>> I want to see everybody win.

I want to see everybody prosper.

I don'’’t care who you are.

So that'’’s pretty much what I want my legacy to be.

I don'’’t know, I guess on my tombstone or whatever, "Here lies DJ Kool, somebody who really gave a damn," you know what I mean?

And somebody who gave it everything he had, no matter what.

♪♪ >> Welcome to "DMV: The Beat."

Hip-hop and go-go pioneer, legendary party starter, always repping his city, this is the story of DJ Kool.

>> This neighborhood right here, this neighborhood right here means everything to me.

Southeast.

This where the whole DJ Kool thing started.

Right here.

This is where I produced my first records at, everything, right here in this house.

I don'’’t know who live there now, but I think I left a whole lot of good stuff in there, myself, my mother, my father.

We played a lot of touch football right there, you know, from light post to light post.

Those was our goal posts.

We sat on this corner right down here.

Come on, follow me a little bit.

You know, y'all D.C. people know what joning is.

In other places, they would call it snapping or cracking on somebody or whatever.

Well, D.C., we call it joning.

Right there on that corner right there -- Actually, that brick, that particular brick wasn'’’t there then.

It was a different structure, but right there on that corner, many a good joning sessions, boy.

Many people got joned out right there, including myself.

[ Laughs ] So you either had to be the one doing the joning, you know what I mean?

Like, going back and forth or sat back on the sideline laughing at people getting joned on, and then they would come round to you.

"Oh, what you laughing at?

Your mother, son, son, son," you know?

So, many a days, man, right there.

My best friend grew up right over there.

Well, not that particular apartment, but a couple of apartments down right here.

This is K Street, and all my friends, man, all up and down here, all down there.

My name, DJ Kool, came from sports.

It came from basketball.

Shout-out to Budzo and Jody.

If they still here with us, those were some cats that I played with.

I think the team was -- We were playing for the Immaculate Conception, I think at the time.

And back then, some of my earliest sports influences were people like Magic Johnson and people like that.

So I couldn'’’t just come down the court just regularly.

I had to go between my legs, behind my back, do a spin, this and that.

And so these guys Budzo and Jody, they said, "Man, look at that.

Cool MF coming down the court.

Look at that cool MF coming down the court," right?

So I was like, "Oh, for real?

So I'’’m cool?

Alright.

So I'’’ll be cool, and I'’’ll spell it with a K." When I became a DJ, I just decided to call myself DJ Kool.

I think the first time that I felt that music was impactful to my life was I was starting to go to clubs, and I heard a DJ named Maniac McCloud.

And this dude was incredible.

Mixes were seamless.

His mic game was incredible.

And I'’’m like, you know what?

I think that'’’s what I want to be.

So I start studying him I guess the same way you can say that Kobe studied Jordan or something like that, you know what I mean?

He took me under his wing.

He never sat me down and showed me, "Alright, Kool, you do this and you do that."

I just used to always come to the club, and I would watch him, and then I would go home and practice some of the mixes that he'’’d done.

And then I said, you know what?

Okay, I did it his way.

Now I want to put my little spin on it and do it my way.

And so eventually I kind of evolved into my own thing, which is, I like to say I'’’m Maniac McCloud 2.0 is what DJ Kool is.

My life before 1996 was pretty busy.

I been -- I started as a DJ in 1977, as a mobile DJ, as they call it.

I was working for a company called the Sound Service.

Shout out to Dr. Ashton Greaves.

He was the one that brought me in the game, and I worked with the Sound Service for two years.

And then I got approached by a guy named Richard Jefferson, who was in the club, working at a club called the Paragon Too.

And he happened to catch me at one of the Sound Service gigs, and he was like, "Kool, you'’’re good enough to be playing in clubs.

I'’’m getting ready to leave the Paragon."

Paragon Too used to be up in Northwest D.C. back in the late '70s.

"I'’’m getting ready to leave the Paragon.

Man, you need to come up there and take my spot."

I go to Paragon Too in 1979, and that was my first club.

And I started in the clubs in 1979.

I worked in every major urban club.

in the district, between D.C. and Maryland, from '79 to '96.

