DJ Hutch
09-29-2003, 10:12 AM
Courtesy of Kris Flowers YO ltd.
Those who know him will attest to his irresistible smile and charm emanating behind the turntables. In a joyous fervor over a slick blend and its accompanying hot tune lifting the already euphoric state of his audience; he is positioned in the annals of dance music history after its pioneers: David Mancuso, Nicky Siano, Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles, Tee Scott, Larry Patterson, Tony Humphries, Hippie Torrales, David Morales, Timmy Regisford, Francois K, and Camacho respectively. To those in the Essex County area of New Jersey, he is their “don” of the Weequahic (a section of Newark known for its large club music population), dance music turntablist, Naeem Johnson is presently converting a generation of R&B and rap fans into die hard “four-to-the-floor” fanatics. Where is he doing this? Let’s find out……
KF –So what have you been up to lately…What’s going on with Naeem Johnson?
NJ- Work, work, work…I’ve been pretty much holding things down things here…I haven’t been traveling much overseas…I got married…that’s one of the change of events in my life…I’m playing a lot of different places here…I’m doing a lot of freelance stuff now…it’s funny because I thought I would never make myself accessible to the public…but it’s a market and it’s a huge market…it’s a lot different from doing the Zanzibar or Blackbox, but it pays well…I’ve branched out into the mobile field as well as trying to do production…it’s been a very, very profitable thing…
KF – Where is your home base at the moment?
NJ – The Arena is my main base which is located on Clinton Avenue in Newark, NJ.
KF – How long have you been there?
NJ – 3 1/2 years…besides that, I’ve been doing a lot of private stuff…it’s been real good…it’s been good to the point where I haven’t had to travel as much…also I’m trying to dibble and dabble into production again…
KF – You have built a solid reputation in NJ in that whenever we hear the name Naeem Johnson, the kids go up…You are holding the fort down in terms of a “partying” audience…what is your secret?
NJ – (Laughs)…I don’t know…I think that the longevity of continuing to do it… pounding and pounding…week after week…has been a really blessing to me… It’s just God’s grace and mercy…I’ve been at it for a long time…I pretty much stayed true to what I believed…and no matter what, I keep grinding it out….every week…it’s funny…as I continue to play…I’m seeing the change again…I’ve seen the change before….the change of eras, the change of people, I have 20 year olds…22,23,24 year old girls and guys coming up to me talking about club music, club CD’s and tapes…and I’m watching them on the floor and I’m like, “Wow…when I started, they were playing in dirt…they weren’t even around”…it’s a blessing to capture another audience…as well as those “regulars” from the old school who come out here and there…I’ve also have been giving parties too…it’s been working out good…and along with being able to bring other DJ’s in as well…
KF- What differences are there in the dance music business and politics of today compared to 20 years ago?
