DJ Spinna

All Music Guide:

DJ Spinna's accomplishments surpass those of most DJs, yet he remained strictly an underground artist despite his astonishing talent. Though primarily known for his hip-hop work, Spinna also expanded his reach to include downtempo house music as well. The New York DJ remixed tracks for many artists such as Soulstice and Nightmares on Wax. He also produced a number of artists such as rappers Guru and J-Live and his own rap group, Jigmastas. Along with his partner, MC Kriminul, the duo debuted as Jigmastas in 1996 with the single "Beyond Real," which they released on their own independently operated label of the same name. Besides his Jigmastas albums and his occasional productions, Spinna mixed several albums for various labels. For instance, Raiding the Crates (2002) compiles tracks from the Chicago deep house label Guidance, and The Beyond Real Experience, Vol. 2 (2002) compiles tracks from his own label. In addition, Spinna was deeply connected to the BBE label, most notably through Strange Games and Things (2001), which creatively compiled an eccentric blend of old-school tracks such as Eddie Kendricks' "Girl You Need a Change of Mind," Rick James' "Mary Jane," and Donald Byrd's "Wind Parade." He also mixed 2009's The Boogie Back, which focused on late-'70s and early-'80s post-disco.

Wikipedia:

DJ Spinna (born Vincent Williams, 1973) is an American hip hop music artist and producer, who, according to Allmusic.com, has "remained strictly an underground artist despite his astonishing talent."

Biography [edit]

He began experimenting with turntables at age 11 and is known for combining dance music with hip hop, funk, and soul music. He remixed artists such as De La Soul, Mary J. Blige, and Stevie Wonder. He also collaborated with Eminem on songs such as "Three Six Five," "Watch Deez," and "5-Star Generals," before the latter went on to superstardom. His first group, the Jigmastas, was with the emcee Kriminul. He is also a member of Polyrhythm Addicts, an underground hip-hop 'supergroup' composed of him, Apani B Fly MC, Mr. Complex, and Shabaam Sahdeeq. The group's album Rhyme-Related was released in 1999 on Wreck/Nervous Records and featured a song with Pharaohe Monch. Apani B Fly MC was replaced by Tiye Phoenix when the group reunited and recorded the 2007 release Break Glass, which featured the single “Reachin’,” released on April 24, 2007. He also worked with New York-based live house-music group Tortured Soul as well as being a member of the group Domecrackers with DJ/Producer Joc Max from Kansas City, and Grap Luva, whose brother is legendary hip hop producer Pete Rock.