When he isn't on tour with Jay Z, or rocking the stage at Glastonbury, DJ Neil Armstrong works on bringing hip-hop to the masses. He's currently doing it in India
When he isn't on tour with Jay Z, or rocking the stage at Glastonbury, DJ Neil Armstrong works on bringing hip-hop to the masses. He's currently doing it in India
It's hard to come up with questions interesting enough for DJ Neil Armstrong. The primary reason for this is his
relationship with arguably the world's greatest contemporary rapper. When you share a stage with Jay Z you are, more often than not, exposed to more questions and answers than your regular DJ down at the local pub.
The spin doctor
Still, for what it's worth, I ask Armstrong -- currently in India on a three-city tour -- what drives him to spin tunes for people he presumably knows little about. "The importance of a DJ is his connection and how he reads the crowd," he replies. "In this case, I have to do a bit of research. The cool thing is, even if people don't speak the same language, they can always rock to the beat."
This shouldn't be too hard for him, considering he's rocked a number of rather glamorous stages, sharing space with everyone from Rihanna and Kanye West to Neil Young, Coldplay and Linkin Park. It's still his work with Jay-Z that intrigues me though. The rapper has turned to bhangra in the past, by collaborating with Punjabi MCs. I ask Armstrong if he has ever incorporated Indian music into his sets. "The Punjabi MCs song was influenced by an American, who was influenced by what the Indians did to it," he points out. "I have been exposed to bhangra, and have actually DJ-ed at a couple of Indian weddings."
ADVERTISEMENT
Hitting the nail hard
Keeping in mind the way people listen to music has changed dramatically, I ask Armstrong if this makes things easier for him -- in the sense that audiences are more aware of other genres -- or harder, considering he has to do more to surprise them. "You hit the nail on the head," he admits. "The vast tastes of an audience make it harder and easier at the same time."
Little wonder, then
He isn't very forthcoming when asked about Indian musicians he would consider collaborating with, primarily because he admits to not knowing any of them. Before he heads to his turntable though, I ask him to pick the most exciting tune he's heard recently. "I avoid listening to music on my off-time," he says, "but when I do, I pick older stuff like a track by Stevie Wonder called Another Star, off his album Songs In The Key of Life. As for new stuff, a guy called Frank Ocean seems to be making a lot of noise in America.' Considering where the recommendation is coming from, I intend to check him out.
-- DJ Neil Armstrong performs at F Bar in Delhi on June 4.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
