Leeds Hip Hop Scene

We have an exclusive Interview for our Readers with DJ Tango who’s recently been made the tour DJ for Leeds Beatboxers Crew 82. 

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to chat, for our readers who don’t know you, could you please introduce yourself?

My Name is DJ Tango – I’m a Hip Hop and RnB DJ primarily based in Leeds.

How did you start DJing?

I started back in the day when I was 14. I actually started as a Garage DJ. Back then UK Garage was massive and I loved it, I couldn’t get enough of it – I was buying every CD there was to buy, taping pirate radio shows, trying to sneak in to raves despite being only 14. I wanted to become more involved with the music, spend more of my time on it and learn more about it and DJing seemed like a good option. So, I bought my first set of wack decks; belt drive, 2 channel mixer with no EQs and headphones that only worked if you held the wire at the right angle, and began to do some very bad mixing!

Eventually, Garage started to die down and people weren’t as keen to hear it anymore, and being so young I couldn’t afford to keep up with buying vinyl so I packed it in for about a year. Over that year I got really in to Hip Hop; not just the music but the lifestyle; the clothes, the cars, the swagger! I suppose it was a natural progression from what I had been in to before. I started DJing again but this time properly; 1210s, pioneer mixer and just practised hard in my bedroom. I did a couple of mix Cds which were put out around my yard and a couple of bookings started coming in from local promoters that had heard of me and knew that they could book an under-age DJ for £15!

Do you remember what your first vinyl was?

My very first record was Scrappy by Wookie… I remember it because it was a white label and it was the only vinyl I had for ages so it got played over and over again!!

You’ve worked with Tim Westwood on his Rap show in the past, what did you take from this?

Working with Tim is amazing for so many reasons. I was his warm-up DJ, co-presenter, head of promotion/street-team, in charge of all UK music and his right-hand man… that’s a lot of jobs!! The experience and knowledge that I gained is phenomenal, it couldnt be replicated anywhere else – it is the perfect place to see how things need to be done when your at the top. As the warm-up DJ I travelled the world and played at the BIGGEST venues around and saw how Tim could control and manipulate a crowd of thousands. As the co-presenter I was part of the biggest Hip Hop radio show in Europe, I got to see how a 3 time MOBO award winning show was produced and done every single week.

Working with Tim gave me an insight of what it is to be at the top of your game, how hard you have to work to get there, and how hard you have to work to stay there.

Who was the most famous person you got to meet?

I got to meet and spend time with just about everyone in the game. People have different opinions on how ‘famous’ a person is. But, the only person that I really felt starstruck by was Jay-Z. Jay has been my favourite rapper for years and he has accomplished more than anyone else in Hip Hop, in his words he is “a living legend”! It was incredible getting to spend time with him and interview him, it was a real insight to what it is to have success in the hip hop industry – he probably wasn’t the most famous person though… oh I met Mariah Carey and she said she liked my earrings, that was good to!!

You host the weekly Rap Show on LSR FM - how do you prepare for your show?

I’ve been doing the show for a long time now and I feel its at its peak – week in, week out we’re producing a heavy show of great quality and great output. I always keep adding new things to keep it fresh and what I do seems to work. Recently, we did some prank calls on some UK artists like Lethal B and Sway which were classic, we’ve had some big interviews and we play some big music – it’s a BIG show!

In terms of preparation for the show, I learnt everything I know now from Westwood and Radio 1 – I prepare in the same way we do there. The most important thing for me is the music – it has to come first. I make sure the playlist is sick and full of new bangers (and clean versions!). After that, if there is a live interview I need to the research on the artist, their backround – that stuff is normally sent to me by the label and I just read through it, it makes the questions easier later. I’ve got a producer that takes care of any pre-recorded interviews/prank calls/features. I often get sent promotional stuff to give away so we make up a competition for that. Apart from that though, there is nothing else, that’s how I prepare for the show. I never write anything down or prepare what I might say, for me that loses the spontaneity, and sounds rehearsed and unnatural – I freestyle straight from the top of the dome, it works form me and I’ve never had any complaints!

