{"id":1220,"date":"2010-01-07T00:24:26","date_gmt":"2010-01-07T06:24:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oldschoolhiphop.com\/?p=1220"},"modified":"2013-12-03T11:28:37","modified_gmt":"2013-12-03T17:28:37","slug":"redalert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.oldschoolhiphop.com\/artists\/deejays\/redalert.htm","title":{"rendered":"DJ Red Alert"},"content":{"rendered":"
DJ Red Alert is a member of the hip hop culture that is known for bringing the music to the people.<\/p>\n
He began his career as part of the Afrika Bambaataa’s<\/a> Zulu Nation and earned the reputation as a top notch DJ.\u00a0 At one point in the early 80’s, Red Alert’s equipment was stolen.\u00a0 Once he was able to get at new setup Bambaataa and other members of the Nation were moving to clubs in Manhattan.\u00a0 Red Alert continued to draw a following in Harlem.<\/p>\n Red Alert channeled his energies and musical talent into two daily shows on the nations #1 radio station, New York’s WQHT HOT 97.1 FM.<\/p>\n He has received numerous awards and accolades including a special award at the first annual Rap Hall of Fame\u00a0Awards show. The prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from IMPACT music trade publication for 1998 and the 1997 Mix Show DJ of the year award from GAVIN. In addition DJ Red Alert was named one of the 50 most influential people in music by Rolling Stone magazine. Red Alert is also featured in an exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. The only DJ of this era so honored!<\/p>\n He has appeared in over 50 music videos.<\/p>\n Red was reared by his maternal grandparents, who were from Antiqua.\u00a0 Red’s love for those around-the-way basketball games led him to his high school team at DeWitt Clinton. No doubt this is where he was dubbed the nickname, “RED”; for his red hair and alert response on the court. Red later received a college basketball scholarship. During the last of his high school years, Red hung out at the Saturday night parties thrown by Kool Herc<\/a> and Coke La Rock at clubs throughout the west Bronx. Red studied the style of music Kool Herc played and the way he blended the vinyl. On Fridays, Red found himself venturing downtown to check out star disco deejays, such as: Grandmaster Flash<\/a>, Together Brothers, and Pete DJ Jones.\u00a0 It wasn’t long before he was jammin’ at parties on his own equipment. It was important to be up on what was happening on the New York scene, so Red was now attending legendary parties throughout the Bronx.<\/p>\n Red caught Grandmaster Flash at the Back Door and the Dixie Club, Kool DJ A.J. at the Morehouse Center and Afrika Bambaataa at JHS 123. By this time, Red had gathered enough record selection and record spinning insight to teach his cousin DJ Jazzy Jay<\/a> the basics of the art. Jazzy Jay in turn introduced Red to Bambaataa. Bambaataa taught Red about rock, reggae and new wave music. Learning about the various styles of dance oriented music, Red soon became the deejay for Bambaaata and his Zulu Nation, joining the likes of Afrika Islam, the Soul Sonic Force, Grandmixer DST<\/a> and the Rock Steady Crew<\/a>.\u00a0 Through this association, Red began to spin records downtown at such clubs as Negril and Danceteria.<\/p>\n While deejaying at the Roxy, he met Barry Mayo, then program director of NY’s WRKS 98.7 KISS FM. A man of considerable taste, Mayo hired Red to inaugurate the “Dance Mix Party.” Red remained at 98.7 KISS FM for 11 years, becoming the top DJ at the station. During his tenure at KISS, Red became the first\u00a0individual to popularize dancehall music at a major radio station! Before you knew it, Red met up with producer Vincent Davis, of the Vintertainment Record label, through DJ Chuck Chillout, to produce Red’s First record, “Hip Hop On Wax, Volume 2.” (Part 1 was made by DJ Chuck Chillout of the B-Boys<\/a> and Part 3 was by DJ Born Supreme Allah).<\/p>\n