One time, I was working seven nights a week.

>> Hit me with your horns, man!

Unh, unh, DJ Kool!

Uno, dos, tres, come on!

>> Hands up.

Come on.

Everybody in the club, hands up.

Come on.

Don'’’t stop.

Let'’’s go.

Hands up.

Come on.

Somebody say ho!

>> Ho!

>> Yeah.

Yeah.

I heard it was a party going on.

If a party going on in here, let me hear you say yeah, yeah.

>> Yeah, yeah.

>> Where the party at, y'all?

Oh, I heard it was a party going on.

If the party going on in here, let me hear you say oh, yeah, >> Oh, yeah.

>> Now scream.

Come on.

Now if y'’’all come to rock and you know that you wanna rock right now, somebody say we wanna rock right now.

Come on, y'’’all.

>> We wanna rock right now.

>> I said, if y'’’all come to rock and you know that you wanna rock right now, let me hear you say we wanna rock right now.

Come on, y'’’all.

>> We wanna rock right now.

Somebody say party over here, ain'’’t nothing over there.

>> Party over here, ain'’’t nothing over there.

>> Say, party over here.

Ain'’’t nothing over there.

All of y'’’all say ain'’’t nothing over there.

Come party right here.

>> Ain't nothing over there.

>> It'’’s this club that used to be in South West called the East Side, and they kept telling me about this DJ that was there, and I wanted to -- I wanted to hear him play.

And it was -- I don'’’t know what year it was, but it was a Thanksgiving night, and I was -- I believe I was like 17 years old at the time, 16, 17, something like that.

And I went down to the club, and I knew I wasn'’’t old enough to get in the club.

But, you know, if I -- I'’’m that type of person, you put me in the right situation, we gone make something happen.

So I don'’’t know how I did it, but I end up talking to the owner and manager of the club, and I won him over, and he let me in.

I never told him how old I was, but we talked and had a good time.

He let me in, and then I saw something that blew me away.

I saw a DJ that just took complete control of a crowd and turned this party upside down, and I had never seen anything like that, and that'’’s what I wanted to do.

I'’’ve been DJing high school parties and all this other stuff, but it was something missing, and it was that mic work and the way he just commanded the crowd.

I was like, yo, this is incredible.

So I started adding that to what I was doing, but I really wanted to meet him.

And so I had heard about him spending every other Tuesday night at the East Side.

Now, remember, I'’’m still in high school.

And so what I did was, it was a school night, Tuesday night, and I took my mom'’’s car.

I pushed it out the -- I pushed it out the driveway and pushed it down the street, stole my mother'’’s car, went to the club, talked to the manager again, got in, went to the DJ booth while Kool was playing.

He doesn'’’t know me from nothing, and I bust through the door.

Boom!

"What'’’s up, doe?

My name DJ Flexx, and I'’’m trying to get on."

And Kool looked at me and just bust out laughing.

He was like, look at this guy here.

And it was -- It was funny.

He couldn'’’t believe that I had the balls to come down and bust into -- while he'’’s playing and say, "I want to get on."

And he laughed at me, but he saw that I was determined and he gave me a chance.

He said, "I'’’ll tell you what.

You come back in two weeks, and I'’’ll let you guest DJ for me."

I practiced for two weeks straight.

"Oh, man.

I'’’m-a crush.

I'’’m-a crush.

I'’’m-a go in there.

I'’’m-a do it."

I had my whole set ready.

I come back, steal my mother car again.

I'’’m ready.

I get in the club.

I got my -- I got a whole crate of records.

I get in there, and I'’’m ready.

I'’’m ready.

And -- And he didn'’’t tell me that there were gonna be another opening DJ, guest DJ that night, DJ Special K. So Special K gets on before me and plays everything.

I mean, he got the crowd going.

My whole set, I'’’m watching it evaporate in front of me.

And I'’’m like, "Oh, my gosh.

What am I gonna do?"

Then it was my turn to get on, and I bombed.

It was the worst set I'’’ve ever had in my life, 'cause I'’’d never been in a situation where I had to adjust to the crowd and go a different route.

