JOHNNY ICE ON THE ROCKS
BEFORE THERE WAS JOHNNY ICE, THERE WAS A KID FROM CHICAGOLAND THAT HAD ASPIRATIONS OF BECOMING A B-BOY (BREAKDANCER). THIS IRISH / ITALIAN KID PRACTICED HIS B-BOY SKILLS THROUGHOUT THE MID 80'S AND HE EARNED HIMSELF ENOUGH RESPECT TO SHARE THE CARDBOARD DANCEFLOORS (IN FRONT OF THE CHICAGOLAND MALLS) WITH SOME OF THE BEST B-BOYS IN THE BURBS.
HIS HIGH TOPS CONTINUED TO MELT THE STREETS AS HE GREW UP LISTENING TO THE SOUNDS OF THE CHICAGO RADIO STATIONS, WBMX AND B96. TIME WENT ON AND THE KID FLEXED HIS ARTISTIC SKILLZ AND BECAME A GRAFITTI TAGGER UNDER THE NAME VEN-NUM. (IF ART IS A CRIME, MAY GOD FORGIVE ME)
THE MUSIC FOUND HIM AGAIN IN 1990 AND HE ENDED UP AT A TEEN DANCE CLUB CALLED "DISCOVERY" IN ELGIN, ILLINOIS. THE KID GROOVED TO THE SOUNDS OF DJ KEVIN HALSTEAD AND AARON "FUNKIN'IT UP" AARIAGA WHILE HE TORE UP THE DISCOVERY DANCE FLOOR WITH HIS CLOSE LATINO POSSE KNOWN AS "THE VATOS" (THAT NICKNAMED THE KID "WAY-DO LOCO")
TIME KEPT ON TICKING AND THE KID WAS ASKED TO JOIN A BREAK CREW CALLED "THE JUNGLE KIDS" IN 1991. HE AND THE CREW BATTLED AT RAVES AND UNDERGROUND HOUSE PARTIES IN AURORA, ELGIN, ROCKFORD AND CHICAGO FOR THREE YEARS. DURING THIS TIME HE FOLLOWED THE SOUNDS OF THE B-96 STREET MIX EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT FROM 10PM-5AM, AND THE KID TOLD HIS FRIENDS, "I THINK I NEED TO GET SOME TURNTABLES..."
IN 1994 HE FOUND A NEW DANCEFLOOR AT THE PALADROME IN PALATINE, ILLINOIS. THE KID MADE THE "DROME" HIS HOME WHEN HE WAS 21 YEARS OLD AND HE CONTINUED TO KEEP THE CROWDS ENTERTAINED WITH HIS B-BOY SKILLS. IN 1997 HE BOUGHT A SET OF USED TURNTABLES AT A SWAP MEET IN ELGIN - AND HE BEGAN TO MAKE MAGIC
THE KID NAMED HIMSELF DJ MATRIX AND HE EARNED HIMSELF RESIDENCY AT A SMALL CLUB CALLED CLUB 38 IN DEKALB, ILLINOIS. DUE TO GANG FIGHTS, THE CLUB SHUT DOWN AND THE KID LOOKED FOR A NEW PLACE TO SPIN. IN 1999 HE SPUN AT A FEW LOCAL CLUBS AND HE CHANGED HIS NAME AGAIN. THIS TIME HE PAINTED BLACK STRIPES UNDER HIS EYES, BOUGHT TWO BRAND NEW TURNTABLES, A DJ COFFIN AND HE CALLED HIMSELF K A R T O O N.
IN 2000 HE EARNED A GUEST SPOT AT THE PALACE IN DEKALB, ILLINOIS. HIS REP GOT STRONG AGAIN AND ALL HIS FELLOW CLUB FRIENDS FROM THE OLD SCHOOL RECOGNIZED HIM RIGHT AWAY AS HE TORE UP THE DANCEFLOOR AND THE DECKS ONCE AGAIN. IN 2001 HE PERSONALLY HOSTED THREE UNDERGROUND DANCE PARTIES IN OTTAWA, ILLINOIS. DJ KARTOON EVEN MADE THE FRONT PAGE OF THE OTTAWA NEWSPAPER IN JANUARY 2001.
SHORTLY AFTER, DJ KARTOON CREATED "THE BLUE LIGHT HOUSE" NEAR N.I.U. IN DEKALB. THE UNDERGOUND HOUSE PARTIES ATTRACTED CROWDS FROM AURORA AND CHICAGO IN 2001 AND 2002.
IN 2002, THE KID DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO COOL HIS HEELS. IN 2002 HE MARRIED THE PERFECT WIFE AND WAS BLESSED WITH TWO HEALTHY SONS SHORTLY AFTER. BUT THAT "ITCH" CAME BACK, AND HE'S DUSTED OFF HIS DECKS, SMEARED ON HIS WARPAINT AND LACED UP HIS HIGH TOPS...
HE'S BEEN A B-BOY FOR 22 YEARS AND HE CAN STILL BREAK IT DOWN.
HE'S BEEN A LOYAL "CLUBBER" FOR 16 YEARS AND HE'S WORKED WITH THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS.
HE'S BEEN SPINNING VINYL FOR 10 YEARS AND HE'S EARNED THE RESPECT FROM TONS OF CHICAGOLAND'S FINEST DJS.
AND HE'S STILL THE SAME KID.
HE JUST ADDED SOME ICE, BABY.
HE'S NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY BOY DJ WITH A BPM METER AND CD DEX.HE'S A TRUE SEASONED CHICAGO DJ - WITH FINGERPRINTS ON THE VINYL.AND YOU CAN CALL HIM JOHNNY
JOHNNY ICE.
RIP = KOOLROCK STEADY & DJ ATTACK
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR JOHNNY'S NEW CD - "COLD SCHOOL" - COMING OUT LATE DECEMBER 2006
PUT YOUR HANDS UP, IT'S TIME TO GO TO SCHOOL!!!!!!
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