Qbert bailed, but Babu is on the way

DJ Qbert did not come last week. That was not that cool for hip-hop heads but there’s good news this week in the form of the latest act to hit town. DJ Babu is the world renowned DJ and producer for Dilated Peoples, but that’s not all. He used to be part of the best DJ battle team ever –the Beatjunkies –and is part of the Likwit Junkies with Defari, as well as being a DJ in his own right. We caught up with him before his show at Block 8 on Saturday (Dec 13) to get the lowdown.

the Beijinger:What inspired you to start DJing?

DJ Babu: I was very inspired by the explosion of hip hop culture in 1984, at first I was trying to be a b-boy but much later found I had a fondness for DJing, hearing rap groups who had prominent DJs was also very influential; groups like EPMD who had DJ Scratch, Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Gangstarr with DJ Premier, the list goes on.

the Beijinger:Do you miss being a battle DJ, especially as part of a crew?

DJ Babu: I’m still very much part of the Beatjunkie crew, so I don’t miss that, but I do sometimes miss battling – those are very precious memories of a time when all I did was eat, sleep and breathe DJing. But I don’t miss the pressure of battling! Battling is a full time job that requires intense dedication and time to prepare for a competition, these days my battles are more in the studio with the likes of the Alchemist, Evidence, and DJ Premier … my battles went from battle DJing to beatmaking and producing.

the Beijinger:With all the producers and DJs that turn to rapping do you have any aspirations to pick up a microphone?

DJ Babu: Not at all, I write lyrics, song ideas, and hooks but I cannot stand the sound of my own voice. On top of that, MCing is a very difficult thing; I have the highest respect for skilled MCs and songwriters.

the Beijinger:Do you prefer solo shows or DJing with Dilated Peoples and Likwit Junkies?

DJ Babu: I like doing both; actually my role for each group is fairly similar so transitioning between the 2 is not too difficult. Dilated is great because we’ve been at it as a unit for 11+ years, so we’ve established our fan base and can tour year round, world wide, but with Likwit Junkies it was almost like starting over (even though Defari and I are both veterans to the game), but it’s also exciting to challenge yourself with a new project and building it up like Defari and will continue to do.

the Beijinger:When will we see Dilated Peoples come to China?

DJ Babu: Sooner than later I hope … let me know!

the Beijinger:Can you describe your style in 3 words?

DJ Babu: Past, present, and future

the Beijinger:What should the Chinese crowd expect from a Babu show?

DJ Babu: First of all, I’d like people to come down and expect to party and have a good time. Of course I’ll be cutting and scratching and getting busy Beatjunkie style, but I’d also like to show China some classic hip-hop DJing, hopefully open some ears to some good music, and hopefully bring a new standard to DJing to china.

the Beijinger:What do you expect from them?

DJ Babu: I expect them to come down and have a good time. Nothing more, nothing less

the Beijinger:What most excites you about visiting China?

DJ Babu: Everything, it is always exciting to visit a country that you’ve never been to before, so I really look forward to experiencing China, it’s one of the places I’ve been longing to visit, I can’t wait to meet the people and learn more about the culture.

the Beijinger:Where did you get your DJ name?

DJ Babu: When I was fairly young, a friend of mine’s older brother said I reminded him of a cartoon genie named “Babu” this was even before I was DJing, so years later when I started to DJ the name was already a nickname so it became my DJ name.

the Beijinger:Which artists would you still like to work with?

DJ Babu: Too many ... De La Soul, Jay-Z, Ghostface, Nas, The Game, Snoop, Murs. I could go on and on.

the Beijinger:Who would you get to DJ your wedding and what music would you want playing at your funeral?

DJ Babu: Actually I was married and I had the Beatjunkies DJing, of course! I hate to think of my funeral but I guess I’d love them to play “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” by Roy Ayers

the Beijinger:You have been credited with inventing the term "turntablism", how do you feel about that?

DJ Babu: I’m very flattered, but it’s just a word … as far as I’m concerned the first turntablist, even if he did not realize it, was Grandmixer D.S.T., without him and other pioneers like Grandmaster Flash, Grandwizard Theodore and Afrika Bambaataa, there would have never been the term turntablist.

DJ Babu stops off at Block 8 (6508 8585) on Dec 13. 9pm. RMB 70, RMB 50 (advance). To win tickets check out the Beijinger podcast.