NJ-To be honest, I really stay out of the political scene in terms of the music. I was always taught my forefathers and mentors, “Naeem just play…stay out of the nonsense and just entertain the people”…It’s so different now…we’re at the digital stage…years ago we didn’t have that… We played stuff from cassettes, acetates, reel to reels, DATs…it’s so much different…we didn’t have CD’s… everybody’s burning copies of this and that….Even with the DJ’s it’s different…there wasn’t a vast amount of DJ’s like there is now…there’s a new DJ every day…a DJ a day! (ha)…back then it wasn’t like that…you had more venues…and you had a group of DJ’s…. actually there was a lot, but it was more respected…I don’t remember a lot of fighting and political stuff in terms of music from the people I hung around…if it was…I didn’t know about it because it just wasn’t like that… it was about each one teach one…we tried to help each other to get along and get ahead…the stuff that goes on now …you have so many DJs and not enough venues for people to play so that’s what makes it tough…and not just that…dance music is just not accepted the way it was back in the early 80’s…that’s another factor that makes it tough for DJ’s today, because they don’t have the outlets we were blessed with back in the day…the radio, the club scene…you had so many different clubs to go to…if you were going to NYC you had…Melon’s, Cuckoo’s Nest, Buttermilk Bottom, Paradise Garage…if you wanted to hustle you can go to the World…Starship Discovery I…you had so many different venues to go to…it’s not like that any more…so it’s really tough for the DJ's today…my words of wisdom to them is to hold on…if you believein what your doing…stick to you guns and keep playing…
As a kid, Naeem became hooked on music by his gospel-wailing mother and aunt who was a member of the gospel corps, Bert's Ensemble. As a teen, he started hanging out in underground dance clubs in lower Manhattan: Garage, Buttermilk Bottom, Gallery, Loft and their counterpart, Jersey's Club Docks featuring Hippie Torrales. By 1982, firmly rooted as a mobile DJ, Naeem was in constant demand for house and "Loft-type" parties. His growing popularity earned him his first professional gig at Docks. All of this buzzing about caught the eye of the late DJ Larry Patterson of Club Zanzibar. Slipping Naeem through the porthole of "Z-Bar", Larry taught him the skills needed to spin on those "hard-to-handle" Thornes turntables. Larry, being the prankster he was, snuck off leaving an apprehensive but determined Naeem to hold his own. By 6:00am, Larry handed Naeem a night's pay and a critique of every mix he did. Naeem began his Friday night internship at Club Zanzibar in 1986; subsequently, became one of the dance party captains on 107.5 WBLS under the tutelage of Timmy Regisford and Merlin Bobb. "It was called the "Hi-Five" mix show which aired Monday to Friday from 12 noon to 1pm. I also did the Saturday night dance party as well." His presence as a radio personality peeked forth on a cover a rap LP with radio mates, Marley Marl and Mr. Magic. A DJ comrade at Zanzibar, Tony Humphries even lent Naeem his expertise on developing programming strategies.
KF-Tell us about your Docks period…
NJ – I remember the first time I played in a major club with a professional sound system was Docks…the one on Broad St. Before Club Sensations, the one on top of the Barbeque Hut…I started dibbling and dabbling in the music and Hippie Torrales and Butchie got wind of what I was doing and Larry Patterson got wind of what I was doing…I was hanging out with Timmy Regisford at the time…we were friends, he would take me to all the record companies to get promotional material. My Docks experience was a beautiful thing…We left Broad & Market Sts and moved Docks to Club Sensations on Branford Place…I held it down for a few years…on a Thursday night…
KF-What were some of the tunes you used to play down there?
NJ- For my birthday party one year at Sensations…I had the Joubert Singers doing “Stand On The Word”…I still have the flyer for that…Jason Smith bless his soul from Visual… he’s passed on though…he performed “ Somehow Someway”…I’ve had the pleasure of having him down there…and the list goes on and on…
KF- What about your days at Club Blackbox?
NJ- I went through a lot of personal things in my life right before Blackbox…I was pretty much getting myself together…and I was approached by some guys who came to me and said…”Naeem, we are about to open up this juice bar/club…we want you to be down”…I wanted to get back into it…I and was like ““Wow...that sounds real cool”…and we put it together…we put it on the map for real…it was a great little underground club thing that people have been staving for…that people missed so much because the scene was changing so drastically….so when Blackbox opened…the people had somewhere they can go and stay until 6am in the morning and be free…bring their baby powder, bring their tee shirts, and change of clothes…the sound system was off the hook…it reminded you of the old type Zanzibar and Dock’s type of scene and it was just a reincarnation of those types of things…wrapped up into one without the drugs and alcohol…doing it clean with a free mind and free body…that was our vibe for that…and it worked…it worked…we did it for seven years…
KF-What was the reason for its closing?
