DJ Rashad is Just Waiting for Kode 9 to Prank Him

Photo via RBMA Radio

From Saint Petersburg to Tokyo, DJ Rashad has been like a light unto the people, spreading the gospel of Chicago footwork to apostles across five continents. Alongside DJ Spinn, a childhood friend and now frequent touring buddy, Rashad helms the Teklife collective, a group of like-minded DJs that formed in Chicago and has since inducted members from the far corners of the civilized world. His newest album on Hyperdub Records, Double Cup, came out to rave reviews—over at VICE we compared it to crack, but frankly this might be more addicting.

Just ask all of Rashad's die-hard European followers who were left in withdrawal when a car crash followed by hip surgery and physical therapy sidelined Rashad from his non-stop touring schedule. He's back now, though: "I just started. It's cool to be back on board," he says with an easy laugh, sounding happier than ever in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He's there with Spinn for a supporting role in fellow Chicago native Chance the Rapper's Social Experiment Tour. While chatting with Spinn on the side, and even passing the phone to him a couple of times, Rashad talks about growing up as a dancer, getting hazed by his new label mates, and Rob Ford smoking crack.

THUMP: Have you been anywhere with surprisingly good footworkers?
DJ Rashad: Besides Paris there's people footworking in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It's dope. And Japan, though I haven't been yet. They got an awesome footwork scene going on. People try to footwork everywhere we go, but I don't know how to teach them. They ask, "Is it right?" I just say, "Have fun with it. Just do whatever you could do. Enjoy yourself."

But you were a dancer before you were a DJ.
DJR: I was, but I smoked too much. I can't dance anymore. I'll just pass out [laughs]. I can't breathe. I'm getting old.

Can you tell me about your years dancing?
DJR: It was just like basketball—a hobby, just something that I used to like to do. I was in sixth grade when we were hearing this shit, so it was just the thing to do. You'd just go to little parties and shit, dance, battle other groups and shit. It was pretty cool, but I got more interested in the music and as time prevailed and I just went that route instead of dancing. I was in the band from fifth grade to eighth grade playing the drums, so maybe that's what it was. Cajmere's "Percolator" came out and changed the whole game. That just made me really want to produce music and be in music.

When did you switch?
DJR: I was doing both. Me and Spinn—I can actually say we've been DJing since I met him—was doing both from like '94 to about the 2000s. He's a dancer too. We were dancing since like 12, not officially together, though. He was in another crew, I was in another crew-type thing, but we all met up in high school and shit. I stopped dancing when I was like 17, 18 for real. People just didn't take us seriously as DJs and dancers. Back then you had a crew and you could be their DJ. You're playing had to be tight—if you weren't DJing on turntables, you weren't considered a DJ. You had to get your respect as a DJ and that's what I wanted over time.

But you smoked too much weed to dance anymore—
DJR: I didn't really smoke back then. I was just naturally high. I didn't start smoking till I turned like 21. Late bloomer.

Have you had any drug-induced performances?
DJR: I can' t say I have [laughs], but I can say Spinn definitely has one. [To Spinn] Would you like to explain to her the story about XOYO in London?

DJ Spinn: Awww man, OK. We had this party at XOYO London and it was our friend's birthday that night, so we just had a ball. It was my first time messing around with MDMA—like some pure MDMA—so I put the shit in my drink and I drank it so fast. It was like half a gram and I was just frying, I was sledding. I blacked out three times. They say I took my shirt off, I was on the mic. It was wild.

DJR: I can tell you the rest. As we were setting up I guess it kicked in on him, so he kind of like melted on the stage. The music started so I started the show and he just walked off. I didn't think nothing of it. We actually had our own cups, but that's not my first time doing MDMA so I knew what I was getting into. Spinn comes up on the stage like 20 minutes later and just hugs me. Grabs me and hugs me while I'm DJing and then just stops the music and gets on the mic and was like, "Yo is anybody on one like I'm on one tonight?" Everybody's like "Yeeeeaaaahhhhhh!" It was fucking crazy. That's the only experience that we ever had like that. That'll never happen again. It was crazy. It was fun. The people had a good time still, but it was fucked up.

