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  DJ Excel Interview
interview 0559 added 18.03.08 words:
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Philadelphia (PA) is home to the 76ers, Independence
Hall, Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross House and the
cheese-steak! It is also, where DJ Excel calls his
stomping ground. His first foray into deejaying was
stepping up to the plate at a neighborhood house party
before he had reached the age of ten. During his
teenage years, Excel although obsessed with perfecting
his blends, cuts and juggles on the 1 and 2's, still
managed to obtain good grades in High School when need
be. Having held down a number of part time jobs in
retail, pizzerias and an eye-glass factory, while
intent on staying sharp on the 1 and 2's, it was only
when cutting his hand on the raw glass that Excel
became convinced that music was going to be his one
and only focus. That mantra remains true to this day.
A fan of good music with a self-proclaimed heart full
of Hip Hop, Excel has rocked countless venues (from
hole in the wall to industry nights and album release
parties). Having been the resident mixer for Wired
96.5 last year, he is taking a break from radio to
focus on touring overseas and breaking into television
program soundtracks. He is also the founder of the
infamous East Coast collective of turntable
annihilators the "Skratch Makaniks". He counts legends
such as Jazzy Jeff, Cash Money, Jay-Ski and DJ Rand as
friends and mentors. Determined to remain based in the
"City of Brotherly Love", Excel is one of the most
dynamic, soulful, party rocking, crowd controlling
turntable technicians in a long line of Philadelphian
Hip Hop deejays who remain intent on advancing the art
form. This is his story.
What's the one moment during that party that you
deejayed at when you were just seven that really stays
with you to this day?
It's the feeling I got when I heard Rob Base & DJ E-Z
Rock - "It Takes Two" for the first time. It's the
same feeling I get now when I hear a really powerful
song for the first time. Then to watch a crowd of
people react to that song & feel the energy in the
room is amazing. That was the moment when it clicked
that I wanted to be the cause of that feeling for
people. The other thing I remember is the yellow &
purple windbreaker & the hi-top Ellesse's I had on!
Growing up in South Philly, how has that shaped you as
a person and a DJ?
 South Philly is dope, just one big melting pot. When I
was younger, it was predominantly Italian, which is my
nationality. The neighborhood was like one big family,
the streets are small, corner stores were everywhere,
& people always talked to each other in the streets.
Still till this day when another South Philly person,
finds another there's a bond there, like a
brotherhood. As the years went on, the area changed,
it became multi-racial, which was good too, that
brought hip hop, soul, & funk into the neighborhood.
It had its downsides too because the streets changed &
there were problems between the races, but that just
taught me street smarts. I think SP made me a
well-rounded person & DJ & I'm forever grateful!
Who were you main influence when you first got into
DJ'ing?
Well, being from Philly, I didn't have to look far. We
had a hand full of legends here- of course DJ's such
as Jazzy Jeff, Cash Money, Tat Money, & Too Tuff. I
also grew up on the local radio legends like Jay Ski,
Cosmic Kev, & DJ Rand. The traditional Philly DJ
sound, is all about mixing as well as scratching. All
these guys set that bar really high, so that was your
blueprint to study. As I got deeper into the technical
side of it, I learned from Revolution, Q-Bert, & some
of the DMC guys. I also looked to the House dj's for
they're style of mixing & adjusting eq's. All together
these guys created a bunch of monster DJ's that lurk
the streets & eat little kids! ;-)
What effect did discovering Black Music and Culture
have on you at that age?
It didn't really affect my life until we left south
Philly. Up until then, that's what everyone in the
area was about. All my friends, it was in the cars, on
the TV & the radio. Then in 1990 we left & moved to
the northeast section of Philly. SP just got too bad.
We were the only white family left in the area. We
didn't have any personal problems, it's just the area
in itself was bad now. When we got to NEP, I was the
outcast. All the kids were different then me. They all
listen to rock & stuff like that. So it was a bit of a
task to fit in. But I still loved hip hop & put some
of the kids on to it here. In return they schooled me
on some of the rock music that they were big into...