I didn'’’t understand how to call an audible at that time.

So I was a very young DJ, and I bombed really bad.

I was crushed.

I was mortified that everybody just cleared the floor, and then everybody'’’s looking at the booth like, who'’’s this guy?

Get him up out of there.

Get him up out of there.

And they got me up out of there.

And Kool came back on and went a whole different route and immediately had the party right back rocking.

And I was blown away.

And he told me, man, he said, "Young fella, don'’’t worry about it.

You going to be alright."

And that was the beginning of our relationship, and things went amazing after that.

Kool been in my life ever since.

>> Phew.

Triples nightclub.

He was DJing every week at Triples and I was a patron of triples.

I would always be at Triples.

Then he was at Quonset.

Then he was at the Atlas.

Then he was at the Ritz.

Then he was back at Triples.

And he was back at Triples one night, and I would always stand by the DJ booth, right outside the glass, watching him, looking at him, doing everything he was doing with those 16 to 22 crates that he would have in the DJ booth every week.

And I finally had the gall to walk up to him and say, "Can I help you carry your stuff?"

He was like, "Yeah, come on."

Went from helping him carry his stuff to learning how he set his stuff up.

Became the dude who would meet him at the clubs, be his roadie, carry 16 to 22 crates in the club, up the steps, get them in and set them right.

And one night when I first actually started doing it, I didn'’’t get it right.

And Kool said, "Take them all back down and I'’’m-a show you where I want them.

And you got to remember exactly how I want it, because that'’’s how I go about my crate set."

I had to take every last crate back down off the table and reset.

Said, "Now do it again."

What?

Said "A'ight, do it again."

What?

And it was like I didn'’’t question it because I wanted to learn, because I wanted to know.

I wanted to get it.

I wanted to be able to do it without him telling me.

He said, "So if you remember this, you set these up the right way, you can come work for me."

Bet.

Kept doing it, kept doing it, kept doing it, kept doing it, and finally he said, "Alright, come on.

I got you."

I went with DJ Kool to the clubs and followed DJ Kool everywhere I possibly could.

I was still in high school.

I was in the ninth grade, snuck into the club in the ninth grade.

And what was crazy is my mom would think that I was at my cousin'’’s house.

And my cousin'’’s mom, my aunt thought that my cousin was at my house, and we were sneaking out, and we were going to Triples, and we were going to the Quonset to party with DJ Kool.

But all along, I was going to work, and I was actually learning things as far as what I needed to know simple about setting up and listening to this man on the turntables, doing everything he did from start to finish, and being able to put it into my own work and create art.

>> I had other musical influences, as well.

Grandmaster Flash was a musical influence of mine as -- another musical influence of mine as a DJ, and Grandmaster Melle Mel was my first influence as far as being an MC is concerned, and that'’’s on my hip-hop side.

On my go-go side, our godfather, Chuck Brown, was my musical influence as far as go-go is concerned.

And so that'’’s why you get this hip-hop, go-go thing with me.

Like one side of me is hip-hop, the other side is go-go.

1996 is when everything started going to the next level, when "Clear My Throat" came out or "Let Me Clear My Throat" came out.

Um... That record right there has completely changed my life.

It made me from -- Well, I was already, I guess, a regional artist from 1986.

That was my first single that came out.

It was a song called "The Music Ain'’’t Loud Enuff: Pump Up The Volume."

We hit the Billboard charts, and we started running.

But it was regional success, and I pretty much had regional success all the way up to '96.

When "Clear My Throat" -- When "Let Me Clear My Throat," rather, came out, then I started having national success and then worldwide acclaim.

So that record changed my life.

And we still going to this day, Start out on the urban music charts, and now it'’’s turned to a pop record.

Record turn gold in two months after signing with American Records.

And right now, the RIAA is researching my numbers right now to see if this record is actually platinum or platinum plus.

I mean, it'’’s been 27 years.

Hey, yo, Thrill, hit me with the horns, man!

Let'’’s go!

Let'’’s go, let's go!

We live, y'’’all.

Everybody jump.

Jump, jump, jump, jump, jump!

I said everybody jump!