What's your relationship with Kode9 like?
DJR: Oh, it's great. I feel like I've known him for years [laughs]—Steve is wonderful. He's a genius and I'm so glad to be working with him. He's a friend as well and he's the bomb. Everybody over at Hyperdub is really outgoing—like cool, chill. Everybody is real safe over there, but we all fuck around. It's like family. Everybody's dope.

Do you prank each other?
DJR: That's more a Scratcha DVA and Kode9 thing. I'm just new to the family. I'll start getting my prank on soon.

Did they haze you?
DJR: No, I haven't gotten the hazing quite yet. I'm sure it's coming. Ain't no telling what they're gonna do, but whatever it is, I'm ready for it.

Always be aware. So you mentioned before that you couldn't be considered a DJ if you weren't using turntables.
DJR: Yeah, if you wanted the respect as a DJ. There was no such thing as CDJs when I was DJing. When we were first coming up if you didn't have Technics or 100s, you weren't a real DJ. Even if you couldn't get Technics at least you had to be able to mix on turntables and blend. If your shit was sloppy you would just get no respect and that was what it was all about for me and Spinn— to just get respect from everybody and be a part of the scene. We had to work our way.

A lot of DJs today don't know how to DJ with turntables.
DJR: Well, to each his own, but turntables—that was it. If you had a turntable and a mixer, that was all you needed, shiiiit. But the future has changed. All the programs and stuff that comes out today it's—explain it to her bro.

DJS: I can't say they're not DJs. The technology is cool, but if you don't learn from the fundamentals—the actual wax—I don't feel that you're gonna fulfill your DJ status. You learn how to dribble the ball first, then you learn how to pass the ball. Turntablism is essential to DJing. That's the way we feel coming from back in the day and how we were taught. It had to be that way.

DJR: Now you can just go on the Internet and type a name up like I'm DJ blah blah blah and people would believe it. I'm not hating on that, that's just how it is. Some people pull it off. Let's just say, for example, a venue doesn't have CDJs, what we use, you gotta use 12s or Technics. Most DJs can do it and some can't. They panic. I've seen panic city. They might not even do the gig. You just have to always be prepared for the fucking worst. It's your job as a DJ. From the time we was growing up most people would hear if you even skipped a beat. They'd come over and tell you like Yeah nice set, but I did hear that one part. It was real crucial. Now people say, Well as long as the music's good. Producers and DJs are definitely watching, if anything. Not the fans. We just got an ear for that shit.

How do you keep warm in the cold Chicago winter months?
DJR: I keep the heat burning. I hate to say it, but lately, these last couple of winters I haven't even been in Chicago. I've been in other winters like London winter. That's even worse. I'd rather have it snow than the rain. It's fucking chilly and wet, but other than that it's the same.

What else in life do you wish was as fast as footwork?
DJR: Money [laughs]. Nah, it ain't really the money I was just being funny. I wish the projects I'm working on were fast so I could knock 'em out. Of course I can't do it like that, so I take a lot of time, but if I could just get a lot of that stuff knocked out, I'd be on top. Even businesswise, there's just a lot to do like emails and shit like that—if I could just get that as fast as footwork that would be dope.

How do you come up with new songs in the studio?
DJR: It kind of just starts from scratch and we vibe out. We could be in the studio, not doing anything and then just randomly press a button, Spinn can randomly hit some keys and we're just like damn this is it and then we'll just go from there. That's pretty much how we work unless we got remixes that somebody sent that we have to work on. It

What do you think about Rob Ford, the Mayor of Toronto, smoking crack?
DJR: I think that's fucking hilarious. That's so funny to me because he's gonna run again. I guess he's still high. It's funny because people judge other people and shit, but you never know who's smoking crack and look who it is: the Mayor of Toronto. It's fucked up, but his story was just funny, You know, I get a little drunk and… that's crazy. It's fucked up, but it's funny. It goes to show you that you never know who's smoking crack. He's not even doing half the drugs that the kids are doing, just like hardcore crack. Shit. It's fucking crazy.

Check the Social Experiment tour dates to catch Rashad, Spinn, and Chance the Rapper in your town.

Lauren Schwartzberg is a New York-based freelance journalist -@laurschwar