sales and buy the most worthless records and Larry would just trade us "straight up" for the best stuff we could find in his store, it was ridiculous. He moved to another location that was bigger and crazier then the first one. We did that until 1997. My collection eventually grew to about 27,000 records and about 80% came out of that store. The only reason why it stopped in 97 was because Larry died. We milked it for as long as we could.  

 

 

 

 

D- Top 3 favorite rap songs?                                                                                                                 

S- "Natural Born Killers" by Dre and Ice Cube. I loved that song as soon as it came out. I wish they had recorded that Helter Skelter album like they had planned.                                                

"3 Am" by Eminem. I think that was his best song ever.                                             

And "Follow The Leader" by Eric B & Rakim. I go through phases, like, I love a bunch of stuff by Organized Konfusion. I loved "Prisoners Of War", "Bring It On", I have a lot of favorites.

 

 

 

D- Top 3 Producers?

 S- Dre                                                                                                                                          

Rick Rubin                                                                                                                                 

Mannie Fresh                                                                                                                             

 

 

 

 

Mr. Super Bad

I only got to see James Brown perform once. It was 2006. Sun City hosted his last appearance in Arizona. This was a bit weird to me because Sun City is a retirement community about an hour from Phoenix. "Why would he play there?", I remember thinking.  Anyway, I was pretty excited so I along with the homie Chino D, & his wife at the time, Marcia headed to the Sundome aka MCEC to party with Mr. Dynamite himself. On the way over, Marcia and Chino get into an argument and she bounces leaving Chino to completely wild out with me, and trust me, Chino loves to wild out! This experience was different to say the least. No crazy traffic in the parking lot, no long lines, no aggressive security, everything was very smooth and laid back. The 7000+ seat facility was pretty packed but very chill. With this being a James Brown show I was surprised I didn't see anyone else I knew and most of the patrons were older caucasian couples. James reached everybody and when you consider how creative african culture is, it's not a surprise, God Made Us Funky!
     When the show started, The band jamed out for 20 minutes before James ever took the stage. I have never seen such funkiness! Trust me, it was crazy! When James took the stage, well, I think you know the rest...
      James passed away a few months later. I was honored to have experienced him live. I've been to a LOT of shows and I would have to put this in my top 3.

I love when there's a merch booth to buy goodies at a show and let me tell you, James had the most amount of merchandise I have ever seen. You name it, he was selling it. JB bath and hand towels, calendars, t-shirts, hoodies, posters, CD's, pencils, photos, tank-tops, jackets, women's underwear, sun-glasses, sweatbands, tour programs, caps, ties, costume jewelry, stickers, baby clothes, this guy was selling everything. He also had 2 types of JB laundry bags. Here's the one I copped.

  

  

Hidden Agenda #6

I was interviewed by Hidden Agenda Magazine back around 2008-2009. This mag focused on music, art, poetry, & pop culture. This issue quickly became a collectors item because it was full of graffiti
and street art. Here are some highlights from the interview on me.

Toxic Waste-How did you get into the art of Dj'ing?

Darrell D-It started in high school. I used to be in this rap group called Prime Time with two other homies, Cosmo Chill & Whiz Doc D. Back then I was known as Delirious D. So we used to rap, you know, do talent shows, we were on TV a couple of times. As I went through high school, as I approached my senior year I realized I couldn't be a grown man running around trying to rap. So I naturally just started Dj'ing because I was already buying records. I figured that as a Dj I could still always be seen. I could always be current. I could still perform in front of people. And, because i'm playing music,I would never get old or go out of style.. I would always be current. So it was a way for me to stay in the spotlight and keep performing without being a rapper.  

What about collecting vinyl? 