At the end of it all, that funk is in my blood. It's a
natural reaction to music I generally like. It has to
have soul & that hit. A lot of the electro stuff I
like/play has that feeling to me which is how I
gravitated to it.
Tell me about when you were spinning in a lot of the
local and dodgy spots around Philly. What did you
learn? What memories do you have from that period in
your life?
We have a lot of local bars & lo-key clubs. As I was
growing up, I knew a lot of people. Just from being in
the streets & being involved in the music scene.
Playing those parties were probably some of the best
parties I'll ever play. The reason for that is I
didn't expect anything. I was happy to play & make a
little bit of money. All the people in those places I
knew & they were happy to have me there. We were young
& would have never been able to get in those places
otherwise. So when I would dj, my homies would come
too & we would kick it, listen to music, drink,
whatever.... DJ'ing has never been that good since. I
love what I do, & yes I still play amazing parties &
have a blast doing it & I'm thankful that it's a full
time career but just understand, now, I expect too
much, I expect the party to be incredible, when it's
not, I'm bummed. My friends, they don't come out
anymore, its no big deal for them, we're all 28 or so,
& been doing this since our teens, so they don't even
like the nightlife scene anymore. Back then, dollars
weren't the issue, I made $100, $150 maybe I was
thrilled. I'd take out my equipment, turntables,
speakers, records, etc - no problem! Now, it's a
business, there's monetary matters (bills need to get
paid, sneakers need to be bought)! But it was that
love of the game then, that took me to where I am now.
 The turning point during that time came when you
decided to focus on music was when you were holding
down two day-jobs and deejaying, when you cut your
hand working on the raw glass lenses during the time
you spent working at an eyeglass factory.
It was more of reality-check then a turning point in
my career. I was doing well at that time... I was
young & just quit the day gig & started doing this
full time, maybe about a year or so. Then everything
came to a halt. Ah yes, the down side of being a dj,
musician, entertainer, etc. Nothing is consistent. You
can't really rely on work to always be there. So I was
rolling'. I remember this shit like it was yesterday.
I woke up on a Monday and by that same Wednesday I had
lost all my gigs... I was like WTF! One clubbed got
shut down. Another switched promoters - like that, I
had NO WORK! So after a week or so of trying to find
work, nothing was showing, so I had to do something,
my parents weren't behind this music thing 100%
anyway, so I caught hell when all the work died. I
grabbed the paper & had to find a job.
This eyeglass factory was something I found & it had a
decent pay. I got the job & started working. It was
ruff. I had to work these 3 machines @ once. It was a
nonstop rotation from machine to machine. No pause, No
break, just one after the other. The eyeglass lenses
were still in raw glass form, so some of the edges
were sharp, & when your moving that fast you don't
have one second to be careful. I had surgical gloves
on to protect my hands from the solutions & machinery
but it wasn't till the lens cut my hand, that I knew
what I got myself into. I worked that job for 3 days.
The 3rd day I cut my other hand & I was done. I
couldn't keep doing that bullshit, so I quit. 2 days
later, I had 3 nights of work & I was back in
business!!!!! Thank god for that one!
Not only have legendary deejays such as Cash Money,
Jazzy Jeff, Jay Ski, DJ Rand, Revolution and Q-Bert
been huge influences, they are also true friends of
yours. What are some of the fond memories you have of
not only watching them on stage, zoning out to their
mixes, being in awe of techniques they've pioneered,
but also being in their company, hanging out, goofing
around?
The 1 thing that stands out among all these guys is
that they're all very humble, talented, & genuine. We
all look to each other for advice & value each other's
opinions. Revolution is the man. I love kicking it
with him because he's the realest dude I know. Never
holds his tongue, says what everyone is thinking, just
afraid to say themselves, & the best part is he's so
advanced in djing/producing, that he can back it up! I
love it. He always has good stories too.... Jeff is
another dude I really enjoy picking his brain for
advice & ideas. This is a dude who made a life long
career from djing, a dream come true for all of us who
are in this game. So at times, when I feel lost, I
talk to Jeff & he puts me in place. Ski & Rand are
probably the most responsible for my sound. So I'm
forever loyal to these dudes. They played Philly radio
for years & I would study, the music, the technique, &
to build with these guys on a friendship level is
mind-boggling. Not on some they're the stars & I'm the
young in - but as friends. That means the most from
everyone of these guys.
