Originally from Dirty Jerz & now residing in Brooklyn, this 4x DMC finalist keeps New York on its feet with his selections of hip hop, soul, dance classics and rare grooves. With 12 years of throwing down on the decks and spinning at some of the flyest joints in NYC, you won’t be disappointed catching him drop all the jams on wax at a party near you.

First of all thank you for your time, and how are you doing today?
I’m doing great, thank you. I’m very busy with managing Boundless NY (store & website www.boundlessny.com & King Stampede Clothing) and with music as well. I’m about to release a JERSEY mix with my close friend, DJ Mondee. Being a Jersey native I have been wanting to put out this mix.

How old were you when you first started DJ’ing? And what was your first record you span?
I starting DJing in ’97 and I was 17 years old. I was buying tons of records at Bobbito’s Foot Works and Fat Beats when all that great indie hip hop was still coming out. I was def playing a lot of that type of stuff and also some soul and disco records that my mom passed on down to me.

Who or what would you say got you interested in being a DJ?
Well first off, it was the indie hip hop music that got me buying the records. Most of that stuff only came out on records so I had to buy it. I used an old Technics record player from my grandfather’s attic. Two of my best friends had turntables and I started to learn how to mix and play records so right away I wanted to try it. Also, I have always loved music and never played an instrument and as soon as I saw the turntablist and battle DJ’s, I knew I wanted to be on stage performing. It was so much more than playing records. It really brought the life to the turntable and it was presented more as an instrument. So after that I never stopped.

How did you come up with the name DJ Teddy King? And is there any meaning behind the name?
Teddy King is my full name. When I first started DJing I didn’t have a DJ name so I just went with DJ Teddy. Then after the years went by of still not having a name I just added King and it’s just been DJ Teddy King ever since. I got my last name King from my grandfather. He is the late actor and comedian, Alan King. So that was another reason I wanted to be on stage and perform.

What is your favorite record? And why?
Wow, my favorite record might be Latee “Brainstorm” by 45 King. This is an ultra rare hip hop record from the early 90′s. Latee is a Jersey native down with the Tuff City crew. Mark, the 45 King, produced the record. It can be heard on my New Jersey Mix tape that’s about to drop.

What influences (not just music wise) helped to give you the confidence and dedication that you have now?
All of my friends, family, my DJ crew the Stone Kutters and my girlfriend, DJ ILL P. My girl really pushes me to be the best I can be and to always do the right thing. I am so lucky to have somebody like that. Also, all of my friends at Boundless/Stampede have really helped me and pushed me to be everything I can be, all those guys are definitely a big part of my life right now and I think of all of them as family.

What DJ would you like mostly to spin records with? And why?
It’s very hard to pick one but it might have to be Kenny Dope. I use to know him from back in the day when I worked at a really dope record store and website, 21st Century Music. Kenny is a huge record collector from Disco 12″s to Soul 45″s. He now resides in North Jersey so he was a regular customer. Also he has produced music for artists like Madonna and Michael Jackson. Kenny is a very well-rounded musician from doing mix tapes to party rocking and making music. That’s how I am, I love to be involved with all the different aspects of DJing, so that’s why I would want to rock with the Dope Brother, Kenny Dope Gonzalez.

What makes your style different than the next DJ?
My style is unique because I am very well-rounded. First off, I am a turntablist, club & party rocker, mix tape and radio DJ and started working with an up and coming artist, A’Natural. You can check out our new mix tape “What’s The Hype?” mixed by me. So besides all the different aspects of DJing I try to do, I am also a very big record collector. I worked in one of the best record stores on the east coast, 21st Century Music over in North Jersey. I learned so much about music, records and the business as well. My boss John Jabra aka Disco John was the first person to really start the disco 12″ phenomenon. So I guess I just take everything in from over the years and I do get inspiration from everybody and everything. That’s why my style is just different than other DJs. Just come and check me out in New York City one night playing everything from party classics to hip hop jams and rare funk and soul grooves. I am still developing my style and I will be until the end!

Where would be the perfect place for you to DJ? And why?
Well I’m not sure about that. I need to travel more and DJ other places. I mostly have been on the east coast my whole life. I want to go to Cali and the west coast and feel the vibe out there. I love the music from there, all the west coast funk is so good. I do plan on going to Thailand some time next year with my girlfriend. The nightlife scene is supposed to be crazy out there. I have been talking to DJ Meeh from the Bangkok Invaders crew. They are all flavor and kill it out there. So maybe in a few years I might have an answer for this question but I might have to say New York is the shit!

What are the most common mistakes that most new DJ’s make?
I think one mistake that new DJs make might be just trying to jump right into this. It’s all about feeling and having a passion for it and you should research the past and study your craft. The way things are now with Serato and all this new technology really upsets me. I have taken so much time, years, trying to find all of my records. Not just rare ones but party tracks as well. Now you can just go and download something or just take a whole library collection from somebody. That’s where your style comes from. DJing should not be easy. When I spin my vinyl out, I get weird looks from people, like “wow, he’s really spinning vinyl”. I would like to see some of these new DJs that have been popping up in the last 3 years to first off have all the songs that they’re playing on wax and even carry them all out to the clubs. The best advice I have ever gotten from somebody is Rob Swift, “all I have to say is just be yourself and have fun with it”. Thanks Rob!
Other than music, what other areas of creativity do you dabble in?
Music is everything to me but I also went to Culinary School so food is definitely one of them. And also skateboarding. I grew up skating in the prime years of skateboarding in NYC, I would say early to mid 90′s. It was amazing! When I skated, the board was like my paintbrush and the concrete jungle was where I did my art. I felt free on my board. I loved it so much! I was into photography for a little while as well and had some skate photos published. I work for Boundless NY and King Stampede Clothing so I def try to help and give some feedback to my KS family, who is working 24/7 on all our ideas for upcoming seasons. We always work by designing 1 year in advance.

Random: Musically, who is your guilty pleasure? (Be true.)
Maybe Weezer. I love them! They have an awesome sound. My younger brother is so into them as well. Maybe some classic Jazz and classic Rock too. Growing up in Jersey right by where they would film all the HBO Sopranos episodes, I loved all that stuff growing up as a kid. Even before that I was way into the Punk and Ska scene. I loved to go to shows at places that are now closed like The Wetlands, Tramps and Coney Island High.

Finally, is there anything you want to say to the readers?
Yes, you can stay in touch with me by facebook, twitter and myspace. Also on my blog TK Plays It Cool.

Here are the links:
http://www.facebook.com/djteddyking.
http://twitter.com/TeddyKing.
http://www.myspace.com/djteddyking.
http://djteddyking.posterous.com/.
Thanks for the support!.
TK

2 Min Set Video filmed by ILL P.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 10:00 am and is filed under Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.