WHO Two turntables aren’t always enough for San Francisco–based DJ Greg J. Known worldwide for deftly scratching with hip-hop, rock and dance records, the Funky Cactus Recordings founder will take on four turntables to deliver one of his hyper mash-up sets. A favourite of breakbeat stars The Bassbin Twins, Greg J has played events with Run DMC, De La Soul, Bad Boy Bill, Afrika Bambaataa, Mixmaster Mike, DJ Rap and others. He first got his start at a rave in 1995, playing the opening slot and “train-wrecked every single mix but one.” The now in-demand DJ went on to play the biggest and most forward-thinking festival-like events in the area at the time, and attributes many great memories to them — such as being on stage with the Sugarhill Gang, waving his hands in the air. When he’s not playing every major San Fran club — including Whisper, Suite 181, Ruby Skye, Butter and Icon Ultra Lounge — Greg J is guest DJing on Wild 94.9 (“The Bay Area’s Party Station”), pumping out remixes for Crooklyn Clan or watching his latest mix CD, Jet Set, rise in the iTunes sales ranks. With Greg’s forthcoming remixes of DJ Shadow and another mix titled The Mash Up Vol. 2 lined up, it’s no wonder mixing at lightning speed on multiple turntables comes so easy to him.

WHAT Hip-hop, rock, funk, soul, house, drum ‘n’ bass, breakbeat and mid-tempo. “I come prepared to play just about anything,” says Greg J. “And what I play depends on reading the crowd and trying to figure out what songs will make the largest number of people lose it. Everything inspires me, and that carries over to music. I get amazed by acorns, or looking closely at the skin cells on the back of my hand. Even music I don’t like inspires me in a way, to not do or play what I’m hearing.”

WHERE Feb. 23. Make It Funky with Mat the Alien and King Sunshine at Revival (783 College).

FAVOURITE RECORD OF ALL TIME Incredible Bongo Band, “Apache.”

FAVOURITE RECORD RIGHT NOW Dude ‘N Nem, “Watch My Feet.”

FAVOURITE WEBSITE RIGHT NOW AND WHY “www.unrulyonline.com, because I was able to find Baltimore club classics there that I used to hear when I lived in Baltimore back in 1994.”

WHAT IS VITAL TO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE? “Food, clothing, shelter, music and turntables.”

WHAT GLOBAL ISSUE CONCERNS YOU MOST RIGHT NOW? “Violence. What appalls me the most is that the world is so desensitized that violence on most levels is overlooked and not even newsworthy.”

WHAT IS YOUR RING TONE RIGHT NOW? DJ Shadow, “Organ Donor.”

WHAT IS THE LAST GREAT FILM YOU SAW? “I thought The Pursuit of Happyness was pretty inspirational.”

WHAT ACTOR WOULD PLAY YOU IN A BIOPIC? “That’s an odd question. I’ve never thought about it before. I’m not the acting type. Brandon Lee, I guess.”

WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? “Jack Kerouac, On The Road, though I’ll admit that I’m not completely captivated by it. It’s toilet reading for me. I’ve read two books in between muscling my way through it, and am probably heading to the bookstore today to hopefully find something better that I can’t put down.”

Email us at: LETTERS@EYEWEEKLY.COM or send your questions to EYEWEEKLY.COM
625 Church St, 6th Floor, Toronto M4Y 2G1