With so many artists wanting airplay, whats your process of filtering the music, and defining which tracks are good enough to feature on your show?

I get sent music every single day; I get it in the post, by e-mail, my space, whenever I play in the club I get handed CDs… there are a lot of artists with a lot of music out there. Nowadays with the technology available to people; cheap recording equipment and the internet, everyone is an artist. Everywhere I go I speak to another DJ, or producer or rapper – don’t get me wrong this is great, but what I don’t like is people slagging off the next man just because he’s playing up in a club and they aren’t. The game is big enough for loads of artists to do well out of it, but its hard work and it may never happen. Before people start to walk around saying “I’m a rapper” they need to realise this and ask themselves if they have the dedication and if they are prepared for the knock-backs. People get pissed if I don’t get back to them the same day with a review of their 60 minute mixtape, I listen to everything but it takes time and I will get back to you – and if your shit is banging I will play it!

In terms of the music I play on my show its simple, if its hot I’ll play it and if its not I wont. The signed music has to come first, partly because I represent Sony-BMG and their artists but also because I like breaking new records that are gonna be BIG – I like people saying I heard this first when DJ Tango dropped it on his show! I respect anyone trying to make it in this industry with all the competition that is out there, so if I hear some unsigned music and I like it, I’ll play it and do what I can for them – if I REALLY like it I start to put in some calls to some people who I think could help… it goes from there.

Who in the Hip Hop world are you really feeling? And what artists are inspiring you still on a day-to-day basis?

Hip Hop has changed a lot over the last few years; the ‘dirty south’ movement is massive now. Its no longer about East and West coast – its about the ‘Dirty, Dirty’! Some people don’t like it, some people love it… I love it. I think its important for people to embrace change and like something because they like it and not hate on it because its different. Who am I feeling? – I’m pleased that Jay and Nas have dropped more albums; they are two legends and have both produced quality albums. Timbaland has always been one of my favourite producers and I’m pleased that he’s having the unbelievable success that he is experiencing right now. I’m patiently waiting for the Detox album from Dre – if it happens I think it could change Hip Hop as it is now… but we’ll see if it happens!

Inspiration is a funny word for a DJ, every now and then I hear a new record that makes me smile and go crazy and say “this is why I do what I do”, I love that, it makes me pleased that I’m involved in the industry. But in terms of inspiration, I don’t think I need any – I want to be successful and make something of this so badly that I don’t think I need inspiration; I have my aims and I have my goals and that’s enough to make me work hard achieve them.

What are your plans for this year?

This year, the saga continues… I’m really excited about it – there is A LOT happening!! Firstly, I DJ for Crew 82 (the UKs No1 Beatboxing Collective) and we have some BIG things ahead of us – it involves TV and Simon Cowell, I won’t say anymore but keep your eyes open for Crew 82, this is our year, and if you don’t already know about us check out www.myspace.com/crew 82 - we are SICK!

Recently, I’ve been having some conversations with P Diddy and the Bad Boy label about possibly sorting something out with them, but it is a long way off and I don’t want to get too excited about it now as sometimes these things can go wrong!!

Soon, I will be dropping my ‘eagerly awaited’, first national distribution, mixtape ‘Gods Favourite DJ’, so go buy that when its out – its certain to be a BANGER!

As ever, I will be touring the clubs and playing at some of the biggest nights around so keep checking www.djtango.co.uk to find out when and where I’m playing.

My radio show ‘The LSRfm.com Rap Show with DJ Tango’ continues – every Saturday from 6-8pm, you can listen online at www.lsrfm.com. I also have been signed by some new agents and we are in talks of moving to a big radio station, I’m not allowed to say which one but keep checking my website for details and make sure you tune in and support DJ Tango!!

Any shout outs?

Massive shout to Crew 82!… DJ B-Naughty… Sony-BMG/So-Urban Hit Squad… and all the promoters that keep booking me especially Taking Liberties and Roughhill, and anyone that is feelin what I’m doing and supporting- thankyou!!

Ed.

More Info:

www.djtango.co.uk

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