UK’s DJ Dilly Interview

Peace Dj Dilly where’s home?

Whats up. Thanks for having me. Home for me, is Camden, London where I was born and raised. Since 2018 though, I have been based in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY where I live with my partner Rob Swift. I have two homes I guess. It’s a blessing.

Your first experience with hip hop culture?

I fell in love with Hip Hop culture after coming across Missy Elliot when I was in my early teens. I saw her ‘I Can’t Stand the Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)’ music video which was directed by Hype Willams and just through that one video I was exposed to so many elements of the culture, the style, MCing, powerful creative women, creative expression, original samples and scratching. Missy Elliott still is one of my biggest inspirations today.

I did a tribute routine for her birthday earlier this year where I recreated scratches, created some beat juggling routines, playing with samples and all of that with a green screen showing off videos of hers. You can check it out here.

What are the differ types of music you spin??

What I love about turntablism is it’s versatility. So I’m trained as a Hip Hop DJ, that’s where the skills and culture originate, and its also my favorite music to spin, but I also love grime, afrobeats, funk and soul, and new Hip Hop too. I like DJing music that allows me to express myself as a DJ which is why Hip Hop is perfect. I love exploring the ways I can use my skills on different genres of music. Recently I did a Trap, Afrobeat, and Hip Hop/Rap mix where I used Hip Hop techniques to flip the music and express myself as a DJ. You can check it out, as well as my other mixes here.

Who are some dope groups coming up that you want to hear more from?

I’m loving the work Pa Salieu is releasing at the moment. He’s from Coventry in the UK but also is very connected to his Gambian heritage. He has a unique flavor where he mixes his British and African experience with popular UK Rap, and Hip Hop styles. His music expresses his reality in an authentic way over really fire beats. Not many new rappers convince me of what they’re talking about but Pa in convincing.

He speaks a truth that isn’t all about fake riches but about a side of life which a lot of people can identify with. I also love his collaboration with Mahalia. I love to see male and female artists coming together like that and complementing each others strengths. He’s blown up this year and I am excited to see what other projects he releases.

Last song you had on repeat?

Energy by Pa Salieu + Mahalia, and Rap Snitches by MF DOOM.

Favorite scratch record(s)?

I don’t have a favorite scratch record. I like to change things up as much as possible. I’m not a fan of scratching ahhh over the same loop over and over. I look to music and songs to get inspired. Something I love doing is listening to a song and finding an adlib or vocal sample that’s fresh and then cutting that over a loop of that beat or another song entirely. Its like coming up with a new chorus, connecting with something you feel has substance.

For me, mindlessly scratching ahh and fresh super fast over a repetitive beat doesn’t inspire me. It might be an unpopular opinion but I need to feel the vibe and find a musicality to get into my best creative zone and really enjoy it.

Best scratch dj ever?

D-Styles has to be my favorite. He is so experimental and unique with his style. He is so expressive and funky with his scratching and creates rhythms and pockets like no one else. D-Styles in a true inspiration and a true artist. If you don’t know bout D-Styles, get to know bout D-Styles. Another artist who really inspires me is Rob Swift. It’s not even a biased opinion (or maybe it is), but he has a mixture of funkiness and technicality that I aspire to reach one day. His stand out talent is beat juggling, so for him to be that talented as a scratcher goes to show how well rounded he is as a DJ.

He taught me how to look at songs and go past the ‘ahh’ or ‘fresh’ scratch samples, and how to really make music with scratching. He is a pioneer of DJing and his approach is so innovative, forward thinking and musical. So many scratch DJs loose that musicality, and so many ‘DJs’ don’t have skills, Rob excels at both music selection, technicality, battle skills and funkiness. He’s a one of a kind.

Any new projects we should know about?

Yes, excitingly, we just launched the Brolic Army Online DJ School this week. Rob has been teaching and pioneering teaching DJing for the past 10/15 years as a 1-1 teacher and at universities, colleges, DJ Schools, you name it. We decided to put together an online DJ school where anybody can access in depth tutorials on all of the DJ skills and techniques you need to master to become a well-rounded and creatively free DJ. We have already had an incredible response from people and it’s awesome to be able to connect Hip Hop culture and DJing with anybody around the world.

Check out the site www.brolicarmydjschool.com. We always have projects, interviews, mixes popping up all the time so check us out on IG to keep up with our antics @dilly.rowe and @brolicarm. For our mixes find me here.

What do you do when your not spinning records?

So I am web developer and graphic designer as well as a DJ and Psychology student at the New School university. I have a podcast called ‘Breaking it Down with Dilly’ which you can find at my YouTube. I’ve been doing a series promoting female DJs and passing the mic to DJs who inspire me. I recently got into road biking over the last year and have been loving the active escape it provides. I’ve seen NYC in a whole different light since being on the bike so it’s like falling in love with the city all over again.

I’m also really passionate about art, culture and history so I’m often at museums, galleries or watching some kind of documentary to expose myself to as much culture as possible. Thats just the tip of the iceberg of things I do with my time at the moment. You probably think I’m mad, but I love exploring and learning and so, any opportunity I can get to experience myself in new ways, I take.

Last words or shout outs?

Big shout out to my partner Rob Swift and our group @whitechoco7ate. Rob has taught me everything I know about DJing and shown me that DJing expands way beyond just a residency. He has encouraged my learning and passion for life I learn something new from him everyday and he’s incredibly supportive of everything I do. Big shouts to mrcnnlive.com for having me. Peace.