Do you think deejays in Philly get enough credit for
all they have pioneered and contributed to this art
form?
Honestly, no. I feel being from Philly is a curse in a
way. I feel we just get over looked. I can't figure
out why. But I'd bet money if I picked up & moved to
another city, I'd probably be where I want to be & I
probably would have been there several years ago. But
I'm determined to stay here & make it happen here.
I've been to MIA, LA, NY, LV, all those places, I
can't settle in there. I like living in Philly. I like
coming back home from the road here. I just wish we'd
get recognized more & involved in a lot more of the
events. Most of the dudes who made it from Philly,
moved. Some of the others weren't born here, they just
moved here. But not many have been born, raised, &
succeeded. Discard Jeff & Cash, they came from an era
where things were different, plus they were
established artist in groups. There are not many I can
think of, & there hasn't been some in a good while,
we're overdue.
When the spotlight moved from Philly to deejays in NY
and LA that must have been tough?
Not so much. The thing is, we're not forgotten, just
out of the loop. So all the NY dj's got love & so did
the LA dj's. I've always had a fair share of local
work but a lot of that work kept me from being in the
street & staying in the loop when people come to town.
I got love for all the dj's who still keep the art
form alive no matter what city. I also like to see
other dj's that I respect play to learn from them as
well. I'm not too concerned about being the 1 & only,
I just want to be able to fulfill my goals.
What are your recollections during the 90's all the
way through to '99 when you started seeing all that
practice and dedication pay off?
 The types of gigs I was getting booked for got better.
The veteran dj's respected me & I was one of looked at
more serious then a teenager who wanted to DJ. I got
my 1st radio gig, which was pretty awesome, & other
dj's started looking to me for the same advice as I
did my dj friends. Then finally, one day in 1998-99, I
decided to take that chance & pursue this full time.
So far, it's been a decent run, I can't complain too
much. Hopefully this run continues & I can keep djing.
I still practice & I'm still dedicated, now, more then
ever.
How did the Skratch Makaniks Crew come about?
Philly is a cutthroat city. Everyone's out for
them-selves, it's another prime example of why it's so
difficult to succeed here. People are more concerned
with doing them, then including the rest to get a
piece of the pie. I felt that we could succeed, if we
joined together & looked out for each other. SMC
became a household name, like a brand. It still bugs
me out how many people know the name, know the rep, &
know the dj's.
Who are the crew's members? What qualities does each
member bring to SMC?
So the crew consists of dj's that I grew up with,
looked up to, & friends I acquired throughout my years
in the music biz. Everyone knows each other & all of
us are very humbled, talented, & bring something to
the table. Every one of these guys are veterans, No
one uses the next to make a name for them-selves.
These are the qualities we look for when deciding on a
new member. Skills are important too but you have to
have that total package. The main thing is that we all
get along & respect each other as an artist. So that's
what counts.
SMC is - Jay Ski, Adam Bomb, Sat-One, Kwestion,
Aktive, KD, Spinbad, A.Vee, Bee, JeyOne, Rab, MC
Elixir & myself.
Some of us were in the studio with Jazzy Jeff, whom I
met threw Sat One. Sat also had a hip hop store around
the corner from my parents house in NEP that I would
go to buy mix-tapes from Jay Ski, Cosmic Kev & some of
the other dj's. So we're in A Touch of Jazz studio
about to lay cuts for this song "Break It Down" for
Jeff's 1st solo LP. That's when I presented the idea
to Sat, A.Vee & Spinbad. Everyone was immediately with
it. The other guys followed & each one was down. We
all wanted the same thing, it just took some one to
put it together & round up the posse.
As the crew founder, what are the highlights seeing
Skratch Makaniks develop from its initial blueprint?
I really enjoy seeing us all climb that ladder. They
help me as much as I help them. I also enjoy that
there's other dj's that really want to get down. Even
though we haven't grabbed any new members, it's good
to know that there's a kid out there striving for
something & part of that something is being a Makanik.