NJ-You have people who get into the money, property, prestige thing and they forget about the primary purpose of why we’re here and what we’re doing this thing for and as a result you lose focus…and I believe they lost focus and it started to deteriorate from there…I think in the process people started moving on and the owner just didn’t care anymore…they just didn’t care…and as for me…I started doing different things…that’s when my traveling started to come about…so it became…I started venturing out doing different things…that’s it for the Blackbox story (laughs)!
KF- So you started traveling?
NJ- My first gig overseas was in Japan…I played at Club Yellow, Gold, The Cave…a place called the Garden, The World…the person whom I really, really thank and I love so much…we’ve been friends since we were kids, he’s a legendary DJ and great producer in his own right… his name is Nick Jones. Nick is one responsible for my DJing overseas. He was like, “Hey man you have to come over to Japan”…through Hisa of King St. they had this thing going on at the time over there called the World Connection…after the first time… it was a wrap…I pretty much started branching out on my own…making connections…people calling…so Nick Jones was the one who made that happen…
KF- You were in Italy too?
NJ- Yes I was all over Italy…so many different places in Italy I’ve played at.
KF-You were running into Tony Humphries a lot in Italy?
NJ-I would run into Tony more overseas than I would run into him at home (laughs)!
KF – Who are some of the jocks you’ve mentored?
NJ – Jihad Muhammad is one of them. He’s come along in his own right...that’s my little brother…he’s a hellified DJ and he’s still learning, still growing...he’s tapping into a lot of things…he’s going to be big…when I finally decide to hang up my DJ shoes…
KF- Is that coming?
NJ – Not in the immediate future (laughs)…he’s gonna be the one to reckon with…There are so many kats I’ve worked with...The one thing that I was taught by Larry Patterson...he said,” Look…you give back what was freely given to you”…and that’s basically my philosophy and that’s what I’ve been doing…
KF-What else are you up to in addition to playing the Arena on Fridays?
NJ-I’m just doing a lot of freelance stuff now…it’s funny because I thought I would never make myself accessible to the public…but it’s a market and it’s a huge market…it’s a lot different from doing the Zanzibar or Blackbox, but it pays well…I’ve branched out into the mobile field as well as trying to do production…it’s been a very very profitable thing…
Bitten by the production bug, his talents has graced such dance jams as “You’re Gonna Miss Me" by the Turntable Orchestra co-produced with Paul Scott and Hippie Torrales, the unreleased "Naeem's Back" co-produced with Derek Jenkins, Dwayne "Spin" Richardson, and Cassio Ware; and unfortunately, available only on a Japanese CD, the PHAT house hit, "Family" co-produced with Khison. The Club Blackbox anthem, "Naeem's Theme...Blacker at the Blackbox" co-produced with rapper, Johnny Dangerous, a track with a haunting appeal became Naeem’s signature tune.
KF – So we are going to see another “Naeem” production very soon?
NJ- Very soon…it’s going to keep coming after that…it should be pretty cool…actually it’s a little instrumental joint right now…but who knows it may turn into a vocal…who knows?…I also have some plans for some vocal things…so trying to stay busy…
KF-What are you playing now? What songs are you working now?
NJ-I’m loving the Donnie - “Cloud 9” remixes…I love the Carlos Sanchez Project feat Lorenzo Taylor “Spirit Of The Dance”, I love the Duron Tarik and Tyrone Francis’ production…it’s called “Do Right”…my little brother Jihad Muhammad has a really nice record coming out called “The Movement Blues”…always the Blaze stuff…Josh Milan and Kevin Hedge…guys I grew up with from childhood…to name a few…
KF-Are you pushing any YO material?
