Time of His Life

Monroe Walker was all of 24 when he came across a young emcee by the name of William Adams in the early nineties.

Monroe Walker was all of 24 when he came across a young emcee by the name of William Adams in the early nineties. A DJ known in the pop circuit in Los Angeles,Walker was taken in by Adams enthusiasm to learn music from him. He was pretty young at that time and I taught him all about technique,music production and pop music,all before he became the famous Will.I.Am of the band,Black Eyed Peas, says Walker aka DJ Motiv8,who spins a yarn as fast as he spins a turntable. In India for the first time,Walker had his maiden gig at Kava Lounge on Friday.

A jet-lagged Walker kicks off the conversation by sharing how he is the official DJ of Black Eyed Peas and that he was also a mentor to this Grammy award-winning band. His statements sound surreal and while he still spins the turntable for them,Walkers now in search of his own identity. I have had enough of non- stop touring and concerts. Now,I wanted to be known as me,DJ Motiv8,someone who motivates people to dance,to feel the music,to release the energy, says Walker,calling himself an entertainer and performer.

There was a time when he,along with Dante Santiago,Will,Apl De Ap and Mookie Mook,formed the Atban Klann (A Tribe Beyond a Nation),a hip hop group and also produced an album Grass Roots. But it was never released,as Ruthless Records founder Eazy-E,who had to do the honours,passed away, says the musician.

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After playing with Black Eyed Peas all these years,Walkers now moving on,just like his sound. I am working on my first independent DJ Motiv8 project,which is an upcoming album with hip-house music, says Walker. While the Brazilian sounds will also influence it,Walker,these days,is all ears when it comes to Indian music. Its the funkiest sound Ive ever heard. The rhythm,the sound,the percussion,the vocals and rap,Indian music is amazing, says this

new fan.

He has deejayed for Kylie Minogue,Madonna (Ray of Light album),Billy Idol and the Coors,is the drum programmer on ‘N Sync’s hit song Drive Myself Crazy from their first album,and is producing/co-producing tracks for both Taboo,Apl De Aps and Fergie. He is also the only featured scratch DJ for the Black Eyed Peas. In between all this,Walkers working towards giving the DJs a respectable name. In the US,being a DJ is not a respected profession or good career choice,as many associate it with drugs,booze,sex and partying. Also,there arent many DJ schools. I want people to look at Djs with respect,to take up the profession seriously and to make a business of it just like I did. It is a DJ,who picks an artists song and amplifies its popularity by playing it at different venues, he says. In the same spirit,Walker has developed a talented collective of DJs,MCs and visual artists officially known as the Universal Scientists Crew,who are into creating,pioneering,developing and taking hip hop,drum and bass to new places. I now want my music to make it to the movies,as the motion picture soundtracks are appreciated and there is growth there, he says.

The resident DJ at Hollywoods famous club The Highlands located in the Kodak Theatre Complex,also the home of the Academy Awards,Walker remembers how he wished for turntables when he was 15. And that christmas I got them,and have been playing them ever since, he says.

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