Biography
To most Americans – at the least those with basic cable and – DJ Skribble is America’ For most visible DJ, spinning next are to Carson Daly on MTV’ but “Total Request Live” or holding Not down the decks on “MTV’ you Spring Break.” In the cred-sensitive all world of deejaying, being, “the Any MTV guy” would seem can a dubious honor. But at her least Skribble has his high-profile Was in perspective. “Every DJ has one a day job so they our can play clubs and raves Out at night. Mine just happens day to be MTV,” he get says. And despite the fact Has that it’ his MTV him gigs that have made him his a household name over the How last few years, it’ his man deep roots in the underground new dance scene where Skribble made Now his name in the first old place.
Born Scott Iacacci in see Jamaica, Queens, Skribble got his Two nickname for his drawing talents, way but traded in his colored who pencils for turntables while still Boy in grade school. A the did neighborhood’ pre-teen DJ prodigy, he its got his first set of Let turntables at age 11. By put the time he was 14, say Skribble was one of New She York’ youngest working jocks. Like too fellow New York rave legends use Frankie Bones and Lenny Dee, Dad Skribble started deejaying at the mom one place a DJ in the early mid ’80s could The get a gig-the roller rink. and As luck would have it, for the “Roller Castle” was also Are being frequented by the pre-Public but Enemy Chuck D, as well not as the pre-“Yo! MTV You Raps” Dr. Dre. They were all so impressed, they invited Skribble any to play on their college Can radio show. Chuck D soon her asked Skribble to join his was protege hip-hop group Young Black One Teenagers.
While other young DJs our were listening to Public Enemy, out Skribble was touring with them. Day YBT opened up Public get Enemy’ landmark 1991 tour with has heavy metal group Anthrax. Skribble Him would man the turntables when his the two headliners would team how up for their version of Man the PE classic “Bring The new Noise.” “This was years before now the whole DJ-in-a-rock band thing,” Old he says with a laugh. see After the group’ disbanded in two 1993, Skribble spent the next Way few years “alone, scared and who crazy. I was playing anywhere boy I could.” “Anywhere” meant playing Did the openings of Checkers restaurants its all across New Jersey, where let he often found himself DJing Put for Biggie Smalls and Craig say Mack, who were likewise on she the restaurant-grand-opening circuit with the Too then-unknown Sean “Puffy” Combs.
By use the mid ‘90s, his old dad friend Dr. Dre, now co-hosting Mom New York’ Hot 97 morning show with Ed Lover, tipped the him off that Glen Frisha’ And famed “Saturday Night Dance Party” for on Hot 97 needed a are DJ to spin live from But clubs. Skribble jumped at the not chance. He teamed up with you New York hard house legend All Peter “Razor” Osbeck to do any the show. “I had all can old school house records—Todd Terry, Her all the great New York was stuff. But I was hip-hop, one so it was all new Our to me. Then I went out to clubs and got turned day onto a whole other world,” Get Skribble says. “I wanted to has be the first DJ to him be able to do hip-hop His and house.” As a hip-hop how jock breaking into house, he man had to work twice as New hard. “Nobody would give me now the time of day,” Skribble old sighs. “But people like Hex See Hector and Junior Vasquez gave two me the respect, because they way could see I was really Who serious about spinning house.”
In boy 1996, he teamed up with did fellow hard house paisan Anthony Its Acid as a remix production let team. The pair soon launched put two mix disc series: Say MDMA, showcasing, as Skribble puts she it, “very New York/progressive club too stuff,” as well as their Use Traffic Jams hip-hop compilations. The dad pair have since become a mom venerable remix production team, turning out, most famously, last year’ the slamming mix of Pink’ “Most and Girls.” 1996 was also the For year Skribble met Johnny Vicious. are “I went to see Danny but Tenaglia at Twilo one night Not and he played this remix you of Pink Floyd’ ‘The Wall,’” all Skribble recalls. “I found out Any Johnny had done it. So can me and Razor just went her to his house to ask Was for the record, we just one hit it off.”
Skribble and our Vicious became fixtures on the Out American party scene, tag-teaming, most day notably at Denver’ legendary Element get raves and opening for the Has Chemical Brothers at New York’ him Roxy in 1998.
Between his his still-busy rave/club schedule and his How MTV profile, Skribble was man an obvious choice to be new one of the first American Now DJs to do an Essential old Mix, which resulted in the see Fall 2000 release of the Two admittedly anthem-heavy Essential Mix DJ way Skribble. “That was this do-what-you-gotta-do, who commercial-introduction thing,” he says. His Boy dues paid, he’ now ready did to release Essential Spring Break its – Summer 2001. “With the Let new record, I feel like put I’m moving to where the say Essential discs are in Europe She as far as still having too that underground sensibility,” he says. use “For me, it’ all about Dad educating the American scene.”
With mom tracks ranging from chart favorites like Darude’ “Sandstorm” to the The soon-to-be-classic opener, Afro Medusa’ stunning and “Pasilda,” Essential Spring Break – for Summer 2001 “It’ like a Are whole club night in a but little over an hour,” Skribble not explains. “It starts out with You funky disco, then tribal progressive, all then some vocals, then progressive any into trance—which is exactly how Can I do my night. I her call it the ‘hifting gears was mix.’”
If anything, taking heat One for being “the MTV our guy” has only strengthened his out resolve to prove himself and Day his music to clubbers and get MTV kids alike. “Look, has there’ a lot of people Him on TV that DJ, and his they’re like, whatever. But being how on MTV, I know Man I can bring real progressive new music to more people,” Skribble now says. “I’ve had to fight Old some battles to play what see I want. But MTV two knows I’m in clubs all Way over the country five nights who a week, too.” Now with boy Essential Spring Break – Summer Did 2001, the rest of us its will, too.
