DJ Jaffa

DJ Jaffa started DJing in 1985. Since then, he has played every major festival in the UK. Internationally, he has played in Germany, Spain, Belgium, Hong Kong, Italy and mainland China. He has played alongside and supported artists such as, Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Grandwizard Theodore, Cash Money, Snoop Dogg, The Jungle Brothers, Kool Keith, Masta Ace, Biz Markie, Ugly Duckling, Blade, Blak Twang, Public Enemy, A Skills, DJ Yoda, Ghostface Killah and the list goes on and on. 2015 marked his 30th year as a DJ, and in December 2015 he won the best DJ award at the Cardiff Music Awards. Currently, he has a bi-weekly radio show on Raptz Radio, broadcast out of Paris on www.raptz.com, playing underground Hip Hop.

Tell us a bit about yourself, including your heritage. Are any of your family members a part of the Windrush gen?

My grandfather was a Black American GI who was stationed in Wales and my grandmother was a mixed-race woman whose father was from St. Kitts.

When did your DJ journey begin?

I started DJing in 1985, when I was given the chance to DJ at my local Youth Club. But, I finally got my own setup and started to take it seriously in 1986. I was a B Boy and used to hang around in Bristol with a crew called Bush Ploy, one of the members, a guy called Dennis Murray who went on to be DJ Easygroove, was the first person I saw cutting up two copies of the same record right in front of me. From that moment that’s all I wanted to do.

As we celebrate 50 years of Hip Hop, what have been the highlights?

I’ve had so many over the years, but a few that stand out are, getting signed to Jive Records alongside Eric Martin as the group, Just the Duce. DJ in Beijing and Hong Kong. Doing production work in New York and definitely all the artists I’ve supported live over the years, from Snoop Dogg to Wu Tang and everyone in between.

Who were your favourites back in the day?

So many amazing artists, but to be honest, I’ve always gravitated more to individual records more than be a diehard fan of an artist. My favourite Hip Hop record of all time is Eric B is President by Eric B & Rakim.

How do you think Hip Hop culture changed the world?

Look around, Hip Hop’s influence can be seen everywhere, from the way every type of music is produced, to fashion, art, even the way film soundtracks are compiled. It has all been influenced by Hip Hop in one way or another. Even the band, Oasis, when they were in between drummers they sampled a drum loop on one of their records. Now, if that ain’t straight out of the Hip Hop play book I don’t know what is.

What can we learn from Hip Hop?

The ‘tag line’ for Hip Hop has always been peace, unity, love and having fun, but I would also add community and activism. Because when the Hip Hop community comes together, we are a force to be reckoned with.

Do you think that Hip Hop culture will still be celebrated in the next 50 years, if so, why? Some people didn’t think Hip Hop would be around past the 1980s, so for it to still be around and bigger than ever in 2023, I would say it’s here to stay. Black and Brown people have always been associated with the music and sports industry, but some have used that influence for good and created businesses and philanthropy.

What do you think some of the common misconceptions are around Hip Hop?

I’ve heard people say it promotes violence, Some would say its lyrics are full of misogyny. Granted a lot of the artists who are like that, are like it because the major labels and mainstream radio tell them that is what sells. If there are 100 artists who may be seen as ‘promoting violence’, there are thousands more whose message is positive, but will never get a chance at ‘mainstream success’, because of the CEOs of the companies dictate the market. That’s where the misconceptions come in, because of the visibility the mainstream gives certain artists people think that is all Hip Hop is about. The music in all its forms is just one element of a bigger culture.

What do the next 10 years of your career look like, in terms of music?

What do you hope to achieve? More DJing, in clubs and for artists. I started producing again about nine months ago, so hopefully a few projects coming out. Also, working alongside Dionne Bennett at Tan Cerdd to help promote more Welsh Black artists and artists making music of Black origin in Wales. DJ Jaffa is passionate about seeing young people reach their dreams, as a father of a newly qualified teacher, Jaffa has always believed education is important and would like to pass on his DJ knowledge and lived experiences.

DJ Jaffa is available to visit schools and give back to young people. Interested in working with him? For bookings email- djjaffa2@gmail.com, www.mixcloud.com/djjaffa for DJ Jaffa mixes Facebook: DJ Jaffa, Twitter/IG @djjaffa.