The Big Boom is presented by Fort Knox Recordings, Capitol Hemp, and TVD, Sunday, July 3rd (9pm – 3am) at U Street Music Hall. Come celebrate your freedom with us and DJ Nu-Mark!
Globetrotter and journeyman deejay DJ Nu-Mark took a moment to give us the lowdown here at The Vinyl District. Coming directly from Asia for a rare appearance, Nu-Mark will be part of The Big Boom 2011 at U Street Music Hall, Sunday, July 3rd. He’ll be joining Fort Knox Five, Asheru & Mustafa Akbar, See-I, and Rex Riddem to celebrate our independence.
Tell me how DJ Nu-Mark—your origins, the name, the musical style, etc.—came to be?
I’m from Los Angeles and started out as a drummer at around 7 years old but got into deejaying around 13. Every aspect of Hip-Hop was brand new and extremely enticing. I joined a DJ crew called Productions, and came up with Nu-Mark because I was mixing on one of their mixers. I figured my name is Mark… so just go with it.
Is there any ritual in which you partake before a performance?
No rituals because everything changes show-to-show. I basically just make sure my gear is working correctly and have a good time.
What’s a life in the day of DJ Nu-Mark like?
Well lately it’s been setting up my debut album Broken Sunlight. Getting my first video finalized, scheduling my singles for the year, and dealing with artwork. From time to time, I like to BBQ and hike… but been pretty focused on business lately. Just launched unclenu.com as well!
Was the Jurassic 5 breakup a bitter one?
For me it wasn’t. I really wanted to keep rolling with the group because I thought we were a viable brand, but we were together for fourteen years, and a lot of things change in that time. The experience was invaluable, and without J5 there would be no me now.
Who’s currently on your turntable (or your iPod)? What are you listening to now?
A-Skillz, TiRon and Ayomari, Pac Div, etc. I always have my Brazilian, Cumbia, and Afrobeat joints around for my sanity.
For what country, city, or venue would you perform over and over again?
Austin, Texas forever. I love playing Amsterdam and the UK. Manchester, England is a super hip city and up on their records, so it makes it both challenging and educational.
If you were (or are) mentoring aspiring dee-jays, what three tenets they should go by?
Create and stick to [your] own style. Constantly dig for new music. And learn all types of music, not just the genre they’re attracted to.
What are your thoughts on hip-hop permeating popular culture and the way the media handles it?
Not sure, hip-hop always finds its way to the top, so I don’t really feel sorry for the genre in anyway. If hip-hop fans embrace you, then you’ve made it in my opinion. The hip-hop audience knows what’s real; after that you can experiment with any genre.
What’s your crystal ball saying in your near future (projects, appearances, etc.)?
Really, I just plan to stay steady in my production. Been so focused on shows lately, it will be good to get busy in the studio and release Heat! I want to produce for other artists in the future. I have a lot to share.