Jump, jump, jump, jump, jump!

Now, listen, some of y'’’all might know this.

Some of y'’’all don'’’t.

Get the hands up.

Some of y'’’all might be women.

Some of y'’’all won'’’t, but listen.

Let me clear my throat!

Get your hands up.

Oh!

Come on, get your hands up.

Have mercy, babe.

I hope you don'’’t mind.

Let me clear my throat.

Get your hands in the air.

Let's go.

Get your hands in the air.

Let'’’s go.

It go a little something like this.

[ Clearing throat rhythmically ] Now, y'all wanna party like we do?

Y'’’all wanna party like us, let me hear you say ah, ah, ah-ah-ah.

>> Ah, ah, ah-ah-ah.

>> The thing that I would like to say to all the up-and-coming artists coming out of this area is first and foremost, man, make yourself a student of the game, right?

Make sure you study your craft.

Now, alright, you got two choices.

You know, this can either be a hobby for you, or you can make it your life.

I chose to make it my life.

So, you know, whichever way you want to go, fine with me.

But if you really want to do something in this game, you got to dedicate yourself to it, so you got to make it your life.

I think on the spiritual side of things, I think you need to make sure that you have a good, strong spiritual base, because this is a very, very -- for lack of a better term, it'’’s a rough business.

It's a lot of stuff that goes on on this business that will really test your faith.

Alright?

So you need, at least in my opinion, I think you need to have a strong spiritual base.

On the business side of things, you need to make sure that you have good representation for yourself.

So many people have become a part of this industry and got screwed up solely because they didn'’’t have any good representation as far as business is concerned.

This is the music business.

And if I may quote KRS-One, "The word business" -- I'm sorry.

LL Cool J said this.

"The word business is bigger than the word music in that phrase."

You dig what I'’’m saying?

So make sure you got a good business manager and a good entertainment lawyer.

Those two people right there will save your life when it comes to this industry right here.

Because when you get yourself in a situation to where you have to sign paperwork, you better know what you'’’re signing, because if you don'’’t, you could absolutely sign your life away.

Many, many people in this industry have done just that.

A lot of them still doing it, believe it or not.

They'’’re young.

They'’’re excited.

"Oh, my God, you know, I'’’ll have a record deal."

Yeah, okay.

But you ain'’’t read that fine print that was at the bottom of the page, you know what I'’’m saying?

So you have to have somebody that can be able to read that for you and explain it to you in layman'’’s terms meaning everyday English.

>> When me and Kool get on the phone, you gone be on that phone for a minute, you know what I'’’m saying?

And it'’’s a beautiful thing.

Man, Kool call me, we gone be talking for about 30, 45 minutes.

And then we talk about everything, not just the music.

We talk about life, our struggles, our dreams.

You know, DJ Kool, you got to think, he don'’’t look his age at all.

You know what I mean?

And then to be an accomplished man at the age that he is, and he still talks about dreaming?

I mean, that'’’s amazing.

You know, he didn'’’t -- He feels like he'’’s got more to do.

He'’’s got more to prove.

And so do I.

And I get that from him.

And so I love our relationship, you know?

And the thing is, is that it'’’s so tight that it doesn'’’t matter what each other is doing.

We might be doing a party.

If I see his name pop up on my phone, I'’’m answering it, and he'’’ll do the same for me.

He might be getting ready to go onstage on a show.

He'’’ll be like, "Yo, I'’’ll hit you right back when I finish."

But that'’’s -- We don'’’t do that for everybody, you know what I'’’m saying?

I be like, I just hit you back, send you to voicemail or whatever.

Well, voicemail, don'’’t nobody answer voicemails no more.

But I'’’ll make the call go away.

But for Kool, I'’’m always gonna pick up.

>> DJ Kool is a force to be reckoned with.

Always has been.

And anytime that somebody might sit up in a cast or he'’’s done, Kool say no and would show that he'’’s not done.

He'’’s done that throughout the course of the last, I would say 5 to 10 years just letting on.

He came up with a line dance song, that "Cha Cha Cha," which kind of like ruptured even through the time of us going through COVID.

