DJ Wrekk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
DJ Wrekk  |
|
|---|---|
| Origin | Houston, TX |
| Years active | 1995 - present |
| Genres | Rap, I.T., Music Production, Film Editing |
| Website(s) | Wrekk.com MySpace |
DJ Wrekk (born November 23, 1975 in Weslaco, Texas), is a Houston based multimedia extraordinaire known for his accomplishments in DeeJaying, audio engineering, music production, graphic design, film editing, web design, and I.T..
Contents |
[edit] Childhood and early career
Wrekk was raised in the southeast side of Houston, TX, where as a teenager, he would begin making music videos with friends using his father's camcorder. Here he would learn how to edit videos, by placing the camcorder on a tri-pod in front of the TV, film the footage played back through a VCR, filming only the clips needed, and dubbing the audio over it, using a cassette deck or CD player. Over the next few years, he would go on to produce well over 20 of these amateur music videos.
When later approached by friends (Eddie Garcia and Jose "Blocc" Deleon) in 1995 to produce a music video of their own, Wrekk would be first introduced to the fascinating world of hip-hop production. Using a keyboard with only a one track sequencer, Garcia & Deleon would begin composing beats and melodies so effortlessly that it would instantly inspire Wrekk to become a hip-hop producer himself. Seeing the potential in Garcia and DeLeon's raw talent and ambition, he would set out to make them a music video to their own original music. These efforts would later produce a demo, that when presented to friend Carlos Coy (South Park Mexican) and Filero, would become the street classic "Block of Rock" off of the Hustle Town album.
[edit] Early achievements
Over the next year or so, Wrekk would piece together his own production studio from equipment purchased from local pawn shops and music stores. Without any means to record multiple tracks digitally, he would gamble on Sony's new Mini-Disc technology. Here he would learn the art of "bouncing" tracks digitally, and start his career as an audio engineer.
It was also during this time, that Wrekk and associate Carlos Miranda began working for a fledgling phone company by the name of Smoke Signals Communications. Witnessing the company's quick success, Wrekk started formulating a marketing plan to target the hip-hop community. After presenting the idea of a Rap commercial to executives within the company, the green light was quickly given to him to produce a radio spot. That very night, he would write, produce and record a commercial that would later be played in heavy rotation on KBXX "97.9 The Box". Due to its immediate success, the company contracted Wrekk and Miranda to write, produce and perform multiple spots that would later air on TV.
[edit] Demo recording
In 2000, Wrekk and Miranda would pioneer their way into the digital medium, by being one of the first to open and operate a small PC based demo-recording studio (MediaTekk) inside the Trading Fair II Flea market on the southeast side of Houston. Given access to record such high quality demos at an affordable price, the underground artists in the area were introduced to a whole new way of recording demos.
[edit] Mix Tape Innovation
Seeing the emergence of the underground Chopped and Screwed scene, started by Dj Screw, Wrekk would take on the name "DJ Wrekk" and start up his own underground label "Wrekknball Entertainment", and begin to distribute his own style of mixtape. Determined to separate himself from such competitors such as Swishahouse, Beltway 8, OG Ron C, etc., Wrekk would begin exploring new ways to chop and screw music. Feeling creatively limited by such conventional methods of using turntables and a mixer, he would try his hand at using the latest in DAW software. Being no longer limited to mixing in real-time, he took full advantage of the DAW capabilities and became one of the first to introduce multiple chops, as well as chops that panned left and right. Wrekk would go on to produce and distribute over 20 underground titles within the Houston and surrounding areas.
[edit] Engineering, Producing and Video
While running Wrekknball, Wrekk would get picked up by Dream On Records, where he would co-write, engineer and produce the Family Unity Over Money project. The album would feature the likes of such Houston legends K-Rino and Wreckshop Record's D-Gotti.
During his tenure at Dream On, Wrekk would produce one of the first Chopped and Screwed video shows "The Wrekk Site". Unfortunately, with very little support or distribution, the show never gained notoriety and production ceased after only two episodes. As fate would have it though, a copy of the show would fall into the hands of Bigtyme Recordz CEO Russell Washington. Having already produced the likes of UGK, DJ Screw, E.S.G., Point Blank, PSK-13, 20-20-Life, and Bigtyme's own "Banned" video series, Russell would now seize the opportunity of producing his own chopped and screwed video series, by bringing Wrekk on board as his full time editor.
[edit] Present
At present date, Wrekk is running another demo-recording studio (Demotrax) with co-owner Carlos Miranda on the southeast side of Houston.
[edit] Production
- South Park Mexican - Hustle Town, Dopehouse Records, (1998) (demo & technical consultant; song: "Block of Rock")
- Smoke Signal Communications - Radio Spot, (1998) (writer, producer & rapper; song: "The Smoke Has Cleared")
- Smoke Signal Communications - TV Spot 1, (1999) (writer, producer & rapper; song: "Time to Change")
- The Cabinet - Family Unity Over Money, Dream On Records (2003) (engineer, co-writer, producer & rapper; album)
- D-Gotti - HollyHood: Survival of the Grittiest, Wreckshop Records (2003) (co-producer, engineer & DJ; album)
- Lucky Luciano - You Already Know, Dopehouse Records (2003) (technical consultant, co-engineer; song: "Swervin a Suburban")
- Thugstar - How U Luv Dat, Knockout Records (2003) (DJ, technical consultant & graphic designer; album)
- Creation Garifuna - Self Titled, Valentine Records (2003) (engineer & graphic designer; album)
- Big Juice - Thugism, Dream On Records (2004) (engineer, co-writer & producer; song: "We Thuggin")
- Big Juice - Thugism, Dream On Records (2004) (producer; song: "Never Snitch")
- The Cabinet - Block Bleeders, Dream On Records (2004) (producer; song: "How We Roll")
- Baby Bash - Super Saucy, Dopehouse Records/Universal Records (2005) (technical consultant; song: "Step In Da Club")
[edit] Mix Tapes
Wrekknball Ent. (2000-2003)
- Demolition Vol. 1
- Demolition Vol. 2
- D3
- Southern Flow
- Day of the Kappa: Wrekk This!
- Face to Face 1
- Face to Face 2
- Face to Face 3
- Face to Face 4
- Face to Face 5
- Face to Face 6
- Crushed Down
- Ride To This
- Wrekkanize Game
- Soul to Soul
- Grain Grippas & Syrup Sippas
- H-Town Still Holdin
- X-Ray & Wrekk: 2k2 feat. Lil Flip
- Swangin on the Seawall
- The Chill Facta
- Don't Call It a Comeback
- Can Ya Smell What Gunz Is Cookin
- Wrekk & DJ Chill: Ice Cream (Limited Release)
[edit] TV and Video
- Dopehouse Records - "Latin Throne DVD", (1999) (cameraman : "Los Magnificos Car Show")
- Smoke Signal Communications - New To Houston TV Spot, (1999) (actor)
- Smoke Signal Communications - Time to Change TV Spot, (1999) (producer & co-editor)
- Wrekknball Entertainment - The Wrekk Site, (2003) (producer, director & editor)
- Dream On Records - My Life, (2003) (director & editor)
- Wrekknball Entertainment - The Wrekk Site 2, (2004) (co-editor)
- Bigtyme Recordz - Screen Action Vol. 1, (2006) (editor & consultant)
- Bigtyme Recordz - Screen Action Vol. 2, (2006) (editor & consultant)
