DJ SOULJAH
Acclaimed by Eminem, super producers Swizz Beatz, Timbaland and Just Blaze, and hip-hop icon KRS-One, DJ SOULJAH has earned international recognition for his highly successful series of mixtapes, DVDs and live performances across the globe.
After receiving universal exposure and respect on Japanese radio, his innovative skills caught the attention of Eminem and he became the first Japanese DJ ever on his Shady 45 channel on Sirius Satellite Radio.
The Bible of hip-hop, The Source magazine, praised Souljah, profiling him twice in the “Real Hip-Hop” segment and honoring him as the first Japanese DJ working in New York City to be featured in the publication.
One of his idols, superstar DJ Kid Capri, tapped him to join his tour, and Swizz Beatz and other prominent producers acknowledged him as “a real DJ.” His list of collaborations includes working with the elite from America’s two most popular hip-hop radio stations: DJ Cipha Sound, DJ Camilo. and DJ Kast One from Hot 97 in New York, and DJ Felli Fel from Power 106 in Los Angeles.
Known affectionately as “Samurai DJ” for his cutting edge techniques, Souljah has also been endorsed by Jay-Z’s long time producer Just Blaze who proclaimed:. “DJ Souljah is one of the most powerful DJs I’ve ever known.”
After growing up in Japan, Souljah moved to New York City in 1999 and rocked The Big Apple’s biggest arenas and clubs for five years before returning to Japan in 2010. He became famous as the resident DJ at one of Manhattan’s most popular dance venues, Avalon (formerly known as the legendary club The Limelight), and spun at birthday parties for numerous celebrities including Grammy award winners John Legend and Timbaland.
In 2005, he graduated to arenas and became an instant crowd favorite for more than 10,000 screaming fans at New York’s Nassau Coliseum for the 50 Cent G-Unit tour featuring Ne-Yo, Keyshia Cole & Busta Rhymes.
Word of his musical genius began to spread across America, leading to prestigious gigs at the World Music Conference in Miami, and one of the most popular events in collegiate sports, the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) basketball tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina where he collaborated with hip-hop royalty: Rakim, Slick Rick and Biz Markie.
DJ Souljah’s success has extended to the fashion industry as he performed for the house of Shu Uemura New York Fashion Week presentations in 2009 and 2010, as well as provided music for sneaker titans Adidas, Puma and Nike. His reputation as a crowd pleaser attracted several corporations including Mercedes Benz and Redbull which invited Souljah to entertain at their receptions. Now he’s displaying his creative genius in the fashion world as a designer with his Primecuts clothing line producing items in conjunction with Stussy, Undefeated and Masterpiece.
DJ Souljah spent much of 2010 and 2011 on triumphant tours of Europe and Asia including Thailand, Bangkok, Taiwan and Korea. He also starred in one of the biggest DJ tours in the history of Japan as more than 30,000 club goers in over 30 cities idolized him for his unique artistry and musical variety including hip-hop, R&B, reggae, reggaeton, house, top 40, and classics. His ability to feel the vibe of the crowd, channel it through his turntables and rock any party earned him the nickname of “V.I.B.” Very Important Banger, a.k.a. Alpha Dog (“Leader of the Pack”).
DJ Souljah has released several mixtape CDs including “The Exclusives series: Hip-Hop Hits 2, Hip-Hop Hits 3, and 2000-2010 Decade Hits on Manhattan Records in 2009 and 2010. Hip-Hop Hits 3 featured the renowned KRS-One, whose song “You Must Learn” produced by Souljah hit number 3 on the Oricon Indies Chart and immediately became part of the rapper’s live performance set. Souljah distinguished himself as one of the few Japanese DJs to produce for such a revered MC, bridging the international gap and uniting the worlds of Japanese and American hip-hop. He’s also worked with several more American hip-hop stars including The Game, Flo Rida, Styles P, Sheek Louch, David Banner, O'Neal McKnight, and Smif N Wessun.
His latest venture, his music production team, CUTCREATOR$, is now busy working with several artists including KRS-One, as well as K69, WISE, Jay’ed, Sugar Soul, Adriana Evans, and Microphone Pager.
He got to be unstoppable! Catch up with DJ Souljah : www.primecuts.com。