DJ Babu

DJ Babu
DJ Babu
Background information
Birth name	Melvin Babu
Also known as	Babu The Turntablist The Dilated Junkie Babs
Born	(1974-09-17) September 17, 1974 Washington, D.C.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupation	radio personality on Dash Radio.
Instrument	Turntables
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Stones Throw Records Nature Sounds
Website	Dilated Peoples

Melvin Babu (born September 17, 1974), better known as DJ Babu, is a Filipino-American DJ and producer. He is a member of the hip hop trio Dilated Peoples, with Rakaa Iriscience and Evidence. Also a member of the World Famous Beat Junkies DJ crew. Currently, he serves as the curator and host of "Soundcheck" for Beat Junkie Radio on Dash Radio.

Career

Babu is also a member of the Beat Junkies DJ crew, and together with rapper Defari forms the duo the Likwit Junkies. Babu, Evidence and Pharoahe Monch are featured in the song "H! Vltg3," from Linkin Park's album Reanimation.

In his early years, Babu lived in Oxnard, California for one year, and later moved to the neighboring city of Camarillo, he currently resides in Los Angeles County.

Babu has won multiple competition titles Including the Vestax World Championships and multiple ITF titles. As a revered battle DJ he has appeared in and hosted numerable videos. Babu is famous for redefining the art of Beat juggling during the 1997 ITF/Beat juggling category competition, when he first performed his "Blind Alley" routine. Under the name "The Turntablist", produced perhaps the genre's most popular battle record, 1996's Super Duck Breaks, which sold over 10,000 copies.

DJ Babu has also featured on numerous acts alongside groups such as Jurassic 5, Swollen Members and The Visionaries. Individually Babu has featured in many other groups.

Babu's latest endeavors include Dilated Peoples 2014 release of their fifth studio album, Directors of Photography with record label Rhymesayers Entertainment, which features tracks that were primarily produced by Evidence (musician) and Babu, with guest appearances from Vince Staples, Aloe Blacc, Action Bronson, Sick Jacken, Rapsody to name a few.

In 2014, The Beat Junkieshcrewave launched their own membership based record pool curated by the members of the crew, including Babu. At the top of 2015, "Beat Junkie Radio" began airing on Dash Radio, the station stars all members of the crew, but led by Babu, Mr. Choc, and Rhettmatic.

Duck Season Vol. 4 is set to be released in the fall of 2016.

Aside Babu's musical accomplishments, his hobbies also include photography, with Babu being noted for his "behind the decks" shots of his turntables with Evidence (musician) + Rakaa during live shows, as well as landscape shots of his travels around the world with Dilated Peoples.

Discography

Albums

• Super Duck Breaks (1996)
• Super Duper Duck Breaks (2000)
• Duck Season Vol. 1 (2002)
• Duck Season Vol. 2 (2003)
• The Beat Tape Vol. 1 (2007)
• Duck Season Vol. 3 (2008)
• The Beat Tape Vol. 2 (2010)
• "No Apologies" (With LMNO) (2010)

Featured

• "Wild Stylus" (1997) [Scratches – tracks: A2 to A4, B1 to B2]

Singles

• "Pay Attention" (2001)
• "Duck Season" (2002)
• "Fan Mail" (2007)

Production

• "Funky Duck" Wild Stylus (1997)
• "Service" Dilated Peoples (2000)
• "Phil Da Agony Interlude" Dilated Peoples (2001)
• "Proper Propaganda" Dilated Peoples (2001)
• "Pay Attention" Dilated Peoples (2001)
• "Hard Hitters" Dilated Peoples (2001)
• "Dilated Junkies" Dilated Peoples (2001)
• "Behold My Life" Defari (2002)
• "Behold My Life (Remix)" Defari (2003)
• "International" Chali 2na (2005)
• "The L.J.'s (album)-" Likwit Junkies (2005)
• "Alarm Clock Music" Dilated Peoples (2006)
• "Burn Big" Defari (2006)
• "Vultures" Defari (2006)
• "Rain or Shine" Evidence (2008)
• "C.T.D." Rakaa Iriscience (2010)
• "Eyes Wide" Rakaa Iriscience (2010)
• "Same Folks" Evidence (2011)
• "No Gunz Come Out" Defari (2013)
• "Lip Service" Defari (2013)
• "Curveball" Defari (2013)
• "Progressive 3" Vince Staples (2014)

External links

• DJ Babu interview
• Beat Junkie Sound