Back in high school they were still pressing everything on vinyl. When you were buying stuff back then you had the option of buying it on vinyl or cassette. So I was already buying vinyl at the point when I stopped rappin and started Dj'ing. I already had a few crates. As far as being a collector, I remember right around the early 90's is when I first noticed. I remember going to this music store called Mainstream Music in my hometown of Milwaukee and I went to buy the new Stetsasonic "Blood Sweat and No Tears" album and the new LL Cool J ''Mama Said Knock You Out" album. I noticed 90% of the vinyl they were selling in there was gone! There was just a few bins of vinyl left. That's right around the time record companies stopped pressing so much vinyl. The CD revolution was starting to creep in and get real healthy. It was at that point that every record pressed became a "collectable". And because record companies were only doing that first run, that one pressing, that was it. So if you didn't get it when it came out, there was a good chance you wouldn't see it again. So that's when I became a collector.

How many records do you have in your collection?

I have around 100 crates.

So you're not originally from Arizona right?

I am originally from Milwaukee, WI. I moved to Arizona in 98.

Some call you an old school Dj. Could you elaborate on that?

Well, I've been called an old school Dj. I don't have a problem with that. I think being an old school Dj makes me a classic Dj. I think it makes me a real Dj. Right now you got a lot of synthetic Dj's. Those that didn't really go through the school of Dj'ing.

Do you have any influences?

Early influences include three cats from my hometown. Rock Dee, Dr. B, & Fresh G. During my high school years these were the three guys I was peepin. Rock Dee was the first Dj in my town that I ever saw doing some crazy battle routines. I had only seen that crazy stuff being done on the DMC videos, and now here's this guy doing it in front of me. I didn't even know that somebody from my city had those kinds of skills. He was a great mixer plus he knew his records like the back of his hands. He could do these really quick mixes. He didn't even need to cue the record. He would just grab the needle, drop it, grab the pitch control and mix. I would ask him,"how do you do those mixes so fast?" He would simply reply,"I know my records". That always stuck with me. Because of him I can say that I always made it a point to be familiar with my records as much as possible. Then there was Dr. B. He was defiantly a creative cat. You could tell he spent a lot of time in his lab putting records together. I mean this guy could perform magic with some records! When you heard him dj, you could tell that he had put time and thought into what he was doing. And then there was Fresh G. He was the cleanest mixer I have ever heard in my life. You could ask any of the cats back home and they will tell you the same thing. He was just incredibly clean. Everything he did was just clean! Other influences would include Jazzy Jeff, Cash Money, Funkmaster Flex, Rob Swift, Tat Money,and my favorite Dj is Kid Capri.

What was it like spinnin back in the day?

Oh man! I remember back in the day when you could throw on A Tribe Called Quest Award Tour" or Prince "Housequake" and the dancefloor would go insane! You could play "More Bounce...",Planet Rock",or like "The Big Payback" or even Jazzy Jeff "Summertime" and people would lose their minds. You have your hits now but it's not the same. I miss the old days. Dj'ing is exploited now. You see Dj's in cartoons, T.V. commercials, on billboards...I've seen Dj's in Target and Sprite commercials. Anything corporate america can exploit and make money off of they will. Hip-Hop is no different,Rap is not different. Music is beautiful and I don't know what I would do without it. When I look through my record collection I'm amazed at the emotions that some of the albums give me. James Brown, Gladys Knight, Arrested Development, Teena Marie, I just zone out to the albums. It's very emotional to me.

Dj Spotlight-Reflekshin

                                                                   Code-Reflekshin
                                                              Resting Place-Arizona
                                        Steez-Scratch Wizard,Native Warrior,World Traveler

1)Darrell D-How did you get into Dj'ing?

