Smiles

Nobody can rock a party the way DJ Smiles can! With beats thumpin’ and bodies movin’, he has the right blend of hip-hop, reggae and house to keep the sweat rolling down your brow.Smiles, whose real name is Nathaniel Friend, was born in York, Penn., and currently resides in Atlanta, Ga. Growing up in central Pennsylvania was a blessing for DJ Smiles, whose close proximity to the Baltimore and Philadelphia club scenes greatly influenced his musical tastes. Those influences ultimately laid the foundation for his methods of deejaying. After watching the DJ battle scene in the hip-hop-fused film “Juice”, DJ Smiles knew exactly what he wanted to do: rock crowds by finessing the 1s and 2s.Beginning in 1998, Smiles surrounded himself with the art of deejaying and doing everything from carrying records into clubs for local DJs to spending time in his bedroom practicing and fine-tuning his skills. Smiles, who initially thought of deejaying as a hobby, experienced and experimented with many styles of music, from hip-hop, Baltimore club, electro, house to those funky B-Boy breaks. His deep knowledge of music and skill-level has opened numerous doors for his deejaying. If it involves two turntables, a mixer and people dancing, DJ Smiles has done it: DJ battles, B-Boy battles, clubs, stage shows, private parties, etc. He’s even hosted his own events.The determination he showed of honing and mastering scratching and mixing really paid off for him with the development of BASIC Family, a group of local young DJs who shared skills, ideas and sounds. Smiles started BASIC Family with this best friend from kindergarten, DJ Phrensik, and began performing at venues around his hometown. He searched for the right moniker that would exemplify his abilities to bring a euphoric air to the club, but came up empty-handed. A fellow DJ noticed that he smiled a lot and suggested the name DJ SMILES. The nickname stuck, not only because of his ability to keep the crowd cheesin’ but also because of Smiles’ own wide and childlike grin!In 2000, DJ Smiles moved to Atlanta with hopes of breaking into a bigger market and making a name for himself nationally as well as internationally. With the help of 3Dot Productions, who gave him the opportunity to deejay on a regular basis in local clubs starting in 2001, his name has become a recognized staple on the Atlanta music scene. Smiles has been controlling crowds on every level since his arrival. He was the weekly resident DJ at Sutra Lounge for two years (2004-2006) and a fixture at the Breaklanta (I-VI) B-Boy Battles. He is currently the resident DJ for 3Dot Productions’ “Skyline” party at Verve Lounge and makes monthly appearances at Opera. Smiles also deejays for The F’in Socials’ “Topless Party” on the rooftop of Maxim Magazine’s trendy Maxim-Prime steakhouse restaurant located inside The Glen Hotel and “Sloppy Seconds” at MJQ Concourse. He has rocked crowds with the likes of Scottie B, DJ Klever, DJ Craze, LA Riots, Frankie Chan and Hearts Revolution.Since 2005, DJ Smiles has been the stage-show DJ for Slim of 112, and Roc-A-Fella artists Freeway and Young Gunz. In 2006, he was the DJ for a series of Victoria’s Secret stores’ grand openings in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Despite his busy schedule in 2008, Smiles released the highly anticipated “Sex & Cocaine” mixed CD and hosted the “Social Lubricant” and “Bitch I Came to Party” events that featured Atlanta’s finest underground performers such as Niko Villamor, Holly Weerd, Proton and Tori Alamaze.Additional projects on the horizon for Smiles, include several national and international tours, more mixed CD releases as well as the producing and remixing of his own tracks and the creation of his own clothing line “All Smiles”.
Archie Bell & The Drells - Tighten Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUBpPC9asdM