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First up to bat, hailing from my region, is DJ Steve 1-der. Steve spins at some of the iller clubs out in LA, like LAX, and the Forty Deuce. After getting a glimpse of his style on the 1's and 2's, I gotta co-sign the moves this dude makes. Starting off and ending shit with a funky groove always gets a party popping especially when you're not catering to the top 40 crowd. 1-der meshes very danceable tracks with modern club bangers, creating a type of mashup that's impossible not to at least nod your head to. Topping it off with Neil coming in with a short summer mix definitely makes this joint a must have. Being part of the world reknown Specialists DJ crew (Scetch, Spider, Revolution[yes, THE Revolution], Rafiki) don't hurt much either. Throw this shit on during your next backyard BBQ and give props as us at TSS have. And now, onto the man himself:
TSS: Besides the obvious, how'd you come up with your DJ name?
1-der: I was named by my boy Belief, whosea producer in NYC, and Stevie Wonder is in every music lover's top ten, so when he said it, it just stuck.
TSS: How'd you like up with Neil?
1-der: I was a fan of Neil's and sent him my stuff one day. He was feeling it, and bam, Certified Majestic!
TSS: How long you been spinning and what DJ you admire the most?
1-der: I got my 12's freshmen year in college, '97, so 9 years. My main influence & the reason I care so much about DJ'n/ mixtapes is Rob One. He showed me that creativity is key & that there are no boundaries.
TSS: Top 5 songs you'd blast at the club?
1-der: I can't think of songs, but more like types of music. Disco funk, West Coast 80's gangsta shit, batteram. I wish I was around in '83 man, poplockin at the Holiday Inn and shit. But I love playing slow jams too, ie Computer Love, stuff that plays at around 80-90 bpm. I'm not gonna front - I can KILL it with the slow shit, stuff to make the ladies get wind it up.
TSS: So you spin for the DJ groupies huh?
1-der: Haha, nah, just for the sake of the party. If the girls aint moving, the party aint cracking. I try to walk a fine line of what the ladies want, and what the true hip-hoppers want. Because head nodding is for shows, not the clubs.
TSS: Aiight man, since you spin at well known places, what's the wildest groupie/chickenhead experience you had, being a DJ?
1-der: Haha, oh boy... See I got a girlfriend now, so... I'm all about business man, get in and get out. I don't really get in there with the crowd.
TSS: (Snide response deleted for fear of gf's impending wrath)
TSS: Got any vices besides music?
1-der: Gear man. I got some inside folks so they hold shit for me. But the most ridiculous item I've copped would have to be a t-shirt. No disrespect to one of Neil's peoples, but I copped an Undr Crwn tee-shirt for like 40 bucks. Didn't even look at the price tag, but i guess the cereal box it came in was worth 20.
TSS: Thanks for your time man. Any projects you'd like to let us in on?
1-der: No doubt bro. Right now I "donated" a bunch of my own remixes to Crooklyn Clan, which is an honor because I really look up to them. I've also got a joint on a compilation on Hip Hop Site called "Hail to the DJ." Basically a bunch of DJ's got together and just remixed a bunch of songs, so I'm hyped on that too. Look out for The Specialists!!!
For more info, visit, DJ Steve 1-der @ myspace.
Peep 1-der's boy for photography as well.
Now, if you didn't know already, we'll be hitting you over the head with samples, reviews, and Q&A's from the Certified Majestic DJs, in a multipart collabo between TSS and the 5th Platoon. Act like you know.
