DJ Neil Armstrong

Up next is one of my favorite DJ’s of all time.  Just say the name DJ Neil Armstrong and you really don’t have to say anything else.  I first came across Neil’s work a few years ago when i picked up one of his mixtapes.  And right off the bat, I was hooked from the very first track.  Pick up any of his mixes and you will see he is the best in the game.  And the best being the best “blending DJ” there is in my opinion.  He will mix the original soul track right into the hip-hop track and never miss a beat, pardon the pun.  And the tracks he chooses are what makes his mixes so sought after.  So good and so classic.

I think my favorite thing about any of his mixes is, he is a great story teller without saying a word.  There are tons of other mixtapes that contain alot of the same classic tracks but they aren’t telling stories with their’s like Neil does.  The best example of this is his mixtape Bittersweeet.  This mixtape goes through the whole in love experience, from when everything is new when you meet that someone, to when things start getting hot and heavy, to when you want to be with that someone every minute of the day, to when you hear that someone is messing around and all the pain that comes with that, to letting that someone go and wanting to get back in the saddle and heading back out there to find that new special someone.  All of that is said while playing a mixtape made of classic tracks and a few movie clips thrown in for good measure.

Acknowledged as the founding father of the DJ Collective the “5th Platoon”, Neil was born and breed in NYC, cutting his teeth in the early 90’s during the era of backpack Hip-Hop and the art of Turntablism. His time spent in the trenches battling and mastering the art of spinning allowed him to rock shows alongside artists across the Hip-Hop spectrum – from De La Soul, The Roots, Company Flow and Biz Markie, to Kanye West, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes and Wyclef Jean.  Neil was also a member of the critically acclaimed 2 time Grammy -Nominated jazz band – Russell Gunn and Ethnomusicology, playing alongside iconic musicians Kenny Garrett (a member of Miles Davis’ band) and Brandford Marsalis.

Over the last 8 years, he has made an indelible mark in the subgenre of Hip-Hop known as “Mixtape Culture.” Neil’s highly-regarded mixtapes represent his eclectic music taste and have generated considerable press, most-notably in Rolling Stone, Vibe, MTV.com, Theme, URB and Complex. He has been featured in advertising campaigns for adidas and Under-crwn, was featured in the book Bedroom Rockers, and had a documentary series shot on him by the Japanese TV show “NY Streets.”

Of course you can’t forget, Neil has also been named one of Rolling Stones’ “Top 10″ Mixtape DJ’s and has performed at the DMC Finals, has spoken for Harvard, Stanford and NYU, has been featured in publications from The NY Times to Rap Pages – and – hooked up a collabo shoe with adidas back in 2007.  Oh yeah he also got to play a little show you might have watched called the Presidential Inauguration of Obama.  And last but not least amongst all of his other daily activites, he’s the official tour DJ for Jay-Z.  Not to bad huh.  Now on to the questions so you can learn more about this world traveler.  Enjoy.

1. What do you do and where do you do it?
DJ Neil Armstrong, maker of fine gourmet mixtapes, backup Jay-Z with the Roc Boys on the 1’s and 2’s all over the world.

2. Name a defining moment in your career.
Finishing my 1st mixtape Original… everything that has happened can be traced back to that.

3. What is your biggest inspiration and who/what inspires you today?
Biggest inspiration… I dunno? Everything around me I guess.

4. What have been your biggest struggles?
Everyday… Life is a string of failures that I put together in a way that .

5. Sum up your style in 3 words.
Smooth, hip hop, experienced.

6. What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
Djing… hmmm… ok, working at McDonalds. That was pretty hectic.

7. Name 3 things you can’t live without?
My radio, my laptop, my tivo.

8. What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?  And where?
Best concert I’ve performed at – Glastonbury – over 100,000 people.  Best concert I’ve been too – back in 95 I think – Pharcyde performed… as did Biggie Smalls WITH TUPAC on stage. Biggie performed Party ‘N Bullshit.

9. Name your top 5 favorite hip hop albums of all time?
Nas: Illmatic,  Jay-Z: Blueprint, Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders,  De La Soul: 3 Feet High & Rising,  Public Enemy: It Takes A Nation Of Millions.

10. Tell us what you’re working on next?
Mixtapes mixtapes mixtapes!

11. Do you have any last words for anyone who wants to do what you do?
Be prepared to sacrifice a lot of your time, heart and soul.

List any websites we can find out more about you and what you do.
www.riottt.com/djneilarmstrong
www.twitter.com/djneilarmstrong
www.myspace.com/5thplatoonturntablistcrew 
http://www.facebook.com/people/Neil-Armstrong/1052754935

And last but not least, any good words for the Manifest crew?
Peace to Manifest for putting out quality.