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DJ Vince Adams and Vision Group's Free Reign mentioned on NBC's ER
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Doin' it big in 1986!!!
First Year of ClubNet 8/1/1996 - KG, Teddy G, VA and Stevie Leak!!!
20 years later - reppin' Chicago on BET's Rap City!!!
I'm a businessman first - DJ second. I started out DJing in 1984 and things started to blow after DJing in college (Florida A&M University.) Graduated and hit the Chicago scene big DJing for my man Teddy Gilmore and ClubNet. Now more than 10 years in the club scene and national circuit I've done national TV (BET), national radio (XM Radio, The Doug Banks Show), national parties (SuperBowl, MLB, NBA, NFL Parties) and definitely made a mark in Chicago. From this spot - the best is yet to come. Although I DJ mainstream music (hip hop, R&B, reggae, reggaeton, dance music, etc.), my music interest spans the spectrum of soul. Definitely I can be found listening to Neo Soul, Acid Jazz, Jazz, Old School Soul and Underground House in my spare time.
WHO I'D LIKE TO MEET:
I'd like to meet Herbie Hancock and Denzel Washington. These two guys are bigger than life and their status goes beyond icons for the things that they have accomplished and the style and class that they bring to their respective disciplines...
GENERAL INTERESTS:
My favorite thing to do is to chill. When I'm active I'm on the web, reading a book, catching up on TIVO programs or checking out new music. Traveling is big with me and I like spots in the US and across the border.
MUSIC:
The Sound:
Some of my favorite genres to listen to are Slow Jams from the 70's & 80's, Underground/Soulful House Music, Neo Soul/Progressive Soul, Acid Jazz/Contemporary Jazz/Traditional Jazz, Golden Era Hip Hop (1986-1996), Reggae, Underground/Conscious Hip Hop, Classic House Music and Classic R&B
The Influences:
Much love to the Club DJs/Producers doing it on a BIG level paving the way (and DJs that have influenced me in my 20+ years of DJing): DJ Jazzy Jeff, Pete Rock, Mark Grant, phatmike, Mike James, Lil Louis, Maurice Joshua, Vince Lawrence, Biz Markie, Vic Lavendar, Torin Edmond, Frankie Knuckles, Pharris Thomas (me and dude get at it all the time-but his contribution is undenialble-do you PT), Thomas 33 1/3, Jesse DeLaPena, Gene Hunt, Ron and Rick Troupe, Larry Heard, Mark "Fullaflava" aka Superman (how have you run Connecticutt First Fridays for years and your ass lives in Chicago??), Steve Hurley & The WBMX Hot Mix 5 (damn where did all of those ToneMaster and Maxell cassettes go???), Ron G, Kid Capri, Funkmaster Flex (his business game is O.C.!!!), J.U-Ice, E.V./Spinsterwun, DJ Spen, Andre Hatchett, Steve Maestro, Red Alert, DJ Cash Money, Jam-Master-Jay, GrandMaster Flash, Q-Bert, The X-Ecutioners (the original and Total Eclipse), Glenn Underground, Marley Marl, DJ Rectangle, DJ Revolution, much love to Rob-Lo grindin across NY-Chi and beyond, DJ Ran, DJ Touchtone, Oscar McMillan, Terry Hunter, Uncle Milty, Miguel Migs, Francois K, DJ Premier and soooo many others I couldn't name them all...
The Chi-Town Grind-DJs:
Much love to the Chicago Hip-Hop DJ's (even though these cats spin everything) that grind with me in the streets every week: DJ Genius, Jay Illa, Timbuktu, Jamal Smallz, V-Dub, DJ Lil John, DJ Phantom, Boolumaster, DJ Self Born/Greg D (you're still a Chi-town boy!), John Young, DJ Roc, DJ Jermaine, DJ Shotime, Sean Mac, Squeeze, Khaaliq, DJ Emmaculate, Mike Love, DJ Moon Dawg, Cool Chris, DJ Phokiss, Kool Ant, DJ Lil Mikey, Dee Money, DJ Legacy, DJ Speed, D-Double, DJ Flipside, Xavier Joshua, DJ Man-O, DJ Geno, Mustafa Rocks and DJ Pound - its rougher out here than ever, but these cats push through regardless of the circumstances and have shown me nothing but love, so they get much love back...
The Artists:
Some of my favorite artists are Stevie Wonder, Will Downing, Eric Roberson, Phyllis Hyman, Public Enemy, Laurnea, Naked Music (Aya, Miguel Migs, Lisa Shaw, Andy Caldwell, Blue Six, etc.) ,Goapele, The Pat Metheny Group, Slum Village, The Police, Hieroglyphics, Ultramagnetic MC's, Norman Brown, Conya Doss, (old school) Ice-T, Peven Everett, Seal, Chante Moore, Gota, Ronny Jordan, Common, Mr. Fingers/Larry Heard, Me'Shell NdegéOcello, Ron Trent, Julie Dexter, Phil Collins, Larry Heard, Teena Marie, Fertile Ground, Charnett Moffett, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, George Duke, Redman, Prince, Level 42, Gato Barbieri, Mr. Ali, Mantronix, Herbie Hancock, Incognito, Seek, Roy Hargrove, Antonio Hart, The (old) Isley Brothers, Julie Dexter, Masters at Work and Jay Z. Like I said, my taste is all over the board, of course I listen to the usual stuff (Mary J, Jill Scott, Donnell Jones, etc.) but if its quality then I'm checkin for it...
