Dj Alize: Realness and Passion Combine

Longtime Style.No.Chaser supporter and quintessential dope NYC DJ, DJ Alize, is a real dude doing very real things. DJ Alize breathes/bleeds music and there is no doubt that his time to blow up and show/remind the world about the fundamentals of stellar DJing is almost here. We pry into DJ Alize’s psyche in a brief but insightful interview aimed at uncovering his essence. It is always interesting to explore the ingredients that create uniqueness. See interview below …

Please tell us a little about yourself – your childhood, siblings, where you grew up, what you liked as a child, strange thoughts as a child/now, unique attributes, where you live now, etc.?

Hahaha, I am New York! I was raised in Queens, and rep Queens to the fullest.. I have lived in Lefrak City, Jamaica, Forest Hills, Queens Bridge, Flushing just to name a few places… I keep my private life separate from my DJ life.. Part of the game I learned… Music has been a part of my life since I can remember, from a little kid getting up with my sister and brother and watching Soul Train or The Box with my family while cleaning. So I believe‌ I am a DJ because music has always been a major part of my life.

If you could use three words to describe yourself, what would those words be?

Hustler, Creative, Detailed

What genre of music are you most drawn to and why?

Hip-Hop, it represents me, my culture, my background, and my come up within NYC. It tells my life story at all points in time.

What does music mean to you and how would you describe your DJing style?

Music means the world to me man, sometimes its what relaxes me, sometimes I use music to escape, sometimes it is what motivates me, and sometimes music is my news and tells me what’s going in other places. I listen to different music – many different genres to hear other people’s stories. Music tells everyone’s stories.

I would describe my DJ style as a facilitator and entertainer…

In your view, what is the best way to read a crowd when you start a set?

It all depends on when you are supposed to start. It could be as simple as watching the crowd while they enter the spot or just walking through the crowd before your set and seeing what the vibes are. It’s quite complicated and is something that you learn with time.

Have you ever broken (made relevant) a record or an artist?

Yeah, I have broken a couple records and artists in my time. Now, through some online/streaming radio stations that I work with, I am breaking more artists and records.

How do you balance the creativity/soul of the music you really feel versus just playing the commercial hits?

It’s a tough balance … But you gotta think of it like a job, I am getting paid to make people dance and have fun so I have to play the music that’s going to fulfill my job requirements and make you dance and have fun.

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A post shared by DJ ALIZE – Events / Radio DJ (@iamdjalize)

Who inspires you the most in the DJ game?

A lot of DJs inspire me from the mixtape DJs, radio DJs to the club DJs. Every DJ motivates me to be better in some aspect. Here’s a quick list: DJ Jam Master Jay, DJ Red Alert, DJ Chuck Chillout, DJ Scratch, Bobbito and Stretch, DJ Green Lantern, DJ DVS, DJ BacSpin DJ Funk Master Flex, DJ Clue, and DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Envy, DJ SuperStar Jay, just to name a few…

What is the worst critique you have ever received about your DJing?

I think the worst critique came from a party promoter while I was DJing the promoter’s party. In short, the promoter wasn’t a fan of my style and wanted me to stand and act like some of the other DJs he’d previously hired. The catch 22 was the party was rockin’ with me, so the critique was a little crazy.

Since Style.No.Chaser is a men’s lifestyle magazine, what attributes/items/clothing /etc. do you think define a man?

I think a man is not determined by the items he has or his clothing but his core beliefs and truths.