S.T.A.T.I.K.

S.T.A.T.I.K. became a turntablist at a young age and Hip Hop had naturally become his life. In high school, he organized and hosted the first DJ battle on campus ever to take place during school hours. He hosted a Hip Hop radio show while taking classes at community college. Being booked gig after gig throughout the Bay Area with or without his former SwingSet crew, S.T.A.T.I.K. was ready for a change of scenery and headed south in 1997. With a few partners, he founded Red Light District at I...

S.T.A.T.I.K. became a turntablist at a young age and Hip Hop had naturally become his life. In high school, he organized and hosted the first DJ battle on campus ever to take place during school hours. He hosted a Hip Hop radio show while taking classes at community college. Being booked gig after gig throughout the Bay Area with or without his former SwingSet crew, S.T.A.T.I.K. was ready for a change of scenery and headed south in 1997. With a few partners, he founded Red Light District at Incahoots on Thursday nights. He brought in such acts as Cotton Mouth Kings, Incubus, and the Luniz. From Riverside, he made his way toward the city, still spinning at various gigs, and worked alongside Chuck of Hollywood Hip Hop, stocking the record store with independent must-haves like Planet Asia, Living Legends, and the Visionaries. He did the north, parlayed the south, and in 2000, unforeseen circumstances brought him to the Central Coast. Santa Cruz had a bustling hip hop scene and S.T.A.T.I.K. booked several acts, such as luckyiam and Bicasso at Moe’s Alley and the Aptos Club. He attempted to expose the city of Monterey, about 30 miles south of Santa Cruz, to real Hip Hop by selling underground CDs, vinyls, tapes, and even crates out of (a pipe shop called) Mary Janez, but the clientele did not reciprocate. He did his best to promote conscious hip hop and peace by reviving Freestyle Fridays at the store, a once open mic forum for emcee’s, turntablists, and beat boxers in downtown Monterey. In order to support his growing family, S.T.A.T.I.K. became a sommelier (wine) apprentice in 2003. That same year, every Thursday night at Jose’s Cantina on Cannery Row, he created an evening of art and turntablism where artists would create art as turntablists did what they do best. When I Was a B-Boy was the first mix tape he released independently. It featured old school classics like Roy Ayers, Quincy Jones, and The Temptations. Then came Got Tapes? Vol. 1, which sold at both Amoebas and a few independent record stores. It showcased West Coast’s finest in underground and independent Hip Hop. In addition to the hundreds of beats he’s created at home, he produced a few for Stockton’s former SwingSet crew, Gilroy’s own Paragraphics, Afficial Poetz of the Central Coast, Niko Black up in Sacramento, and numerous others. In 2005, S.T.A.T.I.K. relocated to Dallas, Texas, then months later, to Austin, Texas. The ‘Live Music Capitol of the World’ is where he first met the crew he would become an integral part of, Blacklisted Individuals. He delved right into Austin’s hip hop scene quickly establishing himself as one of the most skilled turntablists in the area and attempted to unify the hip hop community by creating Better Hip Hop Bureau Austin. S.T.A.T.I.K. also joined the volunteer staff of The Cipher: Austin’s Hip Hop Project, a non-profit organization empowering youths through hip hop culture. He also brought in new acts that Austin has never seen before like World DMC Champion DJ Shiftee and the X-ecutioners own Rob Swift. In terms of musical influences, S.T.A.T.I.K. explains it’s not just their music that inspires him, it’s who they are and what they do with their music; it’s also their level of professionalism and determination. Just to name a few: Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, KRS-One, Furious Five, Living Legends, Galapagos 4, Talib Kweli, DJ Premier, and Zaire Black. S.T.A.T.I.K. will be touring worldwide in 2011 with Austin’s own NOOK and Blacklisted Individuals. He also has plans to release a full-length turntablist album later in the year.