Sizzahandz was born and raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn. He enjoyed listening to music and break dancing in the early years of his life and always knew that music would be in his future. He got his first set of DJ equipment at the age of 13 and started practicing daily.
In 1990, Siz started playing hip hop, house and classics in a local nightclub in Brooklyn called Le Parc Nightclub (a.k.a. The Bamboo Lounge as seen in the movie “Goodfellas”). He then went on to do various small clubs and bars throughout Brooklyn and Staten Island. In 1993 he met DJ Charlie Casanova who was the resident main floor DJ at NYC’s Palladium nightclub. Casanova appreciated his taste for music, and eventually allowed him to play opening sets from time to time until Casanova left the Palladium. It’s fair to say that Casanova gave Sizzahandz his first chance to play in a major venue. Since then, Sizzahandz has played music in many venues around the world for all types of crowds.
In 1994 Sizzahandz began producing underground hip hop as a pastime and linked up with longtime friend, and DJ icon to many already, DJ Riz. They began to produce action-packed sample/party records under the alias “Crooklyn Clan”, and released a single on Nervous records called “The Brooklyn Slumlords meet The Crooklyn Clan”. From there, the Clan moved on to AV8 records and released their second EP entitled “Coffee Breakz”, which included the popular club anthem “Is New York In The House”. Two cuts featured on Coffee Breaks went on to get licensed many times across the world, as well as being used by the NY Knicks. The release of Coffee Breakz is what put the Crooklyn Clan on the map and into high gear. The Clan is responsible for many top club party tracks.
As a producer, Sizzahandz has done music for, and with; Armand Van Helden (Sampleslaya LP), Funkmaster Flex (cuts on 3 major label albums), Sean Paul (The remix of “Get Busy” feat. Fatman Scoop), Stik E & The Hoods (Niggaz in tha front where you at say WHAT!), Eyvette Michelle (reggae remixes of “Dj Keep Playing” and “I’m Not Feeling You”), DJ Kool (various songs with Kool including the remix of “It Takes Two” with Fatman Scoop), Evidence (Epic UK) DJ Ace, and many more.. He also produced 2 tracks for the movie “Save The Last Dance” released in 2001. The Crooklyn Clan has over 65 releases to date.
Today, Sizzahandz can be heard on KTU every Saturday night from 9 to 10pm. He is in the studio producing album material with DJ Riz for Fatman Scoop, as well as new solo projects and such. He is playing in various nightclubs throughout NYC and abroad.
DJ Aero
DJ Aero a west coast phenomenon. With a vast knowledge of music. DJ Aero plays in many L.A. hot spots. He currently resides in California, consistently touring the west and east coast. DJ Aero isTommy Lee’s Official DJ. He travels with tommy and performs at tommy’s events. You can see further deatails atwww.djaero.com
DJ AVA
DJ AVA BEEN DJING IN CLUBS FOR OVER A DECADE. CLUBS SUCH AS ( EXPO, METRO 700, SPRATS, EXIT, METROPOLIS, INDUSTRIES, ROCKWELLS, THE DRINK, KARMA, DNA, LUXE, OZ, VIRGO 64, LEGACY, GAZEBO, NIGHTFLIGHT, BRIDGEVIEW, BLU (POSH), PEARL, MIRAGE, ICE, ZACURYS, SAVANNAHS, HUNKA BUNKA, 9 1/2, HUSH, SPY, QUO, LIME LIGHT, CHINA CLUB, 151, THE HAMPTONS, JET EAST,CABANA, AMBER UILTRA LOUNGE, SEVEN, ALANTIC CITY, THE MIXX (BORGATA), LAS VEGAS, OPM, NEW HAMPSHIRE, PLUM CRAZY ) AND SO MUCH MORE OTHER PLACES. THE MUSIC DJ AVA SPINS IS HIP HOP, REGGAE, REGGAETON, CLASSICS, ROCK, AND HOUSE MUSIC. DJ AVA HAS DJED AND HOST COMMERCIAL RADIO. THE SHOW CALLED "THE RETRO BEAT'' ON WLIR 92.7FM AND 105.3FM. DOING CRAZY OLDSCHOOL MIXES. DID OVER 50 MIXES ON THAT SHOW. DJ AVA HAS ALSO MADE SOME RECORDS. YOU COULD CHECK OUT SOME OF DJ AVA'S MUSIC AT ( WWW.CROOKLYNCLAN.NET ) IN THE CROOKLYNCLAN ALL STARS SECTION. YOU CAN ALSO REACH HIM ON MY SPACE ( http://www.myspace.com/djava1 )
DJ DIM
DiMiTri NYC A long time ago... Someone once said, that "where the words leave off, the music begins". The individuals who cut off those words at the door of the nightclub, are the same ones that provide the vibe that you experience on the dance floor. These souls are called DJ's or Disc Jockeys. Some DJ's are naturally born with the magic to bring the beats to life and silence the words...Dimitri is a fresh, pure example of this!
