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DJ Snips

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Written by Tash S

DJ SNIPS IS A TRIPLE THREAT. HE'S A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH AS A DJ ON THE CLUB SCENE, IN THE MIXTAPE GAME IN THE UK AND THE US AND HE'S A DOPE HARD WORKING PRODUCER. DJ SNIPS IS ONE OF LONDON'S MOST POPULAR CLUB DJS AND ONE OF THE UK'S MOST RESPECTED PRODUCERS. WORKING BOTH STATESIDE AND IN THE UK ON BANGIN TRACKS HIS SOUL INFUSED PRODUCTION HAS BEEN WOWING LISTENERS FOR OVER 5 YEARS.

Hi Snips, for those people out there who don't know anything about you, why don't you break down who you are?
Whats good people? I go by the name DJ Snips and I represent All Elements and am a DJ/Producer from London. I've produced for UK artists such as Poisonous Poets, Baby Blue, Yungun, Sway and US artists such as Sav Killz, Diabolic, Stimuli, Trife Da God, Skyzoo, Big Lou, Cuban Link and Donny Goines. I also DJ up and down the country, run my own Hip Hop club night at Bar Rumba called Livin Proof and regularly put out mixtapes.

Do you feel that in the current download generation core DJ skills are being lost?
Oh most definitely. I think it's really important to embrace technology and i love Serato and the fact that i can download Soulja Boy records to play to stupid people rather than having to pay £8 for them but it does kinda kill the whole work ethic that goes behind actually learnin about records. Also when you're spoilt for choice i think the actual creativity dies slightly as well.

Would you ever entere a DJ competiton such as the DMCs? How necessary do you view these competitions for establishing your name as a DJ?
I personally am not that kind of DJ so I wouldn't enter. I don't actually think it's that necessary at all as far as gettin your name out there as a club DJ. It definately helps but it's not essential.

Tell us a bit about your clubnight Livin Proof?
It's basically an escape from the shit you are subjected to in every other west end club. Its Me, Mr Thing, Budge, Kalil and DJ Inka. Its not strictly hip hop but it's based around classic hip hop from 87-97 and anything that fits with that vibe; so breaks, neo soul, rare groove, reggae, NJ swing. It's a real party atmosphere.

What Snips productions can we look out for stateside?
Ive just done a joint with Big Lou and Cuban Link which is gettin some good spins on US radio. I'm workin with Trife Da God from Ghostface's camp. I did a joint called "Cant Take It Anymore" with Sav Killz. I'm also workin on a joint with Sav, Skyzoo and Stimuli called Brooklyn Renaissance, oh and I'm also doing some stuff with Donny Goines who's another up and coming rapper from NY, his shit is definitely gonna be dope. There's some bigger records coming too but I can't really reveal anything yet.

We hear you've teamed up with US mix DJ J Ronin and are now a DJ duo on the mixtape scene, how did that hookup come about?
I met J when i was in NY a few years back and it basically just grew from there. I was looking to try and break that US Dj market and he needed someone to mix his tapes so that's how the actual duo of us doing tapes together came about. As far as me gettin down with the All Elements team, that just came from the two of us havin a very similar hustle and being able to help each other progress.

What tapes can we look forward to hearing from you?
I've got the All Elements Vol 9 with J-Ronin that's just come out hosted by Joell Ortiz, I just did Shabaam Sadeeqs "Relentless" Mixtape with Tony Touch and J-Ronin and I also just mixed Baby Js "FTP" mixtape.

Have you got any advice for upcoming DJs and Producers out there?
Yep... do it cause u love it cause there's so many easier ways to make me money... this hustle is HARD!

Anything else you want to add?
Yeah make sure u check out the myspace www.myspace.com/djsnips and make sure u check out Livin Proof at Bar Rumba on the 2nd saturday of every month... AND COP ALL THE MIXTAPES!!! Peace.

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