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Canadian born DJ Dopey is on top of the world. Holder of the 2003 DMC world title, Dopey has been busy since his win in London last year lining up gigs around the world, settling into the studio to work on his album and on high profile collaborations with the likes of Frank N Dank. Dopey isn’t your average battle DJ though, you won’t catch him busting a 5 click flare chirp crab combo on top of an electro beat for 5 minute straight. As his winning routine showed, the man has skills, funk and a knack for putting sounds together that instantly make your head nod. Dopey has worked outside of the battle arena with different live bands for a few years too, expanding his musical knowledge and showing what being a turntable musician is all about today. He has also been quite active alongside his crew, the Turntable Monkz, for the last few years releasing tapes and tracks whilst building his battle reputation. Ahead of his coming UK tour, which started in London on the 22nd, we caught some words with the man himself by email to find out what he’s been up to since winning DMC, and where he plans to go this year. Firstly, can you tell me very briefly about yourself and the Turntables Monkz please? Dopey: My alter ego is Jon Santiago, I'm 24 years old and been DJing for about 9 years now. I got my start in DJing from my older brother. He got interested in the art and I kind of just followed his footsteps and never looked back since. I mainly got started DJing for the battles but eventually started doing house parties and mix tapes with my boys in high school. It's funny how the Monkz started out because we were actually 2 separate crews that hated each other back in high school but eventually we learned that we'd be much better if we just merged. Congratulations on winning the DMC in 2003, how was the event and how did it feel to win?  D: Thank you very much. Winning the DMC felt amazing. I mean it's almost
every battle DJ's dream to win the DMC and to finally win it after all
the years of battling was just awesome. The event itself was run really
well and went really smooth; the UK crowds are always really into the
comp so it's just a great atmosphere. So, how would this championship compare to the other titles you have won? D: Well, DMC is the biggest and holds the most prestige so it's hard to compare winning. It's always sweet when you can come out on top but to win the so-called "Olympics" of the turntablist scene is just incomparable. And what does being the DMC champion mean to you? D: It means the world to me. It’s a big confidence booster and just really helps me when I'm not feeling too good about work and the world around me in general. It’s a building block but at the same time a kind of comfort blanket, you know what I mean? Is there anything you'd do to improve the DMC? If so, what? D: I just wish that they’d start bringing it to different countries like they used to. I know that money is a big issue but if it wasn't that's one of the main things that I would change. I think bringing it to the different countries really helped the scene grow and educate newcomers to the art form. In 2000, you said that you thought you'd be in your prime for the next two years. Four years on, and with the DMC title now under your belt, would you consider yourself as having now reached your peak, were you at your peak before winning the championship, or are we still yet to see the best of DJ Dopey? D: I think battle wise I'm definitely at my peak. I think that the win just rejuvenated me and that if I can find the time to work on my battle shit, I'll most definitely still have a lot to offer the Turntablism/Battle scene.  "...Ideally I would really want to be one of the instruments. I don't want to just be a stage prop and occasionally cut I want to be a part of every song and skit if possible..." Do you prefer battling, doing a radio set, performing a gig where you get to showcase your technical skills, or playing hits and dance floor fillers at a club night, and what does your choice have over the others that make it stand out for you? D: I prefer a gig where I can showcase my skills as well as play some tunes. I did the radio thing for a bit and it's cool but I just haven't ventured back since the station that we were on closed down. It also doesn't matter what kind of crowd I play for whether it be a "jiggy" set or a hip hop set as long as they can appreciate what I do on the turns trick wise, I'm all good. What would be your best battle memory? D: Well it's hard to top last year's win but since we've spoken about that already I'll say the ITF Toronto elimination battles (advancements). I think it was 98 or 99, those battles were soooooo heated, the Turntable Monks and the Funky Technicians were on such a heated rivalry at the time that it just got mad personal. I have never been so emotionally attached during a battle, and I just remember our crews going blow for blow and the crowd was soooo hype, it was crazy!!! And coming out on top after the dust cleared was even more amazing. You've said before that Q-Bert was one of your main influences. What about the leaders of the old school, the scratch pioneers, such as Grand Wizard Theodore, how do they influence you, if at all, and what do their names/reputations mean to you?  D: Their names mean a lot to me. I know that if there wasn't a
Grandmaster Theodore then I wouldn't be around in this industry today.