Dimitri, or "Dim" for short, was born in Queens, NY and grew up on Long Island. Through the foundation of a Greek-American upbringing, he developed an eclectic feel for all types of music. The musical influence started early in elementary school where he took guitar lessons and with the help of his peers, formed a rock band. By 1990 the realization came forth, that the drive and desire for music was key to the future of his life. He brought further influence to that equation by expanding his horizons into the dance music world. Too young to be admitted into a club, Dimitri would listen to the "Saturday Night Dance Party" on the popular New York radio station HOT 97 FM. During that era, DJ Glenn Friscia would fuse together the hottest dance and house tracks on the radio, broadcasting live from a variety of nightclubs all over the Tri-State Area. Dimitri became eager to create his own music and strive not for the dream of being a famous DJ, but to let the world realize that it's all about the music, Dimitri began working the beats. With the turntables he received from his Brother-in-Law, DJ Spiro, Dim began practicing the art of mixing. With lots of practice he established the skill of creating and piecing together beats.
At the young age of fourteen, this aspiring DJ made his debut appearance at a popular nightclub in Queens, NY. After developing a following for the music that he played, Dimitri brought his distinct vibe back to Long Island. He enriched his taste for music, from dance floor classics, to the underground sounds of today. Set in motion, his career began to take off and so did the club scene. Dimitri made guest appearances and performed at renowned nightclubs and parties from New York City to the Hamptons. Some of these famous venues include Crobar, Gypsy Tea, Tunnel, Cheetah, Avalon, Exit, Roxy, SOL, Providence, Neptunes Beach Club, Amber Ultra Lounge, Cabana, and many more. In his travels, Dimitri has brought his unique sound to various nightspots in the US, South Beach, Miami and the fabulous Las Vegas Strip. Today, he holds residencies at two of the hottest nightclubs on Long Island, Posh Ultralounge, in the Garden City Hotel and the premier waterfront property, Bridgeview Yacht Club. Aside from spinning on the wheels of steel in the club scene, he shared this technique on the FM airwaves where his attention was first drawn. From 2001 to 2004, Dimitri was involved as a mix show DJ, Radio Personality, and Music Director of the once nationally syndicated Master Web Radio Network. The show broadcast on three New York Radio Stations and Regional Dance Markets throughout the USA. Today, Dimitri still rocks the airwaves and throws down the beats on the NY Dance Music Station "Party 105" and guest stars on "newyorkcityunderground.com".
Musical inspiration comes in all forms from the baselines, to break beats, to turntable styles. Some of Dimitri's influences include Todd Terry, Glenn Friscia, Erick Morillo, Danny Tenaglia, Johnny Vicious, Latin Rascals,C & C Music Factory, DJ Spiro, Guns and Roses, and Quincy Jones. As a huge advocate and fan of dance music, Dimitri strives everyday to live his dream. This desire to create and carry the dance music era that began so long ago, is evident in him now more then ever. Silence the words and pump up the music, Dimitri has dropped the beat and has yet to remove the needle from the record!