There aren't many real thoroughbred dj's out there.
So we have to keep it alive for the younger
generation. We can't have a bunch of push-button dudes
out there.
You've played a ton of celebrity parties over the
years, which of these stand out?
Hmm, there have been a lot of parties. Let's see. I
did this Usher LP release, which is the gig that got
me my 1st radio job. The PD at the time saw me 3x that
week playing their radio events & wanted to asked me
why don't I work for them. That was a good day. Me &
Jeff did Allen Iverson's B-day party, sponsored by
Reebok @ AI's crib when he was here, Lil Bow Wow,
stepped on my Ice Creams & Mike Tyson lost the fight
that night. AI poured a bottle of Crystal all over
himself!!! Let me think of one more. - Oh, ok I opened
for Nas @ Electric Factroy. That was a pretty dope
time & my 1st time playing for that big of a crowd.
What do you think is missing from DJ'ing right now?
Skills and talent - the kids now don't care too much
about it. A lot of the dj's that are really big &
making the rounds just managed to hook up with the
right booking agent. They don't necessarily have the
talent to be there. Yes, I know it's not all about
skill, it just seems that the want to learn & the bar
that the crowd expects is extremely low. You shouldn't
be playing out if u can't successfully blend 2 records
together. I'm not the angry DJ. I just still believe
in the art form.
What are some of your best digging stories?
Since Serato came to be the standard, the digging of
records doesn't happen that often anymore. Plus i have
a crazy vinyl collection now. But back in the day we
would go digging all the time.
Bobbito had a store in Philly called "Footworks". When
they closed I had 1st dibs on the wax. So my homie DJ
Train, who's very knowledgeable in sample & classic
funk & soul, sat with me as I dug threw the whole
store. I went & got a cash advance on my newly
acquired Discover card & cleaned house. Big Up to
Train for that one! I still owe u a beer homie!
This other time, Adam Bomb and I were in Florida.
There was nothing for us to do besides fish & run
threw pawnshops. In this one pawnshop we found a bunch
of funky old records. I bought them for damn near
nothing & lugged them back to Philly; I got a bunch of
goodies from that one.
Last but not least there was a flea market every
Sunday in the mall parking lot around from my parents
crib. I used to go there to dig for records. I found a
crate of classic Sugar Hill & Enjoy Records wax.
Needles to say, I bought it for nothing & struggled to
carry them home, but when I got home it was well worth
it! I was rockin' it, rockin' it. Excel was rockin'
it!
 What are some of your favorite artists and tracks
(whatever the genre)? Why?
This always changes. I'm so jaded with music because I
look at it from another angle then the average
consumer, but the moment, off the top of my head.
Feist - My Moon, My Man (Boys Noize Remix) - On a
recent trip to Canada I heard this song. Instant
chills. The intensity and the move of the track - how
soft & subtle her voice is, it's insane. I love
playing it & I love taking other songs & putting it
over the track. Boys Noize nailed that remix.
AC/DC - TNT - It's an AC/DC song most people know but
you don't expect to hear it in the club. Most deejays
play the usual, but I love this song. It's hard man &
It rips threw the speakers!
Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You - I never,
ever, ever get tired of this song. It's a simple song,
but it's one of my favorites. The story behind it
makes it even better. They, (Thomas Bangalter,
Benjamin Diamond & Alan Braxe), pretty much just made
this up n the club one night & recorded it the next
day - brilliant. Plus I love they never made a full
LP. They made something so perfect, 1 song, that's it.
Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock - It Takes Two - I have to list
this one, this is what got me started in the DJ game.
The intro, the track, the rhymes, the singing hook, &
the break down & the end - I ran threw so many copies
of this record. Another song I never get tired of
hearing. Those Lyn Collin drums that spawned B-more
house put you in a trance. They hit so hard & crisp.
Raekwon and Ghostface - Flawless Crowns - A song I
stumbled upon, but can only seem to find a minute &
thirty-two seconds of it. It's probably the best
Raekwon song I heard in years. The track is crazy &
Rae sounds like the Incarcerated Scarfaces MC I
remembered from back in the day. I've been hunting for
the full version for the longest!
