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HIPHOPMOVIE
DJ TOSHI INTERVIEW
INTERVIEWER: Where are you from?
TOSHI: While originally from Tokyo, Japan, I have lived in New York
City for nearly half of my life. Currently, I reside in the Bushwick
section of Brooklyn.
INTERVIEWER: What inspired you to start doing?
TOSHI: When I was a kid, I saw a dance battle show on national TV.
Some of the competing groups were dancing to rap music and break
beats. That was my first inspiration and introduction to the genre. It
drove me to start looking for and learning about rap music. Initially,
I wanted to be a dancer. But that only lasted for a second (lol)
before turning my focus to DJing.
INTERVIEWER: Why did you start your anniversary show?
TOSHI: It was primarily a passion project, in the beginning. Classic
Storm Radio has worked very hard to stay true to the culture and, in
doing so, connected with so many talented artists who desperately want
to perform live. I saw an avenue for them that I could pave and did
whatever I could to make it happen. Because, when it comes down it,
I’m really just a fan.
INTERVIEWER: Who are your primary influences in Hip-Hop?
TOSHI: The first rap cassette tape I ever had was borrowed from the
public library and featured artists like Whodini, The Fat Boys and Run
DMC. I was probably about 13 years old but they influenced me, for
sure.
A few years later, when I was in high school, I used to buy a lot of
mixtapes from DJs like Kid Capri, Ron G, DJ Premier and Tony Touch.
Those tapes were the reason I really fell in love with Hip-Hop. They
were also probably what changed my focus from dancing to DJing.
Back then, in Japan, at select local shops, I would buy cassette
copies of some of the dope radio shows airing in the US from legends
like Red Alert, Chuck Chillout, Marley Marl, Pete Rock, Stretch and
Bobbito and others. They were huge influences on me, as well. Anybody
with original style and skills will influence me.
INTERVIEWER: Do you make beats?
TOSHI: Yes, I do. Though, I have been so busy DJing in clubs,
organizing shows and working as a studio engineer that I don’t have as
much time as I wish I did for making beats. But I love doing it and
definitely gotta find more time for that.
INTERVIEWER: What’s the name of your radio show?
TOSHI: Classic Storm Radio. We recently celebrated our 14-year
anniversary with a show at Mercury Lounge last November. Our
headliners were CL Smooth and Rah Digga.
INTERVIEWER: What kind of artists do you usually work with?
TOSHI: I usually work with independent, underground artists who have
similar tastes in music.
INTERVIEWER: How long have you been DJing?
TOSHI: About 26 years.
INTERVIEWER: What was your first hip hop experience?
TOSHI: Visually, it was the dance battle I mentioned earlier. My first
DJ experience was in high school. I started collecting records, going
to the parties, dancing at the clubs, practicing beat matching and
scratching at my friend’s house before trying to buy my own
turntables. I was trying to scratch with my father’s record player first. Lol.
INTERVIEWER: What do you think of the state of Hip Hop?
TOSHI: I think it’s exciting. It’s very diverse right now. So many
styles and people can choose whatever style they want to hear.
But at the same time, music is produced and released so fast these
days that it’s difficult to catch up and practically impossible to
hear it all. That also leads to a lot of inferior music that gets
circulated more frequently than the dope stuff. Anybody can record and
release music, quick and easy. Then they can send it to you by email
in a split second. lol.
INTERVIEWER: Where can people find you?
TOSHI: Hip-Hop heads can find me at the Rock Da House shows. People
can also catch me DJing at select locations in New York such as Big
Bar and Project Parlor. Of course, all that information can found on
my social media pages.
IG: @deejay_toshi / Facebook: @deejay.toshi / Twitter: @DJTOSHI
Thanks for this interview opportunity. Salute HIPHOPMovie.COM