The main thing with growing up where I did was how much resources were
available to you. I found it really hard to find any kind of info as a
kid growing up in a suburban Canadian household, it might have been
different if I grew up downtown but I didn't. These pioneers might not
have had a big part in influencing me trick wise but I sure use the
moulds that they have set for themselves to try and create the proper
road for me to go down on.Talking of Q-Bert, have you seen his new QFO turntable, and what do you think of it? Will it become the standard for DJ's such as yourself? D: I have seen the QFO turns, they're fucking crazy!! Not too sure about them yet because I haven't touched them personally but from what I hear they're pretty fresh. I'm not sure if it will become standard though, I don't think it really allows you to do any juggles or anything like that, I think it's more strictly for the scratch only heads. Cool concept though. So, tell me about the track you've done with Frank N Dank. How did it come about and how did it turn out? Also, is it true that it's about you? If so, who came up with it, Frank N Dank or you? D: Really it was Frank's idea (I think). Every time that I saw him he would just say "Dopey we got to do that track about you so stop being so busy". Then Big Ive's and Needillworks made it come true. The beat was done up by my man J-swift, and co-produced by myself and Big Ive's. And what about this punk group that you've joined, Dead Celebrity Status? Who are they and how did you hook up with them? What are your plans regarding this group, is it just a side project or is there more to it? D: Dead Celebrity Status is a group that originally saw me battle back in '98. They liked what they saw and eventually got in touch with me. I did some cuts for them on their initial album but at the time they were going by the name of Project Wyze and were more of a punk band. The 2 MC's then decided to break off for a bit and try and work on a project that is a bit more hip hop than punk and that's when they contacted me and asked me if I wanted to be part of the project. Right now it's more of a side project but if things go well it might become a major commitment. How would you describe your role as a musician within the groups with which you have played/are playing?  D: With the jazz quartet I really took on the role of a percussion
instrument. They had 4 brass instruments going at once so I filled the
background with some beats & cuts. As for the funk band, I was more of a
guitar player/effects board. They gave me a couple spots to fill in with
solo cuts but more often then not I was trying to add little cuts to
make for a fuller sound. In regards to the band that I'm working with at
the moment (Dead Celebrity Status/D.C.S) I'm definitely more like a
guitar player. We're going to work hard to incorporate turntablism in
the album as well as our live shows.What would you want your role to be as a musician within a band (ideally)? And what type of band would you want to be a part of? D: Ideally I would really want to be one of the instruments. I don't want to just be a stage prop and occasionally cut I want to be a part of every song and skit if possible. Right now DCS is more on the Punk/Rap style but I would love to have the opportunity to work with a funk band again. I know you've been in the UK a couple of times, taking part in the DMC, and you're going to be touring here in April, how you do feel about our little country? Is there anything you're really looking forward to when you get here? D: I like the UK. Although I can't speak for the other cities yet London is great. I've been back for the past 4 years for the DMC and every time I come out I get to see more and more of the city. I love the history and the art that seeps out of the architecture and city streets. The music scene in general is also very hot, there's just always so much going on at once that you have a huge variety of events to go to at any given time. The main thing I'm looking forward to really is seeing the rest of the country. I've heard much about surrounding cities and can't wait to experience it for myself. "...[winning DMC] means the world to me. It's a big confidence booster and just really helps me when I'm not feeling too good about work and the world around me in general. It's a building block but at the same time a kind of comfort blanket, you know what I mean?..." Are there any similarities to Canada that make you feel at home, or are there any major differences that just make you homesick beyond belief? D: The weather sometimes makes me feel right at home but what I hate is the direction of the traffic. I think I must have almost got run over out there more than a handful of times. It's just hard to get used to. Is there any other place, city or country, that you've really taken a fancy too, maybe you've thought about retiring there one day? What is it about this particular place that makes it stick out for you? D: I'd probably have to say Australia. I just came off tour from "the OZ" and it was just beautiful. It reminded me a lot of where I come from but without the blistering cold winters. They also have great beaches and dope mountains in the winter if I ever wanted to snowboard and feel at home. Another thing about OZ was that peeps were very warm and friendly and that means a lot to me because I want to raise my family in a good environment. Anyway, I hear you're in the UK to promote your debut album "DJ Dopey Presents Scratch Works Vol 1", what can you tell us about your album? Any news on a release date?  D: Actually I'm not in the UK promoting my new album. And the reason
being is that I don't have a release date. Being so busy with shows and