How did the "Ski Goggles R A Must" mix for the Swedish
music blog Discobelle come about?
I check most of the blog pages as everyone else to
make sure I stay in the loop on all the good shit. I
also send my remixes out from time to time & if the
blogs like them, they post them for everyone else to
download. So I seen that Discobelle had this Mixin' It
Up series & a bunch of guys that know have done it.
Discobelle posted a mix I sent them before so I guess
they knew a little bit about me. I really wanted to be
apart of the Series. So I wrote to them, & asked. Not
something I'm used to doing.lol, but I did, & they
were down. I was excited so I started working it & it
turned out to be a little longer then what they asked
for but they let it slide. I was really glad I didn't
have to cut the mix short. & I'm extremely happy that
we got 16k+ downloads on it. I never ever expected
that. Thanks fellas, I really appreciate the look out.
Did you find that mix introduced you to a whole
new-fan-base?
Yeah, I guess so. I mean I haven't got 16,000 My Space
friends now (laughs), but it did bring me to Ollie,
which brought me here. So for that it was well worth
it. It's still tug of war match to get booked for some
of the gigs and some of the cats we reach out to,
don't hit back at all so it didn't seal the deal or
make me the next "it" dude. Either way, I did the mix
because I wanted to be involved in the series. I
wasn't too concerned it we got more gigs or anything
from it. I hope something comes from it as anything I
do but mainly I just wanted to make a mix for the
site.
You're currently doing radio, with shows on
Philadelphia's 103.9 / 100.3 The Beat, Wired 96.5 and
satellite radio. How's that going?
 I'm done with FM radio. I was a full time mixer for
Wired last year. I did all the mix shows, which
generated a great check, but were a lot of work. Radio
is dope & its fun but it can sometimes restrict you &
hold you up. I still do some satellite mixes when I
have time. I just did a XM show for channel 67. I may
revisit radio one day; I'm more concerned with roaming
around the world playing gigs right now.
What have been the most memorable times, guests,
mixes, since you first got on air?
Meeting Gangstarr & dj'ing with Premo for the 1st time
on air. Dj'ing for Ghostface (Killah) on air when
"Bulletproof Wallets" came out, kicking it with Sean
Paul & him cutting me one of the illest dub plates
I've heard him do. Recording a freestyle with Fat Joe
for me & Ski which he murdered & probably getting to
go to Mix show Power Summit which helped me meet a
bunch of dj's I became close with throughout the US.
I understand you're also focused on breaking into
television markets, corporate events and touring
overseas. What level of success have you had pursuing
these current goals?
Yeah, definitely - it's a slow process. Even though I
want it to happen quickly, I don't want to get to that
point & only have it for a second. So I just keep
chipping away @ the wall. It's hard to pinpoint
specific goals. I just want to succeed as much as I
can. I want to be involved in the parties I want to
play. I don't want to be overlooked or forgotten. I do
want to step into production more, but I really enjoy
playing parties so I focus a bunch of my time on that.
Traveling is coming along okay. I still haven't been
to Europe & I really want to hit Japan. London
(England) & Australia are on my list as well. I had
chances to go in the past but the deals were never
right, so I had to pass. As for this year, I'm really
working on redoing my website, which we're almost done
with & putting together a weekly newsletter & mailing
list to keep people in the loop. It's something I
should have worked on before but I really wasn't heavy
into the Internet side of things. But that presence is
a must, so I feel that's the one thing I'm lacking on.
Any final words / shout outs / thoughts?
I want to thank you guys for taking the time to put
together this interview. I can see you did your
research a bit & read through some of the info on me &
for that I'm grateful. For me, or anyone to succeed in
this it takes the support of others and sometimes more
then the artist themselves. So I'm glad you guys are
behind me! Hopefully I'll be seeing you soon on your
turf!
Shout Out to the SMC & everyone who takes the time &
interest to read the interview! Respect to UKHH.com!
Keep an eye out for the skratchmakaniks site and check excels' myspace for his show dates and fingers crossed those European and Oz shows will be coming soon...
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