  Reflekshin-  I first got into djing from my brother Dj Tribal Touch. He was Dj when I was young so I got a basic concept of it than he moved to denver. I lived on a reservation so the basic info was scarce so I what I got was from the source magazine. than I went to high school and than I kept on buying the source over the years and used to see these articles about Djing and Djs and scratching on commons resurrection and many more albums. Then I started reading about Dj Q-bert and Mix Master Mike. So I looked up what I could on the internet and back than it was netscape. I kept looking more and more into it and I noticed Bad Boy Bill, Fat Boy Slim and than came the X-ecutioners and Dj Craze and I tried to watch what I could where I could. Back then there was no internet really or any videos online I could watch for basic knowledge of Djing. I moved home to Shiprock, NM back on the reservation and I met my friend Leo Anderson and he had records and a Vestax mixer. So I would go hang out with him when I could to learn my way around the turntables and mixer and records. And he told me that he had an extra pair of tables that I could buy so I did. And he had an extra mixer for me to use. So I borrowed a crate of records he had and would practice and practice. Back home in Shiprock I met Dj Cedro and he told me and some local bboys and graff writers to "stop by" so I did and got my first taste of spinning vinyl and breaks and seeing b-boys and b-girls dance. He also gave me my first gig in Shiprock for a local hip hop jam. And thats where I met Dj Cutting Bear now known as Poetic C and djs for U92 in Salt Lake. I also met Dj Abel now known as dj AbelRock. He played at the local bar and I would watch an take notes. Then I approched him and told him I dj too. So he told me to bring a crate of records the next time I came and I did. I had a basic knowledge of 8 bar mixes and he taught me more about mixing and EQ'ing and thats how I got into Djing in a nutshell. 

2) What was the first record you ever bought?

  The first record I ever bought with my own money was Micheal Jackson- Thriller. Record stores back than on rez were not available so I had to go to pawn shops or thrift stores and that was the popular record I always saw and I grew up on that album so it was a must have for my first record I ever purchased. 

3) What's your top 3 favorite rap songs of all time?

Hmmmm let me see, that is a good one. If I have to pick, of all time?

                1) Atmosphere- Gods Bathroom Floor has to be one of them. Just the way it sounded. Super raw and the beat was something else just the way the song started and then builds, and the lyrics. 

                 2) Common- I U.S.E.D To Love Her. When I saw the video it made me wanna look into the different eras that hip hop went thru and what Common was talking about on the track and the history of hip hop. 

          And 3) Heather B- All Glocks Down. That song was soooo dope to me. Hearing that beat and a female just rip it and have flow and lyrics and her delivery. I was young and heard that on a tape and was like who is this. I've never heard anything like that before. So those would be my top 3. I'm gonna sneak in a #4 and its Nas- Lifes A Bitch. That whole track is simply dope to me. 

4) What dj/record collector do you admire and why?

 That one is an easy one and its Dj Z-trip. Why? I've listened to him since I started djing and learned about digging. The way he plays records from word play to the blends (which is an OG term that is now called Mash-ups) and how he played rock, soul, funk, rap, hiphop, and made it just fit together very well. And pretty much how he studied music and made his own style that shaped what modern djing would come to be. Also his music knowledge is so vast it made me dig into other genres and enjoy what I grew up on and sneak those into sets when I could but know how to get out of those songs to keep the party going.

5) What's the weirdest thing that has happened to you while digging?

 Hahahah, that is a good one. It was like my 5th or 6th gig and it was in Tuba City, Arizona. and my friend Kaypee booked me. He was the mobile sound/dj guy on the rez and it was a teen dance or back than we called them Jiggy gigs cause it was top 40 songs and party songs. lol. So I start djing and getting in the groove with my set, and a kid looks up to me and looks at me and says "fire" and points with thumbs up, which was kinda weird. And I was like cool i'm doing a good job. And the next kid says "fire is going up" and i'm like YEAH!. And my friend Kaypee runs up to where I was djing and says "DUDE THE SPEAKERS ARE ON FIRE! TURN IT DOWN"! I look and a speaker was literally on fire. I was like ohhhh *@#$!  So I turn it down and the dance ended and that has been a running joke. "Remember that time Reflekshin played and set the speakers on fire with his set?" Haha so that was prolly the weirdest thing that has happened to me while djing.

6) If you could meet anyone,living or dead,who would you meet? 

  It would definately be Prince. His passion for music. And he did it his own way whether it was right or wrong. He was his own being.   

7) What's the most you've ever spent on a record?

  Ummm, I never really spent a whole lot of money on a single record. If I had to pick one it would be Camp Lo- Luchini. I bought it for $45 and to me that was a lot and i've always wanted that on vinyl.

8) If you could be someone else for a day,who would it be?