NJ – Of course, of course…all of YO stuff…if I can get some records…if I can get some music (ha ha ha!)….I always go out and support…I tell the DJ’s…I don’t care who you know or who may give you music and stuff…you may know the producer…you may know some the label people…but go out and buy the product…that’s the only way you are going to keep that company alive…and you’re going to keep this thing going with your support…if you’re not supporting monetarily…you’re not supporting…
THANKS
DJ HUTCH
THE JERSEYDJS.COM TEAM
Those who know him will attest to his irresistible smile and charm emanating behind the turntables. In a joyous fervor over a slick blend and its accompanying hot tune lifting the already euphoric state of his audience; he is positioned in the annals of dance music history after its pioneers: David Mancuso, Nicky Siano, Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles, Tee Scott, Larry Patterson, Tony Humphries, Hippie Torrales, David Morales, Timmy Regisford, Francois K, and Camacho respectively. To those in the Essex County area of New Jersey, he is their “don” of the Weequahic (a section of Newark known for its large club music population), dance music turntablist, Naeem Johnson is presently converting a generation of R&B and rap fans into die hard “four-to-the-floor” fanatics. Where is he doing this? Let’s find out……
KF –So what have you been up to lately…What’s going on with Naeem Johnson?
NJ- Work, work, work…I’ve been pretty much holding things down things here…I haven’t been traveling much overseas…I got married…that’s one of the change of events in my life…I’m playing a lot of different places here…I’m doing a lot of freelance stuff now…it’s funny because I thought I would never make myself accessible to the public…but it’s a market and it’s a huge market…it’s a lot different from doing the Zanzibar or Blackbox, but it pays well…I’ve branched out into the mobile field as well as trying to do production…it’s been a very, very profitable thing…
KF – Where is your home base at the moment?
NJ – The Arena is my main base which is located on Clinton Avenue in Newark, NJ.
KF – How long have you been there?
NJ – 3 1/2 years…besides that, I’ve been doing a lot of private stuff…it’s been real good…it’s been good to the point where I haven’t had to travel as much…also I’m trying to dibble and dabble into production again…
KF – You have built a solid reputation in NJ in that whenever we hear the name Naeem Johnson, the kids go up…You are holding the fort down in terms of a “partying” audience…what is your secret?
NJ – (Laughs)…I don’t know…I think that the longevity of continuing to do it… pounding and pounding…week after week…has been a really blessing to me… It’s just God’s grace and mercy…I’ve been at it for a long time…I pretty much stayed true to what I believed…and no matter what, I keep grinding it out….every week…it’s funny…as I continue to play…I’m seeing the change again…I’ve seen the change before….the change of eras, the change of people, I have 20 year olds…22,23,24 year old girls and guys coming up to me talking about club music, club CD’s and tapes…and I’m watching them on the floor and I’m like, “Wow…when I started, they were playing in dirt…they weren’t even around”…it’s a blessing to capture another audience…as well as those “regulars” from the old school who come out here and there…I’ve also have been giving parties too…it’s been working out good…and along with being able to bring other DJ’s in as well…
KF- What differences are there in the dance music business and politics of today compared to 20 years ago?
