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Please
welcome DJ Sezy, our newest addition to the Philly djing family.
She's fresh off the boat from Hotlanta, and just plain fresh.
When I interviewed her, I'd just found out that she was chosen
as a finalist in both the house and hip hop categories of this
year's Pitch Control competition. She took second place in House. I caught up with her to get
her thoughts on broken beat, gay marriage, and dancing around
in your Underoos...
Just
the Facts
How long have you been in Philly, what brought you here, and
where were you before?
I've been in Philly for 4 months now, before that i was down in
the dirty dirty. ATL.
How
long have you been djing/producing?
DJing maybe 2.5 years and producing like a year.
How
did you get into it?
I use to dance around in my underoos to my mom's disco records,
then discovered house music around the age of 15.
What
was the first peice of music you ever bought with your own money
or coerced somone to buy for you?
Cindy Lauper or was it Prince. god, that Prince LP still comes
in handy.
Do
you come from a musical family?
Everyone in my family is a trained musician, not quite sure what
happened to me...
How
did you come to discover the music you're into now?
I'd have to say my mom's disco records and my dad's jazz records...
some how deep house is a fusion of those things to me.
What's
the most embarrassing music you own that you love dearly or for
whatever reason you can't get rid of?
Why are people always making fun of my 2-step records, haa.
what
do you like/hate to wake up to in the morning?
I hate everything in the morning!
What
was the most craziest, most off the hook, heavenly gig you ever
played and why?
Still looking for it. Wanna book me?
The
shittiest?
The night someone came up to me and said, "can you wikkie wikkie
scratch?"
Best
thing about Philly?
Cool ass people.
Worst?
The winter.
what
are you up to now? What projects you got cookin?
Putting out some original tracks.
what's
your day job?
Art Director at an ad agency.
What
do you like to do when you can't stand to think about music for
even one more beat? aka, hobbies?
Not sure that has ever happened. But i like to get drunk, and
when i'm not doing that, read.
Contact
info?
www.djsezy.com
Broken Hearts Broken Beats mix (mp3)
(real
audio) Tracklist
99:
Ok, first off, congratulations on the dual finalist status in
Pitch Control!!!! Damn, girl!
Sezy: Nicearoo, thanks. Haaa, come out for a good laugh
in the hip hop area!
99: So, your house entry, was that kind of broken or was
it house?
Sezy: Ummm, house. Not sure if there was any BB in the
mix.
99: Cool cool. How did you happen to swing the hip hop
section? What kind of set did you submit?
Sezy: No idea, it was a real chill mix. Underground shit
with a little scratching biz over it.
99: Huh. Cool. Probably a welcome change from the wickky
wickky =)
Sezy: Haaa! A little wickkie wickkie, not much.
99: Ok, so you play straight up house, broken beat, trip
hop, and you scratch.
Sezy: Pretty much. I'll play anything. Might play some
Chaka or Stevie at the pitchcontrol jam.
99: Lovely! Do you also wear a cape and fly over Gotham
city saving the day?
99: Ok, backing up a bit. You've been in philly for nary
4 months now. Before that you were in Atlanta..did you grow up
there?
Sezy: Nah, grew up in Providence.
99: Oh right, i did read that on your site. Give me your
chronology then.
Sezy: I was in providence all my life, moved to Boston
for college, Boston University, then Atlanta for graduate school.
I loved Atlanta and stayed after school.
99: How long?
Sezy: about 5 years, I moved around the south a little.
I was in Birmingham for a year (don't ask).
99: Oh my! So, you moved to Philly primarily for job reasons,
or because you heard it ws the shilznit?
Sezy: Ha, both.
99: So what's the scene(s) like in Atlanta? You here so
much about it. What's it like living there?
Sezy: 5 years ago, it was all about shaworty swing my way
99: Haha!
Sezy: Not much of a house scene at all. But in the last
few years Kai Alce, Ron Pullman and Kemit (from Kemeticjust) have
been doing many dope thing in the deep arena.
99: Among your many musical styles, do you have a favorite?
Sezy: No
99: Lovely =)
Sezy: Favorites at times maybe, but...God i just love music!
Whatever make me wiggle my butt ya know?
