The third annual Global Spin Awards — an awards show that honors and recognizes the world's most dynamic and talented DJ's for their contribution to the culture of music and entertainment — takes place tomorrow (Nov. 18) at New World Stages in New York. Ahead of the ceremony, Music Times spoke with DJ Premier, who won this year's Legendary DJ Award, Funkmaster Flex, who won the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Kid Capri, who took home the Lifetime Achievement award in 2013. They spoke with us about their legacies, the state of DJ culture, and more. Stream the awards show live tomorrow via Revolt.TV.
Music Times: Now that you've been honored by the Global Spin Awards for your lifetime work as DJs, what do you think your legacies will be?
Funkmaster Flex: I love DJing. I love music. I love the tech space. I love those things, and I keep doing it because I still love it.
Kid Capri: I think I've worked hard. I've done good. I've opened doors for the DJs to do what they're doing now. I started out early on, so I was able to get a lot of accolades before the DJ thing got real big, and I contributed to that. I made the biggest mixtapes, my performance level was incredible. I had two hit TV shows where we exposed DJs. I have no complaints. When anybody look back at Kid Capri, I want them to say he did real good and he was a gentleman at it and he was professional.
DJ Premier: I still just can't believe I'm being honored. I mean I'm just thinking about other DJs that came before me that definitely deserve recognition before I do — well not before I do because I put my work in — but there are so many other DJs I look up to that don't get recognized and people like me recognize them because without them I wouldn't have done what I chose to do as a DJ/Producer, a recording artist and an entrepreneur. But I'm definitely honored because of the fact that they're focused on giving me that type of attention and it let's me know that what I'm doing is the right thing.
Music Times: With EDM putting DJ/Producers in the forefront again as artists, do you see a change in how DJs across genres are perceived? Are DJs in the hip-hop realm starting to get more attention?
Kid Capri: It never really left from us [hip-hop DJs]. It's just that EDM is another section of DJing. I don't think EDM is hard music to play. That's no disrespect to anybody else, but I don't think EDM DJs could come over to what we do, and I do think we could possibly do what they do. It's no disrespect, but it's really a difference in the style of DJing.
Funkmaster Flex: I think the EDM scene is amazing. I think it's great for the DJ being in the forefront. I think it's dope. I think DJs being in the forefront is coming back and going to continue.
Music Times: What is the role of the DJ today in breaking music?
DJ Premier: The role is to always break the records based on what you feel what people need to hear. That's the school I come from, and that's the reason I have a radio show every Friday night from 10 p.m. to midnight EST on Sirius XM satellite radio channel 44, which is Hip Hop Nation. It's called "Live From HeadQCourterz," and that show is strictly to break anything new that's hip-hop that I think sounds like the purest form, which is dope beats, dope rhymes. It doesn't matter if it feels popular to radio. It has to feel popular to me or has a sound that I think people need to hear because I'm a tastemaker, which is what we all are as DJs. Every DJ has different jobs in this culture. We all do it differently. Some people have to follow playlists, but me, I set the playlist. I'm glad I have that window and I make sure that I only do it that way.
Music Times: Where are you finding the best music these days?
DJ Premier: It gets sent to me. It's crazy. There's people that are like "I got your email from so-and-so. Check this out, I think you might like it. I listen to your show every week." So then I'll download and listen to what they send and I'm like "Wow, this is hot." And I'm excited to play it that Friday.
Music Times: How important is flexibility and having a taste for different types of music?
DJ Premier: When I'm out of town, I'll get DJs who make it seems exactly as if I'm there because they do it live. I don't like to pre-record. I can get DJ Scratch, I can get Kid Capri. I can get DJ Finesse, who does a lot of more EDM stuff and dance music, but as soon as he's doing my show he's playing straight underground, raw rap. You should be that flexible to DJ. If I have to do an EDM party, I can do it. If I have to do a rock party, I can do it. If have to do a party for weddings, where you have to have pop, rock, soul, new wave, dance, whatever, you got to be able to do it. Then you go right back to an underground show and playing straight gutter. There are certain DJs that are kind of dependent on one style. But a versatile DJ is what you are supposed to be if you want to be able to last in this game. You want to be able to do more than just one style because once that style starts to slow down, what are you going to do? Sit there and say "My life is over" or find something that can still keep you active as a DJ and get you work.
Music Times: What advice do you have for aspiring DJs?
Kid Capri: Do it because it's something that's really in your blood and you really want to do it not because you see somebody else do it and you grab a computer with a bunch of MP3s and be out. If you really have a talent and you really love it and you really want to work hard at it, do it, but don't do it just to jump on some sort of bandwagon.
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