 I Would be Mark Ronson. He is a great Dj and has produced some excellent records and albums. His ear for funk is exceptional. His record collection is so exstensive and he has such vast range of originals to breaks, to party tracks. I would love to just go through his record collection. 

9) What's your favorite mixtape/why?

 My favorite mixtape would have to be Uneasy Listening by Z-Trip and DJP. Knowing that was made live and with vinyl still blows my mind for the fact the timing and BPM count had to be precise and near perfect with the mixing. and how it all flowed together it was seamless and such a ground breaker for me to keep my ear open on how to blend genres. 

10) What is your favorite break?

 It would be James Brown-Give It Up Turn It Loose. When the guitar comes in you know what was coming and it is time to get loose. You could top rock to it, bust out footwork, or even just vibe to it. 

11)What's the best gift you've ever received?

   It would have to be Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast. When I was a kid my sister gave it to me. I loved that album but my mom hated the cover so she threw my sisters copy away and my sister Sheryl bought it for me again. The reason was the cover was pretty intense. It had Eddie who was a zombie demon looking character playing with the devil on a string which played with a human overlooking burning people or burning land. I would have to hide the tape in my moms Crystal Gayle albums in plain site kinda like that scene in Detroit Rock City when the KISS album was in I think a Carpenters album sleeve. That album made me look past the exterior and as I grew up it was such a great body of work musically. The cover is pretty demonic but the music was in no way demonic or satanic or evil. Just good music and storytelling. 

12) What's next for Reflekshin?

 Next would be to get overseas again and visit more countries and get gigs to add more stamps to my passport. 

Dj Spotlight-Dj Louie Loo

 

How did you get into dj'ing? I started out as a b-boy I used to make my own pause button tapes until I saw DJ Rondike & Sondance from the Rock City Crew. Then my grandma bought me my first set of Technics SLD1's and a Gemini 2000 mixer and I never looked back. What is/was your favorite digging spot?   There were so many spots in New York that are not around anymore, but I would have to say Jimmy's Music World. Jimmy's was the best. They had huge bins of LP's that were 5 for $1. Cats didn't have a lot of money back then so you could go in there and drop like $20 and walk away with a lot of stuff you never heard of before. I caught a lot of gems there.   Then there was Downstairs Records. That's where everybody used to go to get breaks in the 70's. One side of the store was all 45's. you could find anything in there on 45.   Then you had Bleeker Bob's. They were in the Village so they had a lot of different stuff in there,Rock,Jazz, they had everything. They just closed down last year.   Also,you had JR's, The Colony, Barry's Records. There were a lot of mom and pop shops too. Share a cool digging story.  Back in the days I asked one of my boys who was also a DJ for the name of a certain break and he told me to find it myself. So me and my man F.G. took off to the record shop. When we got there I tried hummin' the song to the guy that worked there and he looked at me like I was crazy. There was this dude in there who was also looking for breaks and he asked us if we were looking for breaks and we said yeah so he told us he was down with Zulu Nation and he was a DJ. Then he said "follow me and grab everything I grab" so I did, and little did I know he had put me on to all the Bambaataa sureshots at the time. From that point on they started calling me little Bambaataa. What dj/record collector do you admire and why? Bambaataa because he always introduced something new at every party.  If you could meet anyone,living or dead,who would you meet? James Brown. I would like to know what the hell he was thinking when he came up with those tunes. Songs like "Make it Funky". I wonder what ideas were going on in his mind. Can you imagine being in those sessions? The vibe had to be crazy! His horn sections were insane. Dj's like myself love "Funky Drummer" but that was his least successful record.  Clyde Stubblfield  said he hated that record. They left a show and went straight to the studio to record that song. James never gave those guys a break.  What are some "holy grails" in your record collection?  I have a few but I'll just name two.    1- Seven minutes of funk(with the bongos)45    2- Planetary Citizen 45                                                             Louie Loo & Jazzy Jay If you could be someone else for a day,who would it be? Dj Whiz Kid. He was so ahead of his time with the cuts. He was nice. What was your greatest dj moment? When I rocked up in Kingsbridge with Kid Capri, I played "Rocket in the Pocket" and the place went bananas. Mind you this was when nobody knew what "Rocket in the Pocket" was. What was your worst dj moment? Can't really say I had a worst moment. What's next for dj looie lou?  Right now i'm doing the 45 circuit, get at me!

