Despite the fact he's anxious to hunt down a new game for his just acquired Playstation 2 system when we meet up, DJ Serious's primary passion is undoubtedly records. Our discussion ranges from the minimalist depth of producer du jour Jay Dee to the pioneering eclecticism of the "Master of Records" Afrika Bambaataa, to his own current fixation for "underground disco." DJ Serious's own sets are known for unearthing obscure funk, soul and hip-hop jewels and basically anything else that whets his palette, providing high levels of edutainment, yet Serious himself resists taking on the role of a know-it-all DJ.
"Education is a fine line because there's a point where you cannot be preachy and you cannot be egotistical about it. You can't just say hip-hop is about this, it's not that.' We just have to show where the roots lie and where the lineage is." A listen to Serious's Dim Sum album confirms this unobtrusive attitude. He takes an unassuming role fashioning beats to the strengths of the various Toronto MCs who step to the mic. Whether it's a light jazzy track to accompany the cartoon violence of D-Sisive's pop-star assassinations ("Popped") or a dirty blues riff to match Nish Rawks's gruff persona on the latest single "The Enlightening," Serious proves his versatility adapting to mood and lyrical content.
While Dim Sum awaits a U.S. release, via the distribution of Fat Beats, D-Sisive & Nish Rawks will join Serious on a cross-Canada tour in May along with b-boy crew Bag of Trix to take his successful DJ Serious Revue on the road. He'll be looking to hit some record spots on his travels, but like any crate-digger worth his salt who is liable to buy anything regardless of genre, Serious is cagey about his strategies and locations when it comes to thumbing through the racks. After all, he rightfully believes it's up to individuals to determine what's dope for themselves. With a tongue in cheek, feigning the demeanour of his DJ moniker, he does however offer up one cryptic hint. "I strictly go to the S section, man," he says straight-faced. " When I go to a record store I go to the rock section and look specifically under S. That's where all the hot joints are."
"Education is a fine line because there's a point where you cannot be preachy and you cannot be egotistical about it. You can't just say hip-hop is about this, it's not that.' We just have to show where the roots lie and where the lineage is." A listen to Serious's Dim Sum album confirms this unobtrusive attitude. He takes an unassuming role fashioning beats to the strengths of the various Toronto MCs who step to the mic. Whether it's a light jazzy track to accompany the cartoon violence of D-Sisive's pop-star assassinations ("Popped") or a dirty blues riff to match Nish Rawks's gruff persona on the latest single "The Enlightening," Serious proves his versatility adapting to mood and lyrical content.
While Dim Sum awaits a U.S. release, via the distribution of Fat Beats, D-Sisive & Nish Rawks will join Serious on a cross-Canada tour in May along with b-boy crew Bag of Trix to take his successful DJ Serious Revue on the road. He'll be looking to hit some record spots on his travels, but like any crate-digger worth his salt who is liable to buy anything regardless of genre, Serious is cagey about his strategies and locations when it comes to thumbing through the racks. After all, he rightfully believes it's up to individuals to determine what's dope for themselves. With a tongue in cheek, feigning the demeanour of his DJ moniker, he does however offer up one cryptic hint. "I strictly go to the S section, man," he says straight-faced. " When I go to a record store I go to the rock section and look specifically under S. That's where all the hot joints are."
