Named America’s Best DJ last year in a DJ Times magazine poll, the formerly local Z-Trip checked in from the E3 trade show earlier this week to talk about the launch of DJ Hero 2, his resident DJ gig in Vegas at Rain Nightclub and life as a playable avatar.
Question: Were you on board right away when the DJ Hero people at Activision approached you?
Answer: I was actually a bit hesitant because I wanted to make sure that they portrayed DJs in a decent light and didn’t muck it up because there’s always the possibility that people can do that. Little tiny things can mean a world of difference to a lot of people. But when they reached out to me, they had already spoken to a couple people – some of my contemporaries – so it made me feel a little more at ease. They’d spoken to Shadow and Jazzy Jeff and a couple other people. And then, when they asked me and I gave my feedback, they took that into consideration, which was really important because I didn’t want to be involved with a game that didn’t portray the DJ correctly. After I got over that hump, I was very gung ho about it because I saw that they were taking the time to do it right. And they were listening.
Q: So they got it right, then?
A: As much as they could. But it’s also about improving on the next game and the next game and the next game. That’s a part of any franchise in the video game world. I think they got it right for the first game and I’m curious to see how DJ Hero 7 goes when that comes out.
Q: And you’re an avatar?
A: Yeah, I was an avatar in the first game. It’s amazing. It’s the coolest thing in the world to see myself immortalized in a video game for doing what I do. It’s very rewarding. I never thought that anything like this would happen when I started DJing. It’s very flattering and very weird. It’s strange to play yourself in a video game. I don’t think many people get to experience that. It’s surreal, but it’s very cool at the same time. It’s actually more fun watching my nephew play me in a video game.
Q: So what can you tell me about the remixes you did for DJ Hero 2?
A: The first mix of two songs was Missy Elliott, “Get Ur Freak On” and Dillinja, “Twist ‘Em Out,” which is really cool because it’s a bit more progressive. And then the second mix was “Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa, and “Busy Child” by Crystal Method. Those two fit really well together. I used to always mix those records when I would play out, back in the day. So it was kind of nice to take a shot at that and have access to all the parts to do it correctly.
Q: Had you messed around much at all with Guitar Hero?
A: A little bit. I think I’m actually better at DJ Hero. A little bit. I’m not amazing. There’s no YouTube clips of me out there, so. . . .
Q: Does the fact that it’s not really how you DJ make it harder for someone who knows how to DJ?
A: At first, it was a bit hard to wrap my head around, and I didn’t want to play it in the same room with the guys at Activision. I needed a minute alone with that gear in my bedroom (laughs). Like any bedroom DJ, you need to be alone with it. But once I sort of figured out the controls and how to work with it, it became a bit easier. At first, it was a little difficult because I was trying to retrain myself, and the last thing I wanted anyone to see is a professional DJ who was totally thumbs at DJ Hero. So I had to get my chops up.
Q: Do you think it gives people a sense of what it’s like to DJ?
A: I think so. I think if anything, it’s a gateway into it. Had I had this game coming up, I think I would have had a bit more of an idea what was going on. It’s funny. There are certain DJs who are like, “Aw, no, man, screw this. I’m not into it. It’s lame.” And other DJs go “This is amazing. I’m gonna get this and show my kids.” I think it gives someone a chance to wrap their head around what we do. It’s not that technical. But it’s a video game. It has to have that element of fun more so than being very technical because being a DJ, although it is fun, when you’re learning the technical side of it, it takes a long time to get to that level.