Dj Spotlight With Dj Prestige

What's your fondest childhood memories?

My fondest childhood memories are the time I spent with my father's parents, my grandparents in Beachwood, NJ.  We spent quite a lot of time with them during the year and on every holiday.  My mom, my dad, my sister and I were always gathered around the dining room table eating the huge meals my grandma prepared.  There was always a lot of laughter, music, and fun.  Those memories remind me of what I want for my kids, and the importance of family.  I had my grandparents most of my life, and those are memories I hold onto dearly, ones that remind me of really good and simple times.  

How did you get into DJing?

I always wanted to DJ and loved music.  My Uncle Tim (R.I.P.) took me to a K Mart and told us we could pick out records.  One of them was Eric B. and Rakim's "Paid In Full" (The Coldcut Remix), which I still have today.  An important record in my coming up.  My father was a huge soul and doo wop guy (he had a ton of acapella records), and on Saturday nights we would listen to Philadelphia's Jerry Blavet on the radio as a family and dance and carry on.  My father also brought a stereo home from Vietnam with all kinds of records: The Dells, Booker T. and the MG's, Isaac Hayes, and more.  That's where my love of music started.  Growing up, I bought all kinds of music.  Started with what my dad had, then got into classic rock, punk rock, and when hip hop hit, that's when I went nuts.  Run DMC's first record and The Beastie Boys License To Ill introduced me to sampling, etc.  When I discovered James Brown's back catalog and started to research these samples, it started to get real.  I started with Blue Note jazz and then reeally got into jazz music.  A lot of soul jazz, but I got my hands on everything I could.  It wasn't until I was in college as an on air DJ at WLFR (Stockton University) that I wanted to get into real DJing, but there was only one hip hop show.  It was called Sure Rock Holmes and The Detectives of Dance Music.  They had a DJ called Marc Asbury that would kill it.  I had heard Red Alert and Flash on the radio, but this was the first time I saw it live.  Probably around 1992.  When I wanted to play this music on my show, Sure Rock said no.  He locked all the records up in his cabinet.  This one thing propelled me to start learning and digging deeper.   About 3 or 4 years later I finally got my own set of Gemini belt driven turntables that I bought in a Burger King parking lot from a guy who upgraded to Technics (Shout out to Adam Jay aka DJ Aqua). I learned on them, then bought a set of Technics I still have today (along with a Vestax PMC05).  I originally was into turntablism, but really loved to play records through (or the break), so I went crazy digging every weekend.  My collection grew, my knowledge grew, and I started a DJ night called The Soul Circuit.  It was originally a cypher, but the club owner got pissed because the dudes  never brought any people to see them, so he asked me to play music.  I took a lot of lumps early on with that night, but we did well and I eventually met one of my all time DJ collaborators DJ Un-G.  Un-G showed me how to beat match and BPM my records, and upped my scratch game too.  We collaborated from about 2000 to 2010, when he moved to the West Coast.  He was the guy who got me to DJ in NYC in the early 2000's, and really showed me how to fine tune my DJ game proper.  I was always fond of 45s, and eventually started FleaMarketFunk.com in 2007.  Prior to that I had toured as a DJ in a national band, dug a lot while on tour, and when I stopped that, decided I wanted to share what I found through a blog.  It went from sharing what I found to now a global daily destination for diggers, DJs, artists, and producers.  Our Instagram (@fleamarketfunk) was named Top 15 record accounts to watch in December 2015 by The Vinyl Factory.  I'm proud that I put my time in and learned how to dig and DJ the right way.  I spent many nights practicing alone and getting up at the crack of dawn to fight greedy ebayers to get records.  Digging for records is still one of my greatest passions.  Sharing them while I DJ is a great feeling too.  I've met so many people worldwide through DJing and digging, I'm very thankful for it.  

What was the first record you ever bought?

