DJ Shiftee (born Samuel Morris Zornow on January 27, 1986) is a New York City based DJ and turntablist.
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Zornow is the 2009 DMC World DJ Finals Champion,[1] the only American DJ to date to have won the DMC Battle for World Supremacy,[2] and the youngest champion to date (age 17 in 2003) to have won the DMC New York City Championships.[2] Zornow is also a member of the Lo-Livez DJ Crew,[2] and an instructor[3] at electronic music production and DJ School, DubSpot, both based in New York City. Zornow was a Keynote Speaker at Career Day at Seven Bridges Middle School, where his mother is the school principal, in Chappaqua, New York on May 14, 2010. Zornow mixed with DJ Craze at Club EVE in Miami on February 19, 2011 [4].
Zornow was born on January 27, 1986 in Scarsdale, New York to David Zornow, a lawyer, and Martha Zornow, a teacher who later became a school principal.
Zornow began DJing at age 13[5] after purchasing a set of turntables and mixer with money from his Bar Mitzvah. Entering his first competition at age 16,[6] Zornow continued on to win several competitions while in high school at Scarsdale High School in Scarsdale, NY. Zornow was runner-up at the 2004 DMC NYC Championships,[7] and stopped competitive DJing despite being inducted to the Lo-Livez crew.[6]
He attended Harvard University, the alma mater of his parents,[6] where he concentrated in mathematics and was actively sought to DJ campus events.[8] In 2007, Zornow returned to competitive DJing after a 3-year leave of absence,[8] winning the DMC Battle for USA Supremacy,[9] and subsequently the DMC Battle for World Supremacy.[9] After graduation from Harvard University, Zornow won the 2009 DMC World DJ Finals,[1] and was awarded the symbolic golden turntables and mixer.[10]
As an instructor, Zornow will be teaching a course in DJ History, Culture, & Technique[11] at Tisch School of the Arts as an adjunct professor starting in the summer of 2010. In addition, Zornow teaches DJing techniques, use of vinyl emulation software, such as Traktor Scratch, and has 2 courses devoted to turntablism techniques at Music Production & DJ School, DubSpot.[12]
Zornow is featured in a series of instructional videos titled, “Shiftee Salsa School of Scratch",[13] the January 2009 cover of DJ Times magazine,[5] and on BBC Radio 1Xtra.[14] He is also endorsed by Native Instruments.[15]