NJ-To be honest, I really stay out of the political scene in terms of the music. I was always taught my forefathers and mentors, “Naeem just play…stay out of the nonsense and just entertain the people”…It’s so different now…we’re at the digital stage…years ago we didn’t have that… We played stuff from cassettes, acetates, reel to reels, DATs…it’s so much different…we didn’t have CD’s… everybody’s burning copies of this and that….Even with the DJ’s it’s different…there wasn’t a vast amount of DJ’s like there is now…there’s a new DJ every day…a DJ a day! (ha)…back then it wasn’t like that…you had more venues…and you had a group of DJ’s…. actually there was a lot, but it was more respected…I don’t remember a lot of fighting and political stuff in terms of music from the people I hung around…if it was…I didn’t know about it because it just wasn’t like that… it was about each one teach one…we tried to help each other to get along and get ahead…the stuff that goes on now …you have so many DJs and not enough venues for people to play so that’s what makes it tough…and not just that…dance music is just not accepted the way it was back in the early 80’s…that’s another factor that makes it tough for DJ’s today, because they don’t have the outlets we were blessed with back in the day…the radio, the club scene…you had so many different clubs to go to…if you were going to NYC you had…Melon’s, Cuckoo’s Nest, Buttermilk Bottom, Paradise Garage…if you wanted to hustle you can go to the World…Starship Discovery I…you had so many different venues to go to…it’s not like that any more…so it’s really tough for the DJ's today…my words of wisdom to them is to hold on…if you believein what your doing…stick to you guns and keep playing…
As a kid, Naeem became hooked on music by his gospel-wailing mother and aunt who was a member of the gospel corps, Bert's Ensemble. As a teen, he started hanging out in underground dance clubs in lower Manhattan: Garage, Buttermilk Bottom, Gallery, Loft and their counterpart, Jersey's Club Docks featuring Hippie Torrales. By 1982, firmly rooted as a mobile DJ, Naeem was in constant demand for house and "Loft-type" parties. His growing popularity earned him his first professional gig at Docks. All of this buzzing about caught the eye of the late DJ Larry Patterson of Club Zanzibar. Slipping Naeem through the porthole of "Z-Bar", Larry taught him the skills needed to spin on those "hard-to-handle" Thornes turntables. Larry, being the prankster he was, snuck off leaving an apprehensive but determined Naeem to hold his own. By 6:00am, Larry handed Naeem a night's pay and a critique of every mix he did. Naeem began his Friday night internship at Club Zanzibar in 1986; subsequently, became one of the dance party captains on 107.5 WBLS under the tutelage of Timmy Regisford and Merlin Bobb. "It was called the "Hi-Five" mix show which aired Monday to Friday from 12 noon to 1pm. I also did the Saturday night dance party as well." His presence as a radio personality peeked forth on a cover a rap LP with radio mates, Marley Marl and Mr. Magic. A DJ comrade at Zanzibar, Tony Humphries even lent Naeem his expertise on developing programming strategies.
KF-Tell us about your Docks period…
NJ – I remember the first time I played in a major club with a professional sound system was Docks…the one on Broad St. Before Club Sensations, the one on top of the Barbeque Hut…I started dibbling and dabbling in the music and Hippie Torrales and Butchie got wind of what I was doing and Larry Patterson got wind of what I was doing…I was hanging out with Timmy Regisford at the time…we were friends, he would take me to all the record companies to get promotional material. My Docks experience was a beautiful thing…We left Broad & Market Sts and moved Docks to Club Sensations on Branford Place…I held it down for a few years…on a Thursday night…
KF-What were some of the tunes you used to play down there?
NJ- For my birthday party one year at Sensations…I had the Joubert Singers doing “Stand On The Word”…I still have the flyer for that…Jason Smith bless his soul from Visual… he’s passed on though…he performed “ Somehow Someway”…I’ve had the pleasure of having him down there…and the list goes on and on…
KF- What about your days at Club Blackbox?
NJ- I went through a lot of personal things in my life right before Blackbox…I was pretty much getting myself together…and I was approached by some guys who came to me and said…”Naeem, we are about to open up this juice bar/club…we want you to be down”…I wanted to get back into it…I and was like ““Wow...that sounds real cool”…and we put it together…we put it on the map for real…it was a great little underground club thing that people have been staving for…that people missed so much because the scene was changing so drastically….so when Blackbox opened…the people had somewhere they can go and stay until 6am in the morning and be free…bring their baby powder, bring their tee shirts, and change of clothes…the sound system was off the hook…it reminded you of the old type Zanzibar and Dock’s type of scene and it was just a reincarnation of those types of things…wrapped up into one without the drugs and alcohol…doing it clean with a free mind and free body…that was our vibe for that…and it worked…it worked…we did it for seven years…
KF-What was the reason for its closing?
NJ-You have people who get into the money, property, prestige thing and they forget about the primary purpose of why we’re here and what we’re doing this thing for and as a result you lose focus…and I believe they lost focus and it started to deteriorate from there…I think in the process people started moving on and the owner just didn’t care anymore…they just didn’t care…and as for me…I started doing different things…that’s when my traveling started to come about…so it became…I started venturing out doing different things…that’s it for the Blackbox story (laughs)!