DJ JASON OJEDA
DJ Jason Ojeda
It should come as no surprise that Jason Ojeda has emerged as one to watch among the next crop of young DJs vying for the coveted status of International DJ. Known today for his hard house beats and smooth soulful grooves, Jason grew up in a household where DJing literally was the family business. He was spinning records for his uncles mobile DJ company on Long Island, NY at nine years old. I mostly did weddings and sweet sixteens back then, Jason explains. My mom would drop me off and pick me up at the end of the night. Jason landed his first local club gig and residency at 15. I was running the party before I was even legal to drive, he laughs. After that, Jason bounced around local house music clubs on Long Island before being offered a residency at CPI, a Hamptons night spot regularly frequented by partying summer weekenders from New York City. The exposure from CPI led to gigs at top New York City venues including Sound Factory, Limelight, Life, Roxy, Roseland and the prized residency: opening for Junior Vasquezs Saturday night Earth party at Exit. Im excited about where I am now, says Jason who defines his sound behind the booth as tribal, funky, vocal and very soulful. Ive been wanting to break into the global scene for a long time and Remixing has been my key. Now I have my sights on the world. I want to break out of NY so bad. Thanks to Erick Morillo of Subliminal Records he gave me my biggest shot in the summer of 2005 at his weekly party "Subliminal Sessions" held at Pacha, Ibiza. Three of Jasons remixes have charted on Billboards Top Twenty including Abigails You Set Me Free (Groovilicious Records)and Cher A Song For The Lonely which both hit ..1 I actually owe my start in production to Robin S. She heard me spin one night and asked me to remix her new records, All that Ive Got and 24 Hour Love. I accepted without hesitation, even though I didnt have a clue about producing or working in a studio! I figured I couldnt let a golden opportunity pass me by. Luckily, Jason had some notable and experienced friends willing to help him out. - continued - DJ Razor hooked me up with DJ Guido who back then was producing country music out of a shack behind a house on Long Island, Jason laughs. Together, Guido and I remixed Robin S. songs and turned them into immediate club hits. Our remix of "All That I've Got" ended up being featured on the soundtrack for the movie Space Jam. Soon after, Guido joined Razor to form the superstar DJ/production duo of Razor & Guido. Jason aligned with DJ Motomo 315 to form the production company, MindTrap. Under MindTrap, they produced a plethora of dance party remix staples including Inaya Day and Chino Ros "Movin Up" (Nervous Records) and Kim English "Missing You" (Nervous Records). After Mind Traps recent split, Jason Ojeda has found success on his own with dance floor hits "Hope Have I" by Sphinx and "Crying At The Discoteque" by Alcazar the latter of which appears on the Queer As Folk Soundtrack (RCA Victor). The biggest misperception about me is that because Im a Long Island DJ, I can party with the best of them. When youre on my dance floor, you can be pretty damn sure that Ill work your body up to a frenzy and get you tweakin' in ways you never imagined
DJ MIMIC
Born in a small town of mostly summer houses on the East end of Long Island, Mimic developed a love for music throughout his childhood. After graduating High School, He spent his Saturday nights at house parties, thrown by his summer neighbors from Queens who exposed him to: Das Fx, House of Pain, Cypress Hill and other Hip-hop artists. After getting sick of hearing the same few songs at every party, Mimic bought his first dj set up and every hip-hop record he could find. With no skill at all, he played every Saturday party for his friends and slowly acquired the art of Djing.
Wanting to expand his knowledge of music and refine his Djing techniques , Mimic took a job with a wedding entertainment company and absorbed everything they could teach him. Djing weddings every weekend, his skills of reading a crowd and blending music of all types increased greatly. A few years later, he landed his first nightclub job at the famous Savoy nightclub in the Huntington Hilton. Playing the Sunday night industry party until the Savoy finally closed in July of 1994, he discovered a deeper hidden love for Djing.
Shortly after, Mimic took a residency at Heffrons nightclub in Hauppauge where he was approached by Sky Walker from WDRE Party 105.3, “a conceptual all dance radio station” and was offered an in studio live show called “The Saturday Night House Party”. With exposure from the radio, Mimic began to land gigs all over Suffolk County, The Hamptons and eventually Manhattan with a residency at a small lounge called Nativa. His other residencies include: Eden NYC, Neptune Sundays, Resort East Hampton, Amber Hampton Bays, Ice, Bianco, The Crazy Donkey, Glass Ultra Lounge and Savannah.
Mimic’s overall style is extremely diverse given the crowd and location. He can equally rock a party with Hip-hop or house and is known for infusing rock and 80’s into his mixes. His love and passion for music is expressed with every set and he captivates audiences from the first record to the last.
DJ RIZ
Joseph Rizzo a.k.a. "DJ Riz" was born and raised in Brooklyn. His father bought him his first turntable at the age of 14. The other turntable came from summer job money that he had saved. Riz's parents thought this was just a hobby for him. They were used to watching their son excel as a "3 sport athlete." He started playing organized sports at the age of 8. In High School, Riz played Baseball, Basketball & Football. He was a "1st Team All-City Football Player" who later went on to star at Hofstra University. While his athletic talent was evident, his love for DJing & Music was rapidly growing.
It was in college when Riz first started doing radio. He DJ’d on the famous- 5" Hip Hop show at Hofstra with Jeff Foss. Furthermore, he did "The Hip Hop Spot" with Wildman Steve at Adelphi University. These 2 stations were instrumental in the late 80's & early 90's for numerous talents in Hip-Hop (Ed Lover, Dr. Dre, Public Enemy, De La Soul, Leaders Of The New School etc...) In 1995, Riz brought his DJing talents to WNYU Radio, Where he teamed with Mayhem and DJ Eclipse on a show called "N.Y. Live" & "The Halftime Show" in which they won "Best College Hip Hop Radio Show" at the Gavin Seminar in 1995 & 1997.
