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dj rap looked up from signing my cd-single cover and beamed me a
warm 'thank-you' in a broad smile. "i'm happy already!"
she was effervescent, friendly, open. and i knew she was headed
for greatness.
dj rap had just finished spinning for an hour at rasputin records
in berkeley, a warm-up set for tonight's cyberfest 99 down in
san jose. her drum-n-bass selections were awesome.
you could hear her preferences through her mix:
tight clean loops, deep synth hits, clear samples.
she grooved
madly behind the turntables while she spun up on the second floor,
smiling openly, far more energetic and lively than über-serious male
counterparts like sasha and paul van dyk. she showed outwardly that
she loved the music, the groove. she loved the moment she was in.
and it just fed the crowd below that had gathered in the store, some dancing
in the aisles, some gazing up at her & watching her spin. it fit perfectly --
the high priestess up on a mountaintop, captivating the
attention of her supplicants down below.
as i waited in the line for autographs, i overheard a rasputin staffer
talking about how the turnout completely surprised them. it didn't
surprise me -- as soon as i first heard "bad girl" as an MP3 floating
across the Net, i knew she was going to be global. she even had the
multicultural background and vibe, sure to appeal to many senses and
sensibilities.
she glowed at the crowd, laughed joyously from the energy rising
up from her turntables.
during most of the tracks you could see her singing along with the vocals and samples. she
knew each track inside and out, cueing major changes in the air with her
hands or torso -- her classical background was showing. she was
almost conducting the equipment.
i had shown up there hoping to meet her and tell her what an
inspiration she was, to both males and females.
and yes, i was a little nervous -- her natural charisma, charm
and beauty discovered from now seeing her face-2-face was daunting.
she was already becoming a celebrity. but i didn't want my nervousness
to show -- i was intent on simply passing along to her how much she was
appreciated.
but when i stood at her table now after her set, shaking her hand
and smiling at her, she caught me off-guard when she offered
to share with me some of the
fruit she was eating. her earnestness and sincerity were endearing.
right then and there, without being aware of it,
she taught me the merits of being happy in the moment.
rap, when i said i wish you all the success you could ever hope
for: there is no expiration date on this offer.
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lesley's
Unofficial Home of DJ Rap
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interview with dj rap from the july 1998
mixmag
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dma online interview with dj rap
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sony's
dj rap - learning curve website
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sony/columbia's official
dj rap website
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kandikane's
humankind dj rap fan site
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stories from around the world
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divastation:
dj rap
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imusic showcase:
dj rap
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mtv
dj rap feature
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mtv news:
DJ Rap's "Trippy" Video Inspired By Action-Film Director
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back to the old skool:
interview with dj rap, nov 1992
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boston phoenix
interview w/ dj rap
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misc mixmag
interview with dj rap
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preamp review of
learning curve
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lyrics for
learning curve
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DJ Rap/Maxim chat, Fri. Jan 14, 2000
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Time goes from present to past. - Dogen Zenji
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