I was given a lot of records from my parents' friends (The Rolling Stones - England's Newest Hit Makers sticks out in my mind) at some point, but the first record I ever bought on my own was Devo's "Whip It" on 45.

What dj/record collector do you admire and why?

That's a tough one, because after working on the Dust & Grooves: Adventures In Record Collecting book with Eilon Paz I got to see a lot of collections.  I really admire Robert Perlman from Funk For The People's collection.  He has so much heat, and has recently started DJing again.  I went to his apt. one day and sat in amazement at these forty fives.  His Lp game is tight as well.  Pat James Longo aka Primitive Soundsystem has a sick collection too.  I'm a student and we are always trading information, so I still learn a lot from these cats.  Pat's jazz, funk, soul, and latin is so meticulous and deep.  Of course, my man Skeme Richards who has a tight record game, but a good nostalgia game as well, which I love.  A lot of stuff from my childhood: skateboarding, video games, bmx bikes, kung fu and horror films, Star Wars figures, Six Million Dollar Man memorabilia, plus all the Philly sports teams from the 70's and 80's.  I admire all these dudes because we have the same taste, and can relate and learn from each other.  There is no pretentiousness, and everyone shares.  That's the way it should be.  No room for record snobbery and these three are pure gentleman and solid people I call friends.

What's the weirdest thing that has happened to you while DJing?

There have been plenty of weird things that have happened to me when I DJed.  I once played The Playboy Mansion and a guy in the band was pissed at our manager so he threw his very expensive guitar pretty much at her on stage left.  That was kind of the icing on the cake though, because playing The Playboy Mansion is not glamorous at all.  Everyone thinks it is, but it's not.  We had to get there at 10am and the party was at 8pm.  We couldn't leave.  The place is a zoo too, with all kinds of animals all over in cages.  There are flamingos that are allowed to roam freely, and they shit everywhere.  So you can be just standing there and some flamingo takes a dump on your shoe.  After we stayed there all day and were set up, the party finally starts.  All these D List musicians, actors, and entertainers show up.  There are Playmates that are from ages 21 to 60+.  So it's weird.  Then Hef comes out and makes an appearance, and they prop him up, he smiles and leaves.  The food is good though.  We were there to help promote Playboy: The Mansion, a video game we had a song in.  So along with all the other bands who were there, the D Listers, the video game geeks, the weird Playmates, it's kind of strange.  Almost sad.  The famous Grotto is disgusting, and they purposely don't have towels to discourage you from jumping in.  I, thankfully did not.  The place closes at 11, and not a second after.  You need to be packed up and get out because the place is in a residential area.  One of the weirdest gigs I ever had.  Nice to say I played there, but definitely weird.    

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet? 

I would love to have met King Tubby the reggae producer.  Just to watch him work his magic in the studio, and the artists he worked with would have been amazing.  

Any other hobbies/interests?

I am a self taught graphic design and typography geek.  I like designing flyers, art, and making tee shirts.  I do all the design for the site (logos, photos, site banners), and have designed all the stickers and tee shirts that you see on FleaMarket Funk.  I'm also a huge English football supporter, so during the season I am glued to the television on weekends during the season when Liverpool FC play.  I like it so much I stopped watching other sports.  Football is the only sport, and I don't mean the one where you wear pads.  I love this history, the culture, and everything that goes with it.  So besides that, I also like to spend a lot of time with my wife and two boys.  They definitely help keep me grounded.    

Best/Worst dj moment?

Best DJ Moment(s):

Opening up for Bad Brains playing an all reggae set and after party playing funk and soul.  HR and Dr. Know both coming up to me complimenting me on my selections.  Dr. Know asking me: "What does a white boy like you know about Cymande!" Opening up for Q-Tip at the Ace Hotel in NYC and having a great conversation and some laughs, that was definitely cool.  Also being a part of the Dust & Grooves project.  Met so many people and really am proud to have worked on it.

Worst DJ Moment:

Being on tour and the venue not having a big enough stage for me.  I had to play above the band in a balcony that housed sporting equipment like volleyball nets and poles, as well as a variety of other stuff.  It was in a strip mall in Canton, OH.  Not a highlight of my career.    