side projects has really put the album on hold. What is it about your album that demands the general public purchase it? What makes is stand out from similar styled albums? D: Well, really my album will have a lot of diversity. It will have everything from Turntable music, to Jazz, to Hip Hop etc. And in the end that will probably be what will make my album stand out. And how would you describe your production style? Any obvious influences? D: Right now I would have to say that I don't have a distinct style as of yet as I'm only stepping into the production game now. But if I can predict what my style will sound like I would have to say that it will probably be really Jazz influenced. What's your setup like at home/in the studio? What equipment do you use to practice and produce? D: I got a couple of setups; the main setup that I practice Turntablism on is a Vestax 07 Pro with Technics 1200 M5G's. In my basement home studio I got four decks setup with a pair of Vestax Pdx's and Numark ttx's. On the Vestax tables I got an 06 Samurai series mixer and for the Numark decks I use the bronze Technics mixer that I won 2 years ago from DMC. As far as my studio gear, I rock an MPC 2000xl accompanied by a Logic Platinum based computer. To you what are the most important aspect a turntable musician should have/hold? D: I think all the essential skills of a regular modern day turntablist should be considered as very important. I think such a musician would need a little bit of knowledge in producing, knowledge on the music that they are working on and a basic understanding of music theory. I think all these would be very important to a successful turntable musician. "...I see [turntable] music being able to break commercial barriers in the future. More of the general public will be able to understand and listen to the music that turntable musicians can create..." So do you have any guests on your album and if so who? And is there anyone you asked to be on it but who couldn't or was there anyone you really, really wanted but didn't get to ask? D: Right now the guests that are locked down to appear are Frank n Dank, Dead Celebrity Status and the Turntable Monks. The peeps that I have yet to lock down and would love to lock down are Canadian artists such as Saukrates, Kardinall & Dj Serious. As far as artists that I didn't get to ask yet, there's Q-Bert, DJ Woody, and a couple other international artists. If you could work with any artist, from any genre, dead or alive, who would it be and in what concept? How would you see the end result turning out? D: I would probably work with Hendrix, it would just be crazy having him go off on top of my shit. That would be nuts!!! What music are you listening to at the moment? What artists are you feeling? D: I'm really feeling Kanye, I got to give it up because he's killing it right now, and it's not all hype either. And after my Aussie tour I’ve been really getting into more UK hip hop (ed note: wait till you get to the UK!). Peeps have been opening my eyes to the scene and I like what I’m seeing. Now I can see more and more just how closed-minded the scene is in North America. It’s all good though because I guess I can take on the part of educator and try and open some eyes to the overseas scenes. What is your opinion of the state of turntable music today and where do you think it is going right or wrong?  D: I think the state of the music that can be created by a turntable is
most definitely on the rise. Albums like Phantazmagorea have definitely
touched some new ground. I see the music being able to break commercial
barriers in the future. More of the general public will be able to
understand and listen to the music that turntable musicians can create.
Although the battle scene has slowed down a fair bit, the whole
turntable musician movement is good for the art. Battling at least for
me has always just been a route to get recognized. Not one DJ in my
opinion really plans to battle forever, it's just used as a tool to get
your foot in the door. And finally, do you have a favourite hip hop memory? D: My favourite personal hip hop memory would have to be attending the Rock Steady anniversaries. It was just amazing seeing our culture come together in that way, plus having events in such historical venues like The Roxy and Bronx Park was a cool experience. Thanks for your time, and now is the time for you to give some shout outs if you please… D: Nuff respect to my Family, Needillworks crew, Turntable monks, Angelina, and all the peeps that have supported me in Toronto as well as worldwide. Thanks for everything. Quick round: Favourite take-away: Sushi Favourite movie: Taboo haha Just Joking "Big Trouble in Little China" Most valued record: "the evolution of man" (Canadian educational record) First record you ever bought: Madd Trax Instrumentals/samples If I say message boards, you say?: not my thing Living to make music or making music for a living?: Live to make Hardest scratch to master: 4 click flare Scratch you enjoy the most: One Click Flare  Dates for UK tour are as follow:APRIL Thurs 22nd LONDON: Soul Brew @ Elbow Rooms Fri 23rd MANCHESTER: Tribal Sessions @ Sankeys Soap Wed 28th BATH: Mutiny @ Moles Fri 30th BOURNEMOUTH: Consortium Corruptive @ Consortium MAY Sat 1st SHREWSBURY: Planet of The Breaks Wed 5th NEWCASTLE: Freaky Dancing @ World Headquarters Thurs 6th CARDIFF: Enthusiasm @ Moloko Fri 7th NOTTINGHAM: Firefly @ The Bomb Sat 8th LEEDS: Sugarbeat club @ Elbow Rooms Wed 12th GLASGOW: The Sub Club @ Sub Club Thurs 13th SOUTHAMPTON: Limited Edition @ Nexus Fri 14th LONDON: Progression Sessions @ The End. Sat 15th BRISTOL: Mutiny @ Bristol Carling Academy. Sun 16th EDINBURGH: Cabaret Volitaire. plus more dates to be confirmed.
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Dopey Interview
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