DJ Rhettmatic
{{short description|American disc jockey (born 1969)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| caption = DJ Rhettmatic in 2021
| birth_name = Nazareth Nirza
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|05|10}}
| name = DJ Rhettmatic
| image = DJ Rhettmatic.jpg
| origin = California, U.S.
| occupation = {{hlist|Disc jockey|record producer}}
| label = Up Above Records
| current_member_of = {{hlist|Beat Junkies|Visionaries}}
}}
DJ Rhettmatic (born Nazareth Nirza; May 10, 1969){{cite book|last=Price|first=Emmett George|title=Hip Hop Culture|year=2006|page=145|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q84TiHcqDqcC&q=dj+rhettmatic+nazareth&pg=PA145|isbn=9781851098675}} is a producer, disc jockey{{cite web|title=BLAME ONE & J57 – B.L.A.M.E.57 FEAT. DJ RHETTMATIC|url=http://www.whutupdoe.com/tag/dj-rhettmatic}} and member and part creator of Southern California's first turntable band, the Beat Junkies.{{cite web|title=DJ Rhettmatic Exclusive Interview|url=http://ughhblog.com/2013/07/19/dj-rhettmatic-exclusive-interview-undergroundhiphopblog-com/}}
Career
Rhettmatic began his DJ career in 1983, with Double Platinum, a DJ group based out of Cerritos, CA.{{cite news|title=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/2010/11/17/131396003/first-listen-dj-rhettmatic-buff1-crown-royale}}{{cite news|last=Paine|first=Jake|title=DJ Rhettmatic Talks About "A.D.I.D.A.S." Album With Ras Kass|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10830/title.dj-rhettmatic-talks-about-adidas-album-with-ras-kass|accessdate=March 14, 2010|newspaper=HipHopDX|date=March 14, 2010}} Rhettmatic highly acknowledges fellow Beat Junkie member, DJ Curse, as his leading mentor.{{cite news|last=Fantastique|first=Adriel|title=The Electorate|url=http://www.realdetroitweekly.com/detroit/4play-august-19-2009/Content?oid=1205068|accessdate=2013-10-16|newspaper=Real Detroit Weekly|date=2009-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301034529/http://www.realdetroitweekly.com/detroit/4play-august-19-2009/Content?oid=1205068|archive-date=2014-03-01|url-status=dead}} As Curse shared his turntable exhibition, involving scratches and other DJ techniques, Rhettmatic's interest in DJing formed, allowing him to take hold of his musical passion. Rhettmatic claimed the titles of Disco Mix Club (DMC) West Coast Champion (1996) and International Turntablist Federation (ITF) 2x Team World Champion (1997/1998).{{cite web|title=Beat Junkies' DJ Rhettmatic Talks Rare Records, Vinyl Culture|url=http://www.fuse.tv/videos/2013/02/crate-diggers-dj-rhettmatic|publisher=Fuse TV|accessdate=17 October 2013}}
Rhettmatic also helped found in 1994 and is the DJ/producer for the LA based underground hip hop supergroup, the Visionaries.{{cite web|last=Three|first=East|title=RHETTMATIC INTERVIEW|url=http://fatlace.com/2013/01/rhettmatic-interview/|publisher=Fat Lace|accessdate=17 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130902160127/http://fatlace.com/2013/01/rhettmatic-interview/|archive-date=2 September 2013|url-status=dead}} He has worked with many in the hip hop community, from the likes of Peanut Butter Wolf, Talib Kweli, Madlib, DJ Premier, Cypress Hill, Mayer Hawthorne{{cite web|last=Barnes|first=Andre|title=First Listen: Buff1 And DJ Rhettmatic, 'Crown Royale'|url=https://www.npr.org/2010/11/17/131396003/first-listen-dj-rhettmatic-buff1-crown-royale|publisher=NPR|accessdate=17 October 2013}} and Adrian Younge.{{cite web|last=JES7 |title=Adrian Younge – Enemies (DJ Rhettmatic Remix) f. William Hart (of The Delfonics)|url=http://www.2dopeboyz.com/2013/07/07/adrian-younge-enemies-f-william-hart-of-the-delfonics-dj-rhettmatic-rmx/|publisher=2DopeBoyz}} His musical masterpieces include "E=MC5" by KeyKool & Rhettmatic featuring Ras Kass, LMNO, Voodoo and Meen Green,{{cite web|title=DJ Rhettmatic – Excerpts From The SP1200 Volume 1 (1994?-?1998)|url=http://www.rappersiknow.com/2012/05/10/dj-rhettmatic-excerpts-from-the-sp1200-volume-1-1994%E2%80%8B-%E2%80%8B1998/|publisher=Rappers I KNow|accessdate=17 October 2013}} and "From the Ground Up" b/w "Ubiquity" by The Associates featuring LMNO & KeyKool of the Visionaries, Rakaa Iriscience & Evidence of Dilated Peoples, and Divine Styler.{{cite web|title=The World Famous Beat Junkies Volume 2|url=http://www.discogs.com/Various-The-World-Famous-Beat-Junkies-Volume-2/release/225023|publisher=Discogs|accessdate=17 October 2013}}
In December 2005, Rhettmatic was J Dilla's tour show DJ in Europe, for his last tour ever, along with Frank n Dank and Phat Kat.{{cite web|last=Watkins|first=Greg|title=New DVD Captures Last Days Of Producer J. Dilla|url=http://allhiphop.com/2007/08/03/new-dvd-captures-last-days-of-producer-j-dilla/|publisher=AllHipHop.com|accessdate=17 October 2013}} Rhettmatic has also worked with and done production and scratches for Talib Kweli, OhNo, M.E.D., Aloe Blacc (Stones Throw), Prince Po (Organized Konfusion), RBX (The Dogg Pound), Noelle Scaggs of Fitz & the Tantrums and New York hip hop supergroup The Brown Bag AllStars, as well as having made mixtapes and podcast mixes for Ghostface Killah, Guilty Simpson and Stones Throw Records.
His most recent projects include the Crown Royale album with Michigan's wordsmith Buff1,{{cite web|last=Femi|first=Shamz|title=Video: Crown Royale (Buff1 x DJ Rhettmatic) "Say What" feat. Eric Bobo|url=http://www.okayplayer.com/news/video-crown-royale-buff1-x-dj-rhettmatic-say-what-feat-eric-bobo.html|publisher=OkayPlayer|accessdate=17 October 2013}} a DJ/percussionist show/mixtape project with Eric Bobo of Cypress Hill{{cite web|title=Video: Bobo Meets Rhettmatic|url=http://nahright.com/news/2010/03/01/video-bobo-meets-rhettmatic-mixtape/|publisher=Nahright|accessdate=17 October 2013}} and a joint project with legendary Californian MC, Ras Kass called 'A.D.I.D.A.S.'{{cite web|last=Kujundzic|first=Petar|title=Clement & Co. presents: Field Studies – Ras Kass & DJ Rhettmatic: ADIDAS|url=http://hypetrak.com/2010/06/clement-co-presents-field-studies-ras-kass-dj-rhettmatic-adidas/|publisher=Hypetrak|accessdate=17 October 2013}}
Rhettmatic currently hosts Beat Junkie Radio on Dash Radio.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/dj-rhettmatic DJ Rhettmatic Interview] NAMM Oral History Library (2020)
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