Ohio boy Mick Boogie has been climbing the ranks in NYC since his move here over a year and a half ago. With beginnings in radio, this DJ with a marketing degree is establishing his brand in the big city, but with collaborations with Talib Kweli and Eminem behind him, it's no surprise that he has taken to the hottest DJ booths in town with ease.
Niteside caught up with the Mick Boogie after his set at Stylecaster's NYFW farewell party at GoldBar about his love of vinyl and Brooklyn, and how technology has changed the DJing game.
When you DJ at a spot like GoldBar, or somewhere that may be a little more low-key, what's your go-to record? It's interesting because when it's Fashion Week you can get a little more eclectic with the crowd. You try to be as progressive as you can but a lot of times you have to rely on the same old records. The key to that, I find, is finding that unique remix or twist to make it a little bit different so then even if you have to play for a bunch of young girls that just want to hear what they hear on the regular everyday, you can at least find a way to make that yours rather than it sounding like the radio. I believe in giving the people what they want they want to hear put through your own vision and your own eyes. You've gotta play from your heart.
How did you become a DJ? I did radio for years, and then I went to school for marketing but didn't like the job market, so I just started DJing to pay my bills because it was already my hobby. Then I went back to school and used my DJ money to go to grad school and when I finished grad school I thought I was going to quit DJing and become a grown-up. Then all of a sudden my DJing really began doing really well, and I was traveling and I was like, 'Maybe this is what I'm supposed to be doing.'
What's your favorite record to play right now? My favorite new record to play, and one that usually gets the biggest reaction, is Jay-Z "So Ambitious" with Pharrell on the hook. You've gotta play, like, all the big Jay-Z records obviously, but that's the album track that's really, really dope and it's still kind of under the radar, unlike "Empire State of Mind." That outta-here record where you still like it but you cover your ears when you play it.
I played three records tonight that were for me and those were Kenny Burke "Rising to the Top," which I always like playing in the beginning of my set because it's a dope mellow record that gets me ready for the night. Also, I played Big Daddy Kane "Set It Off," which I love for that classic late 80s really fast hip hop. Then I played some Friendly Fires to get some rock in there.
