DJ ERNZ: The fire DJ is one of Hip Hop's hidden figures
The King's County native is a beast on the ones and twos
When a big name shows up to Hot 97 and sits down with Funk Flex, we as a culture expect fire bars and hot beats to take place on one of Hip Hop's most revered platforms. While the rappers come and go, a mainstay on the show is DJ Ernz, a young Brooklynite who is quickly becoming a staple in rap culture. Ernz has been supplying the vibes for the show's freestyles and making waves as a top DJ in the city. Aside from the radio, he can be seen at various parties holding down the turntables, on stage opening for artists or on his DJnChill Podcast he has going. Ernz took a huge leap of faith when he left his parent's crib to pursue his dream. If you'd like to know how that turned out, simply turn your station to Hot 97 and listen for yourself. Or you can read this interview below. Enjoy!
1. Where are you from? How did you get into DJ'ng?
I'm from Brooklyn New York. I wanted to get into Djing from being fascinated by mixtapes and radio. Growing up I would always listen to DJ Ty boogie , Kid Capri , Rob E Rob blend tapes with my father who was from the Bronx. My father introduced me to hip hop and educated me on the music and artists that came before the ones i was listening to like Biz Markie , Rakim , Big Daddy Kane , KRS One , Slick Rick etc. Anytime I listened to the radio it became a challenge for me to know the song and artist that was being played. I became fascinated with the fact that Djs on the radio were playing for so many listeners that they couldnt even see. That meant your personality and music selection had to be A1. I became a huge fan of the Hot 97 DJs like Funk Flex, Mister Cee, Cipha Sounds, DJ Camilo and more. I always had turntables in my attic growing up but they were never hooked up. Freshmen year of high school I asked my parents if we could connected the equipment, and the rest is history. Went from the basement to house parties , to high school parties, to private parties then to the club circuit. I love it just as much as I did when i started. Maybe More!
2. What's your mentality when you step up to the turntables for an event? What separates you from other DJs?
When I step up to those turntables im usually super focused on the time and what vibe people may be looking for. The tricky part to DJn is people rarely tell you what they want to hear when you start. Its always once you're in the zone that people come up and want to request songs. That first few songs you put on has to set the tone for the rest of your set. What separates me is that pretty good at reading the crowd energy and knowing when to switch genres or take a crowd to the next level and my music collection is stacked!
3. How has the experience been working with Hot 97/In Flex we trust? Who's some standouts that you've been able to collaborate with on that platform?
The experience has been great. No other word to describe it. Funk Flex, the DJ i grew up listening to , one of my idols in hip hop actually gave me a shot to be on his team. Shouts to my boy DJ Rich Kidd for the plug. I'd like to say it was my official step into the music industry. The first time I walked into the Hot97 station I got this amazing feeling of accomplishment and motivated me to continue working hard to unlock my greatest potential. Working with flex & Hot97 opened up doors for me to meet a bunch of artist. I am now the official DJ for Funk Flex freestyles seen on youtube. You can see me in the booth spinning tracks for Meek Mill, Casanova, Jay IDK , Desiigner, Papoose , Loaded Lux, The RZA , Tee Grizzley and more. I've also ended up spinning for Mase when he performed in the Bronx. I've opened an A Boogie show at Playstation theatre. All that was this year but i have to say one of my favorite moments was hitting that 2017 Summer Jam stage on Funk Flex's set with the IFWT team in front of 50,000 plus!
4. What's something you had to overcome to get where you are in your career?
I really had to overcome doing what I needed to do vs doing what I wanted to do. Knowing how to work smarter and not harder. The art of time management. Not pleasing everyone. Learning how to speak to people. There are a few... One of my biggest steps was moving out of my parents house with close to maybe $200 in my bank account. It was the scariest move of my life. However it gave me the charge I needed to take full control of my destiny.
5. What are your dreams/Goals going forward? Where can er expect to see DJERNZ in the near future?
There are a couple things but one of my main goals is to have my own mixshow on New York radio. Its always been a dream of mine. Id also like to tour with some artists and see the world. There's a passion project of mine that I'm also trying out but we'll catch up once that's in motion.