99: So what kinds of things were you doing in Atlanta musically,
since that's the first city you were in since you started djing?
Sezy: A few small time gigs, and we tried to start a night.
A house night, just not enough house heads. I'd do a lot of things
differently if i went back now. I know more people.
99: Like what?
Sezy: I guess that is what I'm trying to do here.. just
get out and harass people!
99: Ok, so now that you're in Philly, what are your favorite
events to hit and people to see?
Sezy: I love the Illvibe nights, and Edwin and MelloD always
have me rocking. Rich Medina, have yet to go hear Pete Moss, but
i remember him from my Boston days. He use to rock the spot.
99: So you say the best thing about Philly is the "cool
ass people". What's your impression of the city been?
Sezy: people are mad cool, and willing to put you on, more
so than my experiences in Atlanta.
99: Really! Expand.
Sezy: And the talent in this city is unreal. I've put myself
out there more in Philly, that may be why.
99: People here are pretty cool though.
Sezy: True, people are totally receptive.
99: I have a friend who just moved from Florida and he
is saying that people are "absurdly nice"...which was a surprise
to me because I always thought of Philly as kind of gruff. Gruff
on the outside, but when you talk to people they open right up.
Sezy: Yeah, that is what I thought. But the good vibe that
people in Philly have is different.
99: What do you mean?
Sezy: Hum, not sure... I don't feel like people have an
agenda. They are just good natured.
99: Or if they do, they wear it on their sleeve?
Sezy: Yeah, i missed that down south
99: Youd' think it would be the complete opposite, that
in the South it would be all friendly, and up here it would be
all schedules and rushing around and what can you do for me.
Sezy: The realness of east cost people, I'm definitely
an east coast gurl.
99: Well, is that something you bring with you from New
England? New Englanders are pretty no-nonsense folk.
Sezy: No doubt. For sure, tell it like it is... and don't
wast my time.
99: Ok, quick diversion, speaking of New England. Massechusets
civil union ruling: best thing since sliced bread or evil sign
that babylon has arrived?
Sezy: Same sex marriage?
99: Yesh
Sezy: Yeah thank god, now i won't have to go to Hawaii
for my sisters wedding, LOL!
99: Ha!!! =D Ok, enough geography and sociology, let's
talk about YOU. You claim that as a child you danced around in
your Underoos. Do you have any photo evidence to bakc that up?
Sezy: Haaaa, if i did it'd be on my site. That shit'd be
awesome! I'm a goof.
99: Either adorable or illegal...not sure!
Sezy: Haaaa, true. I was cute in them damn Wonder Woman
Underoos.
99: I'll bet you still are!
Sezy: ;-) Aww shit.
99: So you have been a music freak since earliest memory?
Sezy: Basically.
99: And your mom was seriously into disco? And dad was
a jazz head?
Sezy: everything, mostly disco and R&B. Yup, and not
all mainstream stuff either. So it opened me up to a lot.
99: So Mom was undergound, ay?
Sezy: Mom is a singer/piano player.
99: Did you go through a period when you hated everything
your parents listened to just because they listened to it?
Sezy: never
99: You say everyone in your family were trained musicians...give
a couple examples.
Sezy:
Sezy: Grandfather plays stand up bass, bango, singer.
99: So lots of your family was like in professional groups
and stuff? Did any of them live off music exclusively?
Sezy: My grandfather was just inducted into the Country
Music Hall of Fame last year
99: No shit!!! Who is he, so we can look him up?
Sezy: Haa, Doug Mayes, he is in there for broadcasting..
but he was in one of the first acts at the Grand Ol' Oprey.
99: Wow.
Sezy: other than that, no one else made a career out of
it
99: But obviously you got the same bug. Did you play instruments
growing up?
Sezy: I played piano, trumpet, flute - none sucessfully,
oh and I sang.
99: Sang successfully? Do you still play any of those?
Sezy: Haa, no.. but I grew up singing at ever family event.
I sing sometimes, but I haven't tried to use any yet on my tracks.
99: I'm a car singer myself. =P Did your parents freak
when you started going to raves? What did they think of house?
I imagine Mom musta been like, right on, baby girl.
Sezy: Haa, not really. She is very open minded
99: So you discovered house @ 15...started spinning at
what..like 26?
