Locally, when you hear the name DJ Spawn, it may not immediately ring a bell, unless you were a fan of the once trendy 876radio.com, where he worked as a radio personality. However, a quick trip across the pond to the United Kingdom will yield a different result. The Jamaican born disc jock has been ensnaring party-goers for years with his creative offerings, that has earned him the moniker ‘dance floor filler’ because of his ability to connect with diverse audiences despite their social standing or genre preferences. Musically, Spawn credits stalwarts such as Timbaland, Swiss Beatz, Dr Dre, Jus Blaze, Stephen McGregor, Salaam Remi, DJ Premier and Zaytoven as some of his main influencers, all of whom have helped to shape his current sound.
“I’m highly influenced by Hip Hop, RnB and the Dancehall genres all of which I grew up listening, hence these music styles are dear to my heart, however, I also like experimenting with other genres such as Soca, Afro Beats and Grime .” – DJ Spawn explained.
Now a staple on the English party scene, the London-based disc jock ascribed his early ascension to the pseudonym ‘XLR8’ which served as a promotional platform, hosting some of the most successful events on the social calendar across that metropolis.
Fast-forward a few years after much deliberation, DJ Spawn who has adopted Reading as his hometown after relocating from North London, decided to put his illustrious DJ career on hold, instead shifting focus to another facet of entertainment. According to the maestro, he will be concentrating all his efforts on music production with the recent launched of his own recording imprint ‘Spawneezy Records’.
Alluding to what sparked the change he disclosed it was just a need for growth,
“From school, I learnt how to play the drums and was also a member of a marching band. So, I fully understood the concept of rhythms. When I became a DJ and after playing in the mainstream clubs for years I wanted more.”
He continued, “I went and got some piano lessons and decided to teach myself how to make beats which fuelled my desire, even more, to get into production.”
Less than a year into his new venture, Spawneezy Records released its first project titled ‘Play No Games’ showcasing a myriad of hometown talents. The label has also worked with several Jamaican stalwarts including Capleton, Mr Lex, Voicemail, RDX, Chronic Law and Laden among others. As the summer unfolds plans are already afoot for the release for a collaborative single titled ‘WAVE’ featuring UK based talents Silqe, Sklem and Nadia.