KF- So you started traveling?
NJ- My first gig overseas was in Japan…I played at Club Yellow, Gold, The Cave…a place called the Garden, The World…the person whom I really, really thank and I love so much…we’ve been friends since we were kids, he’s a legendary DJ and great producer in his own right… his name is Nick Jones. Nick is one responsible for my DJing overseas. He was like, “Hey man you have to come over to Japan”…through Hisa of King St. they had this thing going on at the time over there called the World Connection…after the first time… it was a wrap…I pretty much started branching out on my own…making connections…people calling…so Nick Jones was the one who made that happen…
KF- You were in Italy too?
NJ- Yes I was all over Italy…so many different places in Italy I’ve played at.
KF-You were running into Tony Humphries a lot in Italy?
NJ-I would run into Tony more overseas than I would run into him at home (laughs)!
KF – Who are some of the jocks you’ve mentored?
NJ – Jihad Muhammad is one of them. He’s come along in his own right...that’s my little brother…he’s a hellified DJ and he’s still learning, still growing...he’s tapping into a lot of things…he’s going to be big…when I finally decide to hang up my DJ shoes…
KF- Is that coming?
NJ – Not in the immediate future (laughs)…he’s gonna be the one to reckon with…There are so many kats I’ve worked with...The one thing that I was taught by Larry Patterson...he said,” Look…you give back what was freely given to you”…and that’s basically my philosophy and that’s what I’ve been doing…
KF-What else are you up to in addition to playing the Arena on Fridays?
NJ-I’m just doing a lot of freelance stuff now…it’s funny because I thought I would never make myself accessible to the public…but it’s a market and it’s a huge market…it’s a lot different from doing the Zanzibar or Blackbox, but it pays well…I’ve branched out into the mobile field as well as trying to do production…it’s been a very very profitable thing…
Bitten by the production bug, his talents has graced such dance jams as “You’re Gonna Miss Me" by the Turntable Orchestra co-produced with Paul Scott and Hippie Torrales, the unreleased "Naeem's Back" co-produced with Derek Jenkins, Dwayne "Spin" Richardson, and Cassio Ware; and unfortunately, available only on a Japanese CD, the PHAT house hit, "Family" co-produced with Khison. The Club Blackbox anthem, "Naeem's Theme...Blacker at the Blackbox" co-produced with rapper, Johnny Dangerous, a track with a haunting appeal became Naeem’s signature tune.
KF – So we are going to see another “Naeem” production very soon?
NJ- Very soon…it’s going to keep coming after that…it should be pretty cool…actually it’s a little instrumental joint right now…but who knows it may turn into a vocal…who knows?…I also have some plans for some vocal things…so trying to stay busy…
KF-What are you playing now? What songs are you working now?
NJ-I’m loving the Donnie - “Cloud 9” remixes…I love the Carlos Sanchez Project feat Lorenzo Taylor “Spirit Of The Dance”, I love the Duron Tarik and Tyrone Francis’ production…it’s called “Do Right”…my little brother Jihad Muhammad has a really nice record coming out called “The Movement Blues”…always the Blaze stuff…Josh Milan and Kevin Hedge…guys I grew up with from childhood…to name a few…
KF-Are you pushing any YO material?
NJ – Of course, of course…all of YO stuff…if I can get some records…if I can get some music (ha ha ha!)….I always go out and support…I tell the DJ’s…I don’t care who you know or who may give you music and stuff…you may know the producer…you may know some the label people…but go out and buy the product…that’s the only way you are going to keep that company alive…and you’re going to keep this thing going with your support…if you’re not supporting monetarily…you’re not supporting…
THANKS
DJ HUTCH
THE JERSEYDJS.COM TEAM