Sezy: Yeah that is about right.
99: Why the wait?
Sezy: I never wanted to be a dj. I collected records.
99: Why and what changed your mind?
Sezy: A boyfriend was like you should dj, there is no good
house down here (Atlanta).
99: When did you start collecting?
Sezy: since early teens.
99: Damn. So you got some SHIT.
Sezy: Kinda, keep bugging my dad for his gems.
99: What's your most valued piece? Or give a few favorites.
Sezy: Um, some old salsoul 45s... Or my old Chaka and Prince.
Old breaking records from the 80s. That is prolly my first encounter
of what was to be house, Kraftwerk.
99: That's awesome. I would love to come drool on your
collection some time. So now that you are in a city busting at
the seems with house djs (although you've proven to be much more
than that), what compels you forward?
Sezy: Hum... new music...old music.. my music.
99: Yes yes, tell me all about this production schtick.
Sezy: Got a buttload of unfinished stuff.
99: What do you have done, what labels if any are you courting,
what style are you making mostly?
Sezy: I want to press my own stuff, keep all my rights.
99: Do you want to stay like indie mp3 style, or be bigger
than celine dione?
Sezy: Ahhh, vinyl for sure, but cds are def a good start.
99: What kind of gear do you use?
Sezy: All computer based stuff right now. Midi keyboard,
Logic, Reason, Sonar, PC and Mac. I'm looking to get another MPC.
I had one for a while that i didn't use.
99: How would you describe your style?
Sezy: All over the place...
Sezy: House and hip hop mostly...
99: What's the thing that makes it unique to you? What's
the magic dj sezy touch?
Sezy: Still looking for that, I think the more songs I
finish I hope a sound will develop. A unique sound.
99: Looking forward to that.
Sezy: Mee too, haaaa!
99: Ok, just a couple more questions. The dreaded one...The
Woman Question.
Sezy:Haa!
99: Does it have an impact on your musical life, as far
as you can tell?
Sezy: As a female, ya never know if doods are serious or
just want to get in your pants!
99: Yeah, no doubt! How do you seperate the wheat from
the chaff?
Sezy: I'm getting good at seeing through the liars.
Sezy: In my musical life, not sure.
99: Well, what you said about not knowing if they are serious
happens in music too...
Sezy: Oh hee, that is what I meant. Like gigs especially.
99: You don't know if they like your records or your talent,
or if they are just stroking your ego so they can stroke anything
else later on. =)
Sezy: EXACTLY, sister.
99: Have you ever perceived not being taken as seriously?
Or exoticized, or over-pedestalized or in some way being made
into other-than-just-human?
Sezy: Um, yeah.. they underestimate your talent...
99: But overestimate your marketability...
Sezy: Right.
99: Have you found it difficult to change their minds?
Sezy: Nope..
99: Yeah, me neither.
Sezy: People who are serious about the music, ultimately
take me seriously. Cuz, if we are talking biz.. than it is just
biz, dig?
99: Yes, that's what I find too. You seem to be a very
woman-positive woman, and I like that!
Sezy: :-)
99: I have to know...do you read Bust?
Sezy: no, but my partner at work has her e-mail through
them.
99: Super stuff.
Sezy: I'm always joking on the name. Sweet, I'll check
it.
99: I don't want to belabor the point, but any thing you'd
like to discuss regarding the state of womamhood in 2004?
Sezy: No doubt. Hopefully the era of the girlie girl is over and women can feel like they have more control over their lives and destiny.
99: You said your hobbies are drinking and reading. What are you currently loving in cocktails and literature?
Sezy: haa, i was kidding with the drinking bit, but lately it has been a hobby of sorts. i've been really digging Petrone margaritas (they are hangover free), and as far as books go... I'm currently reading David Icke's Tales From The Time Loop. But anything conspiracy, spiritual or theoritical science related will do.
99: Tell me a bit about your job, how you got into design, why, etc.
Sezy: Well, I make TV and print commercials. if I gotta be working for the man, it is a pretty fun way to do it.
99: What's the history/meaning of your name?
Sezy: It is kinda goofy, I made up this silly screen name to play a little trick on my friend's brother. It was "sezymama" and for some reason Sezy just stuck as a nickname.
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