How did you start DJing?

I started DJ’ing bcuz I was always on punishment & had to find a way to pass the time. My brother was a barber (and still is) and he used to cut hair in the basement. He used to play music for his clients from upstairs in the bedroom. He always used to ask me to make sure the music kept playing so he wouldn’t have to keep coming upstairs to change it. So I used to change & flip the cassettes after they ran out. At the time cds were just starting to get popular so he had a few that I would also change as well. This was all at the age of 12-13 yrs old. But one day I got an idea in my head. I said damn! this song will sound hot after this one & what if I can make them mix together?! So I started mixing the songs between a cassette deck & cd player. But that wasn’t enough. My dad had piles & piles of 7 inch records & full length 12 inch albums laying around the house that he had collected through the years from when he used to keep parties. I then located a used record player (turntable) that my dad had & started to play the records, cassettes & cds for my brother and at the same time wondering how to transition from a record player to a cassette and then to a cd. I had no clue. I knew there was a better way. That’s when I was told about a “MIXER”. Which is what is used to basically bridge the gap between multiple audio devices. After all of this I combined the equipment and then started on my journey as a DJ!

How did you get name DJ Dru Nyce?

I actually used to go by the name of DJ BABY RANKS through my middle school years . . LOL! I wanted to be a Reggae DJ when I first started but when I got into high school this all changed. I started listening to more Hip-Hop and then Reggae. I would make mixtapes & sell them for $5 dollars & people used to casually say, “HE’S NICE”!! So I ran with it. Knowing that people actually liked what I was doing & then the gigs started coming in (keep in mind I’m in the 9th grade at this time) I said to myself . . “I need to change my name to a name that would appeal to the masses. I then came up with “DJ NICE”. But I knew of a DJ in NYC that had the same name & I immediately said, “DJ DREW NICE”. That was it from there. But I wanted it to stand out so I spelled it “DJ DRU NYCE” instead to give a little edge. From the age of 15 I was now known as DJ DRU NYCE.

Where is DJ Dru Nyce from?

I’m from Boston, Massachusetts. I grew up on Norfolk Street in Mattapan (a small urban city in Boston). I was raised by both of my parents & they are West Indian from the island of Barbados. So I’m part “BAJAN”, hence the love for island style music.

What makes you different from all the other DJs?

What makes me different is that I’m very versatile. I do not only play a certain genre of music. Some DJs only play Hip-Hop & RnB, some only play Reggae, some only play Soca or some just play Old School. Me, I can play them all. What’s crazy is that I play some of those genres better than most of the DJS who specialize in one particular genre . . LOL!!

What is your mentality before you DJ an event?

My mentality before an event is simply this: “I have a job to do & that’s to give people a good musical experience”. I want people enjoy the event so I put my all in as an entertainer. When you’re on the floor, I will keep you on it without missing a beat in your 2-step . . guaranteed!!!

What should someone expect from a party you’re DJing at?

They should expect to have a blast from beginning to end. Expect to hear all of your favorite songs from Reggae to Disco all in one night. Not only will you hear your favorites, you will hear them mixed, blended & scratched to perfection. Not many DJs are capable of even mixing. Let alone: Mixing, Blending and Scratching. Long story short . . It’ll be an experience like no other!!!

Who or what are your biggest influences?

My biggest influence would probably be the pioneer DJs that I grew up listening to such as: Stone Love, Renaissance, Funkmaster Flex, Kid Kapri, Jazzy Jeff etc . . THE GREATS! I took something from all of these guys & used it to my advantage. Like with Stone Love & Renaissance I took their style of playing (what we call JUGGLIN’) & I put my own touch to it. With Funkmaster Flex, I took his voice & now I can interact with my crowd vocally. With Kid Capri & Jazzy Jeff they taught me how make certain parts of a song stand out & put emphasis on a certain part of the record. All of these guys have a skill, an art & make me proud to be a DJ. That’s why I made DJing a career instead of a hobby. I couldn’t live 1 day without being a DJ!

Shout Outs?

First, I wanna shout out Rhoaming Entertainment for giving me this recognition & standing behind me 100%. Shout out to all the DJs & DJ teams across the world. My team, THE MIX KINGZ (I’m proud of all of you), all of my fans & supporters (you keep my dream alive on a day-to-day), all of the promoters who hired me & believed in what I do & know what the actual craft of DJing really is. Shout out to Jermaine Dupri, the whole So So Def, DJ Khaled, & No Wack DJs for recognizing my talent & bringing me on board (very appreciative). To all of the radio stations that gave me a plateau to broadcast my talents & reach my fans across the globe. To my parents for supporting my decision to make DJing a career. And to my girlfriend of 9 years who has been there for me in ways that are beyond this world . . . I love you & thank you. Last but not least, I dedicate this to my daughter (Daddy has done it again babbbyyyyy)!!

You can link up with Dj Dru Nyce through his Myspace Page, Friend him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter. If you’re looking for some more of DJ Dru Nyce’s music and for booking info hit him up at drunyce@nowackdjs.com

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 11:03 am and is filed under Hottest DJs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.