DJ LORD

Imagine working a 9-5 job and within two weeks DJing overseas with one of the biggest hip hop groups of all time! That’s exactly what happened to Lord Aswod, better known as Dj LORD, from Public Enemy. He replaced Terminator X in 1999 and has been playing sold-out shows since. On top of that Dj LORD has won numerous turntable contests and is currently on the DJ Lord: Raising Hell tour. MOVEMENT MAGAZINE caught up with one of the hardest working men in hip hop for a chat…


So you joined Public Enemy on their tour in 1999, which is a huge deal. How did that happen and was it a big decision to stay with them? And were you intimidated by P.E.’s legacy when you joined?

It was MAJOR! Basically it happened in what seemed like the course of two weeks. My roommate (Rock Most) was doing production for Professor Griff and was told P.E. needed a Dj because Terminator X had just announced his retirement after The Smokin' Grooves tour. Griff heard of my rep on the ATL Underground DJ battle scene as well as DMC, ITF battles. Long story short, I came home from my 9-5 to find Griff in our living room. We chopped it up about the tour. I met Chuck shortly after. Griff got my passport expedited and I was on TOUR headed to Belgium with NO rehearsal.

The decision to stay was a no-brainer. I grew up listening to PE.. Chuck was and still is my hero.

I was very intimidated by it all but this was my big break. All that blood, sweat & tears plus insane dues paid? it was my time.

How did you get into turntablism?

I first got into turntablism in Savannah, GA, practicing with Dj Jeff Nice, Dj L-Trec, Dj Ally-Al 210 & Katoka. It's a small city so we all would build on what influences we heard on mixtapes, VHS tapes, television, ANYTHING, and basically spar. As time went on we all got better and went on to the other levels. Guess I was the Last Dragon of the clan.

Did your family play records when you were growing up? What are some of your favorite record finds?

My cousin Bernard in Chester,PA, played records as a Dj. He had the setup and all, which of course sparked my curiosity in the first place, which of course would get me punched out every time he would catch me messing around his setup! On Sundays my Mom would always play records while cleaning as well as my uncles throwing basement parties, so I have a unlimited amount of classic, funk & reggae songs in my head from childhood.

Do you remember the first record you ever cut/scratched/whatever?

The first record I skratched was “Rockit” by Herbie Hancock. The video possessed me.

You've won quite a number of turntable battles, how do you go about getting ready for one and what are some of the bigger competitions that you have placed in?

Getting ready for a Dj battle was always a warlike ritual for me. I would practice like a maniac, then back off, do something else like practice Kajukenbo (my Martial Art at the time), watch Animal Planet, eat a bowl of cereal, ANYTHING to re-set, then hit it relentlessly until the routine was tight. Which, of course, is never enough..heh. I've won a few DMC regionals, placed in a few ITF regionals, Kool-Mixx wins, Guitar Center wins. Constantly climbing that ladder

What kind of equipment do you use?

As far as Dj set-up I use two Stanton Str8-150s, an Akai MPD24 Pad Controller (Ableton) & a Rane TTM57 Mixer.

I read somewhere that you're also doing a little bit of dubstep stuff, any plans on sticking with that and do you feel like dudes like Skrillex are kinda watering down the music?

Actually I do a LOT of dubstep stuff. I was a member of Trillbass when I first started getting the feel and now damn near 65% of my gigs are dubstep-laced/requested. I think artists like Skrillex have taken MAJOR steps for dubstep. It's 'everywhere' now and it didn’t get there by a gang of people chiming in on chat boards etc... ranting on how much they 'hate' Skrillex. Cut the bullshit.

Do you feel any commonality with artists like DJ Spooky, Christian Marclay, Aphex Twin… guys with a more experimental, avant-garde take on turntablism?

Yup. We're all fam. They may have a different approach but it started with them playing with records to take the sound further.

Jazzy Jeff honestly doesn't get the respect he deserves but you've cited him as a big influence. Would you elaborate on this?

Simply put, Jazzy Jeff is the muthafuckin' man. I tell him this every time I see him on the road. He inspired me from the beginning- from the sounds to the equipment he used (at least from what I saw on album covers). I would spend countless hours trying to figure out his style

I know you used to frequent Jacksonville, any interesting stories?
Wayy too many to list here… Ask Matt or Steve.

What projects do you have lined up for the rest of the year?

Look out for The Dj LORD: Raising HELL tour (first show kicked off Jan 7th in Mobile, Alabama), my Dubstep cd Essential Kill ft. The Contraverse dropping in April, as well as a few upcoming collabs with Chuck D, Rock Most, Hulk & Dj Sagewondah,

Does Public Enemy have anything coming up?

P.E. just completed Operation Skid Row, a free show in Downtown L.A.'s Skid Row district. The goal of the free show Sunday was twofold: for hip-hop artists to perform gratis for skid row residents, and to spotlight the economic and political plight of L.A.'s homeless. We are dropping TWO albums in 2012, there is the PE exhibit opening on Feb.1st at The Grammy Museum and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and a few world tours lined up. There are also plans in the works to tour with Cypress Hill... Stay tuned.

by JESSICA WHITTINGTON
FOR MOVEMENTMAGAZINE.com

DJ LORD performs TONIGHT at Phoenix Taproom
http://www.facebook.com/DjLORDofficial

Movement Magazine caught up with Arthur Rowan who plays King Arthur in the Broadway show, Spamalot, which comes to Jacksonville next Thursday, February 16th

As a youth, did you aspire to be a Broadway performer? If so, did you ever imagine yourself in a Monty Python play? And if not, what did you think you would grow up to be?

"I got heavily into theatre in high school, but back then there was no such thing as a Monty Python 'play,' just the movies which I had already learned by heart. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I'd have the chance to play King Arthur on stage."