Some people you may be surprised that I don't listen to...John Legend, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Anthony Hamilton, India Arie, R Kelly (after 1997) - I recognize all of these artists as being talented, but their material just doesn't hit me...
I haven't listened to more than 90 minutes of Chicago Top 40 radio in a month since 2001 (is it just me or if you've heard one hour in a month - you've heard them all??) Top 40 does nothing for me these days (although I play it in the club...) --- As Granny would say "they don't make em like they used to..."
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VA's Top 10 Hip Hop Albums: (notice nothing past 1996 - that's sad...) - Albums had to have an influence on hip hop as a whole and be able to listen to virtually from beginning to end!!
ATTENTION!! IF YOU'RE GOING TO EMAIL ME OR LEAVE A COMMENT ABOUT WHAT ALBUM SHOULD BE ADDED THEN LET ME KNOW WHAT ALBUM SHOULD BE REMOVED - ITS A TOP 10 LIST, ONLY 10 SLOTS!!! (THIS MEANS YOU TIM AND KWIK :-)
1) It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back - Public Enemy ("I got a letter from the governor the other day - I opened and read it - it said they were suckas!!!"...Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos)
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2) Paid In Full - Eric B and Rakim ("Remember me, the one you got your idea from"...I Ain't No Joke)
3) Life After Death - The Notorious B.I.G. ("Straight torture, look what that slick shit bought ya - a first class ticket to lucifer, real name Christopher - watch me set it off like Vivica - here lies your demise"...What's Beef")
4) The Chronic - Dr. Dre ("Ay yo stepping from the fog and creeping the smog, it's that ..1 nigga from the hood Doggy Dogg - makin videos now I stay in Hollywood - bussin raps from my snaps now they call me Eastwood"...Stranded on Death Row)
5) Reasonable Doubt - Jay-Z ("Time to separate the pros from the cons - the platinum from the bronze - that butter soft shit from the leather on the farms - a S1 diamond from a I-class don - a Chandon sipper from a Roset nigga - huh!!"...Brooklyn's Finest)
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6) Criminal Minded - Boogie Down Productions/KRS-One ("Cause yo I'm like the arrow and Scott is the crossbow - say somethin now ------ thought so"...Poetry)
7) Killuminati (The 7 Day Theory) - Makavelli (2Pac) ("Bye, bye, bye let's see how you ride - oh how we do these nigga, yeah I'm not gon cry - I'm a Bad Boy killa, Jay-Z die too, lookin out for my Mobb Deep, nigga when we find you - weak motherfuckers don't deserve to breath - how many niggas ready to die for me"...Bomb First)
8) Illmatic - Nas ("I leave em froze like 'heron' in your nose - Nas I rock well - it ain't hard to tell"...It Ain't Hard To Tell)
9) The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest ("Industry Rule ..4080 - record company people are shady"...Show Business)
10) Niggaz4Life - N.W.A. ("Only the good die young, so I guess that makes me young and bad...so I guess that makes me tough shit - straight up gangsta, wrong nigga to fuck wit"...Real Niggaz Don't Die)
Honorable Mention:
Death Certificate - Ice Cube, Raising Hell - Run-D.M.C., Bigger and Deffer - LL Cool J, Long Live The Kane - Big Daddy Kane, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot - DMX, Doggystyle - Snoop Dogg, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) - Wu-Tang, Things Fall Apart - The Roots, Like Water For Chocolate - Common and by popular DEMAND - The Adventures of Slick Rick - Slick Rick and Hard To Earn - GangStarr
Slept on Classic Hip Hop Albums:
Stunts-Blunts & Hip Hop - Diamond D, Sittin on Chrome - Masta Ace, Many Facez - Tracy Lee, 93 Til Infinity - Souls of Mischief, Trendz - Trendz of Culture, Jewelz - O.C., The Devil Made Do It - Paris
MOVIES:
Man, they just don't make movies like they used to. Favorite genres are Drama, Action, Comedy & Horror. Oh yeah, can't hate on the animated pictures either. Some of my favorites are: Mo Betta Blues, (Malcolm) X, Casino, Scarface, Seven, The Usual Suspects, Joy Ride, House of Flying Daggars, Terminator 2, Training Day, True Lies, The Best Man, Road Trip, Crouching Tiger - Hidden Dragon, Deuce Bigalow (The First One!!) and The Incredibles - Too many to name...
TELEVISION:
The Family Guy shuts everything else down - period...
BOOKS:
I've read too many books to even try to come up with a favorite, but a couple that come to mind out of the gate are Awaken The Giant Within - Anthony Robbins, Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill and The Success Principles - Jack Canfield.
HEROES:
MOM, Michael Jordan, Jazzy Jeff, Lil Louis, Steve Hurley, Masters at Work, Farley Keith and many others that I look up too...
SCHOOLS:
High School: Whitney Young Magnet High School - Chicago, IL 1984-1988
Undergrad: Florida A&M University - Tallahasse, FL 1988-1993 - BS in Business Administration - Alpha Phi Alpha (Beta Nu Chapter - Spr 90)
Grad School: DePaul University - Chicago, IL - 1996-1998 - MS in Information Systems