If you could be someone else for a day, who would it be?

Anthony Bourdain.  I like what he does in the kitchen as well as travelling around to different places and exposing their culture and food.  Great stuff.  

What is your favorite break?

Wow.  That is tough one for sure.  Let me see....my favorite breaks are Lou Courtney's "Hey Joyce", and Eddie Bo's "Hook and Sling".  Classic and timeless.  

Greatest rap song of all time?

I can't just pick one.  To me, the greatest rap song(s) of all time are The Geto Boys - "My Minds Playin' Tricks On Me", Pete Rock and CL Smooth - "T.R.O.Y.", and Public Enemy - "Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos"

How can you change the world?

I can change the world by being a good role model for my kids, and continuing to promote positive music and and DJ nights where ever I play.  I just love sharing the music I dig up and hope that will inspire others, including the youth to work hard and keep a positive mental attitude (PMA) in all they do.  FleaMarket Funk has showed me that I do make a difference in people's lives all over the world.  Whether it's an article they can relate to, turning them on to new music, or just uplifting them on a bad day with one of my mixes, it makes me feel good that I can touch people's lives.  I'm just a guy who loves vinyl record and sharing my experiences, so for that I'm grateful.  

photos courtesy of Janette Beckman

Dj Spotlight-Drunk Jeff

How did you get into dj'ing?

I started collecting records because of the 12" mixes not available on the LP. My boy Rudy down the block had this little turntable receiver all in one thing. I used to go to his crib and he would try to scratch using the volume as a fader. When I brought over my Paid In Full Coldcut 7 minutes of Madness 12" it was over. My life changed. We beat the hell out of that record.  

Any other hobbies/interests?

Reading as much as I can. I like to hike. I'm still trying to make the perfect burger.

Share a cool digging story.

Back in Bakersfield in like '94-'95 I was walking downtown and noticed a storefront full of books. As I got closer I realized it wasn't open yet as it was a brand new store. I looked in the window and saw thousands of records. More then I could imagine at the time. I found out there opening date which was a few days later and went down there without telling anyone but my homie Dan because he had a car. I lost my mind in that place. I was so broke in those days but still managed to grab about 200 pieces for $1 each. They had tons of crazy heat. If I would of known then what I know now it would've been over. I kept it a secret for a few weeks till I got what I wanted out of there.

If you could be someone else for a day,who would it be?

So many people come to mind. Right now today I'm going to say Quest love. It might be someone completely different tomorrow.

What was the first record you ever bought?

The first record I ever bought was Joan Jett And The Blackhearts "I Love Rock 'N' Roll. I bought it at Sears when I was like 10.

What dj/record collector do you admire and why?

Way too many to name. If I have to mention only one I will go with Z-Trip. He's my favorite DJ ever. His collection is ridiculous. His knowledge is unfathomable.

What are some "holy grails" in your collection?

I have this Latin Soul record by Mike Adame and Barrio called "Chicanita" It's a super raer! I have a nice minty OG Lymann Woodard "Saturday Night Special" LP. I have Dilla's copy of Eugene Mcdaniels "Headless Heroes Of The Apocalypse".

What's the weirdest thing that has happened to you while dj'ing?

Some chick bringing me a drink onstage and then sticking her tongue down my throat. That hasn't happened since....lol.

What else do you collect besides records?

I'm huge into movies. I have a pretty decent collection. Probably 600 - 700 DVD's and Blu-rays. Mostly Horror, Blaxploitation, B-Movies and Cult flicks.

If you could meet anyone,living or dead,who would you meet? 

James Brown without a doubt. I cried when he passed. I bawled like a baby. I've never done that before unless it was a family member or friend. His music changed my life.

What's the best gift you've ever received?

My daughter Jazzmine Sky Walker

What makes you different from other dj's?

I spin vinyl. I don't know how to use Serato and don't care to learn. I'm straight to the point when I spin. I just want to rock the crowd. I don't double up much. I love to take chances and play some off the wall s*** that not everyone knows. I love mixing up different genres but keeping the same energy.