Dj Puma

2010-02-02T02:08:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've last posted and there has been a lot going on. I'm back in the lab working on beats, but more notably I've decided to start a monthly music clinic downtown Portland at a friends recording studio. I have a variety of reasons for doing this. I think first and for most there are several talented artists out there who lack direction on how to take their music career to the next level and beyond. So I've decided to share my knowledge and bring in guest speakers to a monthly open discussion about the music industry and what it takes to make it. It is open to amateurs and professionals alike and everyone has the opportunity to share, learn and build a foundation for the future.

I've found this to be the most important thing on my "to do" list, as everything else takes the back seat. I admit I don't have every answer, but I do have lots of knowledge and experience and think that opportunities will arise from this. I have been pretty successful over the years, and learned from mistakes made in the past. One thing I've noticed over the years is the lack of unity. There is plenty of fellowship, times to kick it with others in the industry, how every, everyone has their own vision of success and take their own route to get there. My vision is that since so many share the same goals, we can pool our resources together, produce and publish quality product and reach a wider audience with a collective effort. That was some what the idea of my National Uprising mixtape project. By getting several individuals involved, we were able to reach a wider fan base then just going our own individual routes and by the end of the first weeks release, over 2000 units were purchased nationwide and over 10,000 units have been distributed nationwide since.

I feel that it's just the tip of the iceberg and a large group of organized individuals can really put the Portland scene on the map permanently. Before we can reach out to a national audience, we need to rally the home town and get as much support as we can before we go for national appeal. That means building a solid foundation and fortifying the home base by creating a successful business model that can sustain us when we branch out. Traditionally this has been tough, but new technology has made it easier.

E-Mail me for more info on the March Music Clinic 2010. It is by invite only and seating is limited.

2009-12-13T14:13:00.000-08:00

Lil Syck Farewell Party Pics.

2009-12-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

Practice Session with DJ SMUVE & DJ PARADOX

DJ Paradox, DJ Smuve, DJ Puma JAM SESSION 11.30.09

♬♩ Northwest DJ Union ♪♫ | MySpace Video

So, last Monday night, headed over to Smuve's crib for a little session on the 1's and 2's. Several DJ's were invited, only Paradox and Charlie Blu came through. Not bad for the first week. Next week I'm gonna bring over my decks and hopefully we'll have some more DJ's. I had fun although it was my first time working with Virtual Vinyl and I was clueless to what beats were stored in it's library.

Just a thought, maybe DJ's can build a "crate" on a flash drive so they can show off their skills a little better with the records they know and love so much. It's cool to talk shop and trade ideas. It leads to inspiration and we all (including club goers) can benefit from this. I'm working on a 10 min quick mix that I'm hoping to show off the next time I'm there.

2009-11-17T16:32:00.000-08:00

T.K. N CASH - Newest Artists signed to DTP!

You already know they down with DJ PUMA, Check the video!

2009-11-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

Past event Flyers. More Coming soon, I Have some that date back to 1997.

WAX

CLUB WAX RELATED VIDEO:

Portland Police shut the club down [part 3]

DJ PUMA | MySpace Video

MUSIC FEST NW

TRUST

NILE

RELATED VIDEO:

DJ PUMA PROMO VIDEO

DJ PUMA | MySpace Video

BONE CONCERT

THE OHM

THE GAME AFTERPARTY

PRO-BOWL WEEKEND

HAWAII

2009-11-12T15:36:00.000-08:00

BREAKING NEWS! It's official! I'm On Hiatus.

It's time I go on an extended vacation, and in case you haven't noticed, I've been out of the pubic scene since late, last September. This is not the first and probably won't be the last time, but when I do come back I plan to do something very revolutionary. This doesn't mean I'm stepping away from my turntables, on the contrary, I will be getting some daily time to work on some new skills and play with some new gear in the studio.

The reason for the break is I was about to break myself. Being high in demand and having a full schedule can be very demanding and feel that I was losing my creativity, and know that it showed in recent projects and performance. I'm not saying I lost the skills to rock a party better than the majority of DJ's out there, I feel like I can push it to a new plateau..

I plan on doing some traveling during this time, gonna hit up the East Coast for sure, maybe check out Vegas and Cali, and would love to make it out to Spain and Rio. So if you see me out and about, don't be shy, I'm still the same, friendly guy as always.

2009-11-12T11:22:00.001-08:00

2010 is almost here, and I'm just now getting into the Blog Revolution.

So I've had this page since 2004, and haven't done a thing with it. I guess that's because in 2004 I had just a little idea of what a blog actually was, and the blogs I did find had very little appeal. 6 years later, I have a been trying to find a way to break out of the MySpace/Facebook shell. As an artist I dislike living within the confines of limitation. Don't get me wrong, social networking is cool, but I really feel that I haven't really had the opportunity to ideally present myself in an ideal environment. I am more intellectual than what MySpace permits, and Facebook is more of a family thing, keeping in touch with relatives.

Creating this Blog has been a challenge, getting the right look and flow, but in the end it will be all worth it as I get to post my latest personal news, jokes, knowledge and insight. Soon I will be linking to photo albums and my YouTube video page so you can read, listen, watch and comment everything DJ PUMA.

My only hope is that this helps bring out the best in people and we can get in to some interesting conversations along the way. So drop me a line to let me know how I'm doing.

