About

My prior background as a DJ (from my early teens) emerged DJ Latif B. The Commander is a nickname my close companions gave me, as I was told, I Command the dance floor. Lol. My style, I'm Old School, a MixMaster, with...
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My prior background as a DJ (from my early teens) emerged DJ Latif B. The Commander is a nickname my close companions gave me, as I was told, I Command the dance floor. Lol. My style, I'm Old School, a MixMaster, with a few of my friends calling me "Super MixMaster." I was taught many years ago, that all of that scratching was meaningless if you wanted to have any longevity in the business. I can chop & scratch, I choose to stay away from it as in a club, or radio the crowd dancing wants to maintain a continuous flow of music, without having to skip a beat. Scratching has a tendency of throwing dancers off their rhythm. I save that for showboating on occasions. Realistically, I can mix or blend most anything. I really enjoy remixing music. My first record I started chopping and scratching was Frisco Disco, "Welcome aboard flight...," in Coop-City (Bronx, NY). We were youngsters all over the place fascinated with the craze that evolved into this Multi-Billion dollar industry. Back then, it was about beats that could move the crowd, with an MC that could spit rhymes and hype the crowd to stay on the dance floor. It's my opinion that today, the industry has gotten away from that, as a party today is to socialize, or screwface people, not get my dance on. Back then, a new dance came out every week or month, now, as a DJ, I don't even know what the latest dance is. Twerking? The Dougie? Lol  The music scene in my neck of the woods? I listen at a variety of music, as it is my livelihood is to be abreast of numerous genre's. In my vehicle, I play Old School R&B, HipHop, Slow Jams or Contemporary Jazz when I'm alone. With my wife we listen to the Motown era, (she and I enjoy that) and with my children, they keep me grounded in all the new music. I generally play Old/New School R&B, HipHop, Club, House, Reggae. I've played at Latin events with some Buchata and Meringue. My experience demonstrates that if you want to move the crowd, you can't go wrong with some Old School 90's music with a touch of the new stuff blended just right.  Playing sets with some of the big stars or mainstream artist is really fun! The energy surrounding the set is a high that no drug could ever encompass. I remember doing shows with DJ KID CAPRI, BIZ MARKIE, MR. CHEEKS (Lost Boys), Mel'isa Morgan, Mikey Destruction (formerly of The LA Posse & now with The Elements Of HipHop), with Video Music Box's Ralph McDaniels, and many others. I've opened shows for some of NYC's top radio DJ's like DJ Doc Martin of 107.5 FM WBLS, Tommy Allen (98.7 KISS FM). I've been behind the scenes with DJ Mike C, DJ Lance on shows with Christopher Williams, Jeff Redd, and Will Trax. All of those Stars are regular people, it's the crowd that brings forth the high levels of energy. I was on the worldwide internet radio station, www.harlemlanesradio.com, a station that caters to the Indie or Unsigned Artist. I have done showcases for these artist, and let me tell you, they bring about the same high intensity of energy that the other performers bring. Currently, I'm a MIXMASTER on 94.3 WYBC (THE RYTHYM OF THE CITY). Well I've already mentioned some of my mentors who really influence me,DJ Doc Martin, DJ Mike C, DJ Tommy Allen, DJ Lance, however, when you go way back to the origins, it was Grandmaster Flash, Grand Wizard Theodore, Phase I, The Disco Twins, King Charles, Pete DJ Jones, Red Alert, and Kid Capri. There was the Zulu Nation, Clark Kent, and a host of DJ's alongside numerous crews. The battles were about the power in the equipment, the DJ, then the MC. The park and Center jams were the best! Wow, those were the days! My influence remains that high I get from the crowd! Let me say this too, I refer to the feeling as a high, however, I have not had a substance to intoxicate me in 24 years despite being in this profession where alcohol & drugs are the norm. The natural feeling is just euphoric. Right now I'm listening to a MASTERMIX by DJ DOC MARTIN. I call him The Mad Scientist, the way he manipulates the music into one steady flow. I often listen to my mentors to gauge my work that I do. In the Future, I'd really like to do more spinning in clubs. Recently, i've played Vibz Uptown Hartford, Vandome Night Club (New Haven), LQ (Latin Quarters) NYC, Two Sha's Bronx, Stratford Inn Stratford, and a host of other venues and events. My next big venture will be ALLSTAR BASKETBALL WEEKEND AT BB KINGS NYC with the Aquarius Boys. I prefer playing both, radio and live DJing. The reason being is this, I'm a workaholic! I love to stay busy! In the studio you don't see me, and i get to go into my zone and do my thing undisturbed. Now on the other hand, being in the club presents with that energy that I feed off of the crowd. That high, that energy that pumps my blood to the point that when I go into that zone, I can see the crowd responding to everything I'm doing on the 1's & 2's. When I see that floor fill up to the point I see no wood on the floor, and it stays like that, wow! It's like this, the crowd is dancing, moving and grooving, nonetheless, I know they're watching me with their ears. I have to keep them in their rhythm, or make them go into a rhythm I want them in, hence the Commander! Sometimes it's an annoying person that appears to think it's all about them, and (because the system sounds good) they wanna hear their favorite song, and they're constantly requesting it saying everybody wants to hear it. News flash!!! NOT!!! The crowd is more important than the individual! I was hired to do a job that I've been doing for most of my life, so let me do my job! Let the record reflect that if I did satisfy your sporadic request that's to the left, while all is going right, the crowd is going to respond with, "what the hell?" Now it becomes a matter of "That DJ sucks" and not the person that just begged for that whack ass song sucks! I get that big laugh off of seeing that person storm away because, they didn't get they're way. BYE BYE!!! Lol. One of the biggest challenges I've ever experienced as a DJ, was this, I had a big going away party I was hired for, that had about 4 different generations in attendance, including multi-cultural. Had I known that in the beginning, I probably would've passed on the job. Not, despite not really knowing those circumstances until I arrived, and saw the crowd build. It turned out to be just fine, I played in sets for the Old Schoolers, the New Schoolers, Reggae, Club, etc. I just went to work with the ending result being that I hit it off!  I am available for all your party needs with no venue being to big or small! I can be reached via email at djlatifb@gmail.com for bookings.
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DJ LATIF B mixes with Serato

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