Nassoro: What clubs, venues do you perform at now?
CJV: I just moved to Pittsburgh, so I haven’t really dug in quite yet. I’ve been spinning at the Club Déjà vu VIP Room for a couple months. Big Shout out to DJ Nugget for putting me on and getting me into the Burgh club scene.


Nassoro:  how long have you been DJing and how do you make any mix tapes or own albums?
CJV: As I said in my biography, I started DJing in 7th grade, which I guess means I’ve been spinning for like 10 or 11 years. I used to make mix tapes a lot when I was younger, but they weren’t any good. I’ve been featured on the Movementality series of compilation albums (pick up Movementality 2 at www.cafepress.com/movementality2 ... Featuring Mos Def, the Perfectionists, Sage Francis, Noisy Stylus, Ugly Duckling, and more…) and am in the preliminary stages of producing a solo full length album. No release date at this time. These days I’m focusing more on my live work, and getting my rhyme skills up.

Nassoro: What would you tell other inspiring Dj artist out there?
CJV: For any young kid who is interested in becoming a DJ (i.e., 85% of suburban white boys aged 12-17), I’d recommend working hard to buy your own gear. Once you put in the hours of sweat and labor to get your own equipment, you know that you’ll be willing to put in the hours of sweat and labor to learn to use it. Don’t get your mommy and/or daddy to buy your gear for you – that shit is whack. Also, listen to everything, keep an open mind, and remember that you are a servant to the crowd (and not the other way around).

Nassoro: How would you define your music as and if you had to use your own word what would you define the music your make and the art of being a DJ?
CJV: I don’t really know how I’d categorize my music. I’m definitely into mixing music more creatively when I do gigs, and guess I’d say that my beats I prefer my snares on 2 and 4, and bpms between 85 and 120. I’m not really into crunk music (down tempo double-time stuff) or reggaeton… I’m something of a purist.
If I were to describe the music that I make, I’d say that I always try to be honest, and I always try to make your head nod. I’m not a thug, I’m not a millionaire, and I don’t deal drugs. And I don’t say that I do in my music either.
As far as how I would define the art of being a DJ, I’d say that being a DJ is all about giving your audience what they want to hear – that doesn’t necessarily mean playing every request you get, but instead understanding what will make their feet move.

Nassoro: what is the philosophy behind your life and your music
CJV: Whenever I create music, I always try to create something original. I don’t think there is anything wrong with sampling (I use sampled music often in my music) but the key is in flipping a sample into something that no one has heard before, or doing it in an original way. Beats today all sound the same! Has anyone noticed that the new David Banner track “Play” pretty much sounds just like the “Whisper Song”? Or that almost every new 50 cent song clocks in at 97 bpm and has the same drum kit and basic construction? There’s more to hip-hop than the same radio shit every day.