As many of the cast members have been in an array of Broadway performances, what are the most notable shows the cast members have come from to make up the Spamalot cast?

"My favorite theatrical experience thus far has been working with the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. It gave me a chance to swordfight, sing, improvise in Shakespearean, and have memorable interactions with thousands of patrons. There is nothing quite so rewarding as giving a 4-year old girl a 'magic gem' that you paid 25 cents for at a party store, explaining it will bring her luck, and watching her face light up because she really believes in the power of it."

Seeing as you are the "leader of the evening," have you always considered yourself a natural leader at heart?

"To be honest, I never really gave much thought to it.  I do love being part of a team, and when placed in positions of leadership I mostly just strive to do right by the people who are counting on me."

What is your all-time favorite Monty Python character?

"Elizabeth Tudor as played by Graham Chapman on a motorbike."

If you could turn any of your favorite movies into Broadway plays, which movies would you choose?

"It would be extremely challenging, but I'd love to see what would happen to Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit if given an imaginative director and a huge budget."

What is your least favorite part of life in the Broadway performance scene? i.e. setup, travel, performing, etc.

"The impending sense of doom that comes from knowing you'll be back pounding the pavement, looking for work again as soon as your current show is done. Stability is a very fleeting sensation, even for most 'successful' actors."

 

Are there any outrageous experiences that you have had while traveling that you are willing to share?

"During Spamalot, there's one moment where I get to give a 'shout-out' to any local celebrities of the town we're playing in. There have been a couple times when I met someone at the hotel or at the local mall who said they were coming to the show that evening, and I'd name them as one of the town heroes during the performance, hoping I can give an extra dose of magic to at least one person in the audience that night."

- by Jonathan Andrews/MOVEMENT Magazine.com

For information on Monty Python’s SPAMALOT shows in Jacksonville CLICK HERE or buy tickets now at www.artistseriesjax.org or call The Artist Series Box Office at 904-632-3373.

Based on the best-selling 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED, winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy® and three Tony® Awards, is the untold story of the witches of Oz long before Dorothy drops in. One – born with emerald-green skin – is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.
 
WICKED has “cast quite a spell” (Washington Post) throughout North America, breaking box office records in every city that it has played, including Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston to name a few. Called “a cultural phenomenon” by Variety, WICKED continues to thrill audiences around the world. There are currently seven productions of WICKED worldwide, including two North American tours, a Broadway production, a London production, a Japanese-language production, a German-language production and an Australian production. A Dutch-language production of WICKED will open in November 2011.

The MOVEMENT crew was invited to join the WICKED crew during one of the many days it takes to set up of the massive staging and publisher Max Michaels spoke with company manager Erica Norgaard about the show.

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So Erica, one thing I was always quite curious about, with these type of productions. Because the setup can take days, when you're ready to go to your next city, Do you have  multiple trucks that are traveling leapfrogging a set like this to the next city? Basically, how many productions are going on at the same time?

"Yes, we have thirteen semi-trucks worth of stuff. Three of them are duplicates.   So, we have two dragons, and art displays that go on stage. And some electrical equipment. And those three trucks get to the city on Sunday,   they start loading everything in on Monday. And the Rest of the trucks arrive on Tuesday Morning. It takes us two and a half days to set it up. And at the end of the run, it takes us about 6 hours to tear it all down, put  it in the trucks, and then drive it to the next stage."

So there is basically three separate sets, but there is only one traveling cast?

"No, One set,  but three trucks that have those pieces. One set of costumes, one set of props get trucked from city to city."

That is pretty Amazing. And what is with the awesome dragon? (laugh)

"Its sort of the thing that sets the tone for the whole show. You walk in and its the first thing you see, The dragon hovering over the stage with Emerald city sparkling in the background. Kind of, sets the tone for the evening of … you know … magic."

What do you think the most challenging parts of all those details, as far as a production of this magnitude.

"Well, its my first time in Jacksonville, so its always different to come to a city that I've never been to.  I’ve been touring for a long time. So when you go to somewhere, like say Chicago, well I've been here like five times so I already know where everything is. Here I get here and they're like, 'Where do I park?' And I'm like, 'I don't know I haven't been here yet.” (Laughter)

How many in the cast, when you're on a tour like this, how many total [with understudies] would you say there are?

"We always have two understudies that can go on for them, so they are in the ensemble of the show.  So, everyone has a back-up plan."

How many in this show are from the actual Broadway show, if any?

"Our Standby just came to us from Broadway, and there is a couple of others that are out with us right now. This group is ever-changing, its been changing out for about three years now. So a lot of the cast members had changeovers. Some of them have been with us for three years now, and some for only a couple of months. So it truly is ever-evolving."

So how long have you been with this show?

"I've been here with it for two years."

Wow, so you haven't really been home much.

(Laughter) "Nope!"

How did you become involved with ‘Wicked’?

"I went to school in New York and got hired by the company that manages the show. Then about seven years ago they sent me to Chicago to work on the show, so I've been working with ‘Wicked’ for about seven years now."

I have to say, the only off Broadway show I have ever seen was Evil Dead the musical. (laughter)

(Laughter) "Well maybe you should come see Wicked."

But are there flying monkeys?

(laughter) "Yes."

Then I'm in!


See more backstage and set shots on our Facebook page HERE.

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WICKED returns to Jacksonville at the Times-Union Center’s Moran Theater from January 4-22, 2012 for a massive 24 performances. Tickets begin at $38.00 and are available at The Artist Series Box Office at (904)-632-3373 or online at www.artistseriesjax.org.  VIP seats are also available for select performances.  Performance schedule, prices and cast are subject to change without notice.  For more information, please visit www.artistseriesjax.org