DJ THEO
"NEW YORK -- DJ THEO (Theo Pisani) is the man with his finger steadily on the pulse of dance music honed from years working the airwaves on New York's legendary WLIR and Party 105.3FM radio stations, and he is uniquely equipped to tap into New York's dance music scene. With a listening audience throughout New York, Long Island and Connecticut (Theo's "home turf") as a radio programmer, on-air personality and nightclub DJ/owner, DJ THEO is intimately connected with the music played in 'underground' super-clubs, and his NYC MIXX (UBL Music) release captures that very essence." _ EMILY TAN, DJ TIMES MAGAZINE
DJ VIC LATINO
In a few short years radio superstar VIC LATINO has achieved what very few other radio personalities ever accomplish, first he reached #1 status in the toughest and most lucrative market in radio (New York), he also appears regularly on network TV (ABC,NBC,FOX)and landed a appearance on the very popular ELLEN SHOW. In 2007 VIC LATINO has no plans of slowing down, his 7th CD hits stores January 16, he debuts a new radio show on XM Radio, he's the celebrity DJ for the Armani Exchange chain of stores, he's the celebrity spokesperson for the LATINO Royalty clothing line and recently partnered with the acclaimed MATTEO's restaurant in New York.
Ever since leaving his # 1 rated show on Party 95.3 in Orlando to join at the time the # 1 Dance music station in the country (103.5 WKTU) in 2001 , Vic’s reputation as a radio powerhouse has grown rapidly. During his very successful 5 year stint on KTU ,his daily prime time radio show reached # 1 status in the toughest market to win in New York (Men between 25 – 54 years of age).
Beginning in January 2007 Vic Latino joins the XM Radio Family which includes Oprah, Bob Costas, Troy Aikeman and many more. Vic will bring the same energy and infectious personality that caught the attention of the ELLEN show to his new national show XM radio which will feature some of the hottest music new music heard in the biggest clubs across the country.
Along with his very successful career in radio, Vic has also become a very successful club DJ / Producer. Known within the music industry as the man with the golden ear to pick a hit, ( a distinction NY Newsday also gave him when he graced the cover of their Impulse@Night entertainment section ), Record executives kept approaching Vic about releasing a series of CD’s with a collection of the hottest songs he predicted to be future club hits. To date he has released 6 very successful Dance/Electronica CD’s, all of which have either been #1 or in the Top 5 on the BILLBOARD Dance/Electronica Charts. His latest VIC LATINO Presents “THRIVE MIX 3†( in stores January 16) is his biggest collection to date offering the nation exclusive mixes & songs from some of the biggest names in music including Madonna???????????????????
Vic’s popularity and good looks recently landed him on the Emmy Award winning ELLEN show where he deejayed for the entire show and did the opening monologue with Ellen Degeneres.He also appeared twice on one of A & E's highest rated shows, “Growing Up GOTTIâ€, where Vic played matchmaker for the Gotti Boys giving them dating advice. Vic is all ready to make the smooth transition from radio to TV like his predecessors Carson Daily & Ryan Seacreast, who both hosted very popular local radio shows before getting TV shows. Vic has already become a regular fixture on all the networks having appeared on various morning and news shows on ABC, NBC & FOX doing everything from hosting, to commentary on breaking entertainment stories, concert events, the hottest CD’s & the National Puerto Rican Parade.
Ever since the ELLEN show episode aired offers for Vic to host or star in a show of his own have been knocking at his door. They obviously see the marketability & cross over appeal Vic & his cool boy next-door looks and personality have to offer. Vic, says, “I would welcome the opportunity to host a reality show or to do an edgier version of the Rosie O’Donnell show that would appeal to the very young and the older but young at heart audienceâ€. He admits to proceeding with caution when it comes to his next step towards TV stardom. After completing a pilot and filming several episodes for an updated version of the classic TV show “Dance Hits USAâ€, the production company financing the project went bankrupt, shelving the much anticipated project. This time he says, “I want to do my first show with a network or well established & successful production company that will support me and my input and show ideasâ€.
We can rest assured that we will see Vic Latino & his baby blues on television screens across the country in the very near future as his star continues to rise. Until then we have to all stay tuned