Yours Truly,

DJ PUMA

2009-11-12T11:13:00.001-08:00

Pictures & Video From the Crown Room Jumpoff Oct 8th 2008 Featuring an ALL STAR CAST: Public Drunken Sex, Patron, E Wize, Rapture, C Malone, Beejan, Jizz Dimepiece Juicer, C Money, Dru Manchu, Flawless, Bad Habitat Lil Syck, Nefarious XO, Romulus, Nomad, Kable Roc, Tycoon Productions, Playboi, Jive, Yound D, Shauku of S.O.A., Chuck Cheezey, A Dub, Dj Fatboy, Vigilante Models, PC Platinum, Qweze, DOC, DJ PUMA, B-Boy NDN.

Yea, so you notice it says DJ Sneakers on the flyer too? Well, that's not my alias. He was originally on the bill and couldn't make it that night, I believe he had to work late. So at the very last min I was asked to throw down. I had planned on being in the house, but not behind the turntables. I got the offer at 9:30pm, and I was already downtown. Amazingly my gear at home was already packed up and ready to go, so I was back to the Crown Room, setup and playing by 10pm, minus one headphone adapter. Sneakers came through later and hooked me up with the adapter I needed, what a sport! The lineup was crazy, and there was definitely some star presence in the building. Most of all it was fun and I'm sure everyone had a good time as you can see in the following pictures and video. Don't sleep on these artists, I should have some links up soon so you can check 'em out!

- DJ PUMA

2004-05-04T23:20:00.000-07:00

My Story In the Making.

[In Seattle WA, 21 years old Spring 2001, giving them my "Baller Pose"]

What's my story in a nutshell? What do I keep in, what do I leave out? I think that I should write with the shocking and not-so shocking truths that pretty much got me to this point. I am bound to leave some fine details out, I may get a book or movie deal and would hate to spoil the ending early. I'm gonna keep this brief and basic for now. If you have any questions, ask them in a comment, and I will be glad to answer.

Why did I decide to become a DJ?

Part of it was a necessity, and the other part was a no-brainer. Since a very early age I've been exposed to all kinds of music. My Father was a lead signer and bass player in a touring rock band in the late 60's and though out the 1970's. He had a very eclectic taste in music, Rock, Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Classical and even Country. I remember some of my favorite albums when I was just a baby/toddler, Bob James - Touchdown, WAR - Why Can't We Be Friends and Micheal Jackson's Thriller.

It was about 1988-89 when Rap music was breaking though to the mainstream and this is when I fell in love with this new sound and wanted to know more about the science of the DJ. Scratching was the coolest thing and Hip-Hop was the realest movement. I would boldly display my love for it in school and often get ridiculed for it because I'm white. Hip-hop to me was about unity and destroying the ignorance. How else could I learn about the Black man's frustrations with the political and justice systems and learn the new flavor dance at the same time? The first time I heard Public Enemy is was game over, and I was hooked. I would do just about anything to get my hands on a pair of turntables. In the meantime, I was mixing with tape decks creating my own loops and broke my parents turntable in a fit of scratch withdrawal. I rendered some of their prized records unplayable. Luckily I have replaced most of their collection. Some of the DJ's that influenced me are Jam Master Jay, DJ Cash Money, DJ Premier and Kid Capri.

In 1992, after 2 years of saving my allowance, mowing lawns and washing cars, I was able to get one fully functional turntable and a Radio Shack Realistic Mixer. I was finally able to scratch, well, kind of. It took like 300 psi just to move the cross fader and it didn't always completely cut the sound out. How disappointing! In other words, this thing sucked, but it sure looked cool! One day down at Tower Records, instead of checking out the records, I was in the magazine section. To my luck there was an issue of the Source Magazine (the undisputed bible of hip-hop in the 1990's) and a British mag called the DJ Times. Now I had a treasure trove of information on equipment and advice and they had some awesome records for sale as well.

It wasn't too long after I discovered a pro-dj shop in downtown Portland where they had a huge collection of gear and records. By 1995 I finally had a mixer worth scratching with, a Gemini Scratchmaster. This really helped me get the basics of mixing down and by December 1995 I had my first gig. What really made it special and unique is that A.) It was downtown Portland at the Paris theater off 3rd AVE and Burnside, B.) it was a Punk Rock show with a band of crazy guys that I went to High School with, C.) During the set, I played bass guitar with the band covering an old Beastie Boys Punk Rock track.

[ THIS PORTION HAS BEEN RESERVED FOR VH1'S "DJ PUMA" BEHIND THE MUSIC" SPECIAL]

Since 1995 I've upgraded my gear and techniques. I still buy and collect 12" Records and enjoy the portability or Serato Scratch Live. I've been in a few battles, and can't say I've won them all, but I've always left with respect, and that always feels good. I love rocking clubs big and small. My theory has always been the smaller the crowd, the harder to please. What do you think? I'm a Hip-Hop head at heart, and if you didn't know, that means I love all genres of music. That doesn't necessarily mean I would enjoy your taste in music, it probably sucks.

What does the future hold? I'll keep you guessing, but in the meantime, I'll be dropping some clues along with some limited edition remixes. Now where did I put Kanye's Number?

Too boring? I should keep going? drop me a comment.