By Daryl Lim
Local heads know him as a true and blue old school DJ that knows his way around vinyl, but still adaptable to new school technology. Supreme Fist has been around for awhile now, but it was fairly recently that his name has definitely popped up everywhere. From local underground gigs, to the Red Bull 3Style competition, Supreme Fist has shown that he definitely knows his way around the 1s and 2s.
MNL Online got to talk to the man about DJing and some other stuff you wouldn’t think of when a guy with that heavy of a name can come up with.
Why the name Supreme Fist?
Supreme Fist was actually the name my old DJing crew used from 2001-2005. Priorities changed, but I continue to use the name to pay homage to my brothers, Dexter and Melvin.
When did you actually start learning to become a DJ?
This was back in the 90’s. My brother, who’s one of my biggest influences and got me started on DJing, brought home a Betamax tape of the 1990 DMC World Mixing Championships. Year after that, DJ MOD and Q-Bert joined. Ever since then, I fell in love with the wheels of steel.
What made you want to become a DJ?
I liked rap, but didn’t really know much about it when it started. Back in the day, it wasn’t easy to find performances, whether it was rapping, DJing, or B-Boys breakdancing. I dove into the culture and found something that kept me in it this long.
On the note of your influences, who can you say are the biggest ones? Who are your favorites?
Aside from my brother, DJ MOD is one. From the local pioneers, Paul Sabong, Rod DVS Torres, and Carlo Yalo are the names that pop up right now in my mind. Among my peers, it’s Q-Bert, Caliph8, Arbie Won. On the international side, there’s DJ Jazzy Jeff and DJ DJ . Scratch wise, my heroes are Q-Bert and DStyles. Party rocking, it’s gotta be Shortkut, but the real hero for me was really Francis M., even if he’s an MC.
What do you honestly think of the trend of DJs suddenly popping up out of nowhere nowadays?
Personally, I think it’s great that there are a lot of people wanting to learn the craft, but there’s also a part of me that really wishes they could dig a little deeper to really appreciate the culture and art of DJing. It’s now easier to do what you want because of technology, plus, everything is so much more accessible now, but I just wish that most new DJs would also learn how and where it really came from.
What are your 5 favorite albums of all time?
Man, that’s a tough one. I’d have to say Illmatic by Nas, Enter the Wu: 36 Chambers by Wu-Tang Clan, Phantazmagorea by DStyles, Wave Twisters by Q-Bert, and… wait. Can I name two more? [Laughs.]
But that would make it six albums…
C’mon. It’s Francis M. I love his Free Man and Happy Battle albums. Those are dope.
Well, it is Francis M, so we’ll give you a pass. What are your top 5 songs sure to rock a party?
“Shook Ones pt. 2” by Mobb Deep, “Sex Machine” by James Brown, “ABC” by The Jackson 5, Planet Rock by Afrika Bambataa & The Soul Sonic Force, and “Fight For Your Right (To Party)” by The Beastie Boys.
Lastly, we wanna ask you something that could betray how tough sounding your name is, but it’s pretty fitting for the weather. Top 5 landian songs?
[Laughs.] I gotta go with the classics. “Between the Sheets” by The Isley Brothers, “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye, “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green, “As” by Stevie Wonder, and Barry White’s “I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More”.
Catch DJ Supreme Fist at URBAN JAM this August 27th at Bridgetowne along C5. Tickets are available at Ticketnet and SM Outlets. URBAN JAM is presented to you by RandomMinds, with media partners MNL Online and Purveyr.
Photos courtesy of Brendan Goco | Black Market | Winnie Photography