He still has songs like "The Music Ain'’’t Loud Enuff," like "Clear My Throat" that'’’s worldwide, that has been played -- It'’’s been times when I'’’ve heard "Clear My Throat" at the Super Bowl, and I'’’ll text Kool, "Yo, they playing you at the Super Bowl."

Like, it'’’s times when you'll hear him at an NBA all-star game.

You'’’ll hear the music.

Kool don'’’t even have to be in the building for somebody to represent DJ Kool.

And it'’’s like, with him, he has always had that voice, that air, that attitude, that presence of people that nobody could ever forget.

And that'’’s worldwide.

Talking about nationally.

I'’’m talking about people of high stature will never forget the name DJ Kool.

>> Let's go!

>> ♪ It takes two to make a thing go right ♪ >> All the fellas in the place, sing along.

>> ♪ It takes two to make it outta sight ♪ >> All the independent women, where you at?

Come on.

Come on.

>> ♪ It takes two to make a thing go right ♪ >> All the fellas in the place, sing along!

>> ♪ It takes two to make it outta sight ♪ >> Ah, ah, ah, ah!

[ Rapping ] ♪ Now I wanna rock right now ♪ ♪ I'm DJ Kool, and I came to get down ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm internationally known ♪ ♪ That's Thrill on the microphone ♪ ♪ Because I get, we get, oh, he get ♪ ♪ Stupid, I mean outrageous ♪ ♪ Stay away from me if you're contagious ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm a winner, no, not a loser ♪ ♪ To be a DJ is what I choose-a ♪ ♪ Ladies love me, girls adore me ♪ ♪ I mean even the ones who never saw me ♪ ♪ Like the way that I rhyme at a show ♪ ♪ The reason why, I know you know, so let's go 'cause ♪ >> DJ Kool is like your favorite uncle that don'’’t drink.

You know what I mean?

He'’’s funny.

He'’’s incredible.

But he'’’s focused.

He'’’s very focused.

And he is very deliberate.

And he -- He strives for perfection.

He wants everything the right way.

And he knows what he'’’s worth.

>> When it'’’s all said and done, I guess I want my legacy to be of a person that believed in his self, stuck with it no matter what, and tried to make sure that I did things the right way, tried to make sure that I was a source of information and inspiration for the next ones, and just a person that want to see everybody win.

Like, for real.

I don'’’t have a hating bone in my body, I cannot -- I can'’’t do that, man.

You know what I mean?

I'’’m -- I don'’’t have that in me.

I want to see everybody win.

I want to see everybody prosper.

I don'’’t care who you are.

So that'’’s pretty much what I want my legacy to be.

I don'’’t know, I guess on my tombstone or whatever, "Here lies DJ Kool, somebody who really gave a damn," you know what I mean?

And somebody who gave it everything he had, no matter what.

>> I see another massive record for him.

I see him doing something that'’’s going to really change the industry again in a different way.

And I like the fact that it'’’s gone come from him.

He'’’s gonna pull off something that'’’s going to set the world on fire.

And then the fact that he'’’s -- that he'’’s a seasoned veteran, it'’’s gonna show you that it doesn'’’t matter how old you are or what'’’s going on in your life, don'’’t stop dreaming, and you can just shut it down.

And it comes from his heart.

I don'’’t know what he about to do, but I know it'’’s gone be big.

>> I just want to thank everybody for supporting me all of these years.

And I want everybody to know that I look up to my supporters.

I don'’’t even call them fans.

I call them supporters.

You know what I mean?

Because if it wasn'’’t for the supporters, it wouldn'’’t be no DJ Kool.

So I want everybody to know that.

And I'’’m just trying to be the best person I can be, the best entertainer I can be, the best father I can be.

Shout out to my daughter, Dominga.

Daddy love you.

She my world.

She know that.

Matter of fact, I'’’m doing everything that I'’’m doing now, I ain'’’t doing it for me no more.

I'’’m doing it for her.

And that'’’s it, man.

I'm just a old cap from Southeast, you know what I mean?

When I say freeze, stop on a dime!

Freeze!

To all the ladies in the place, if you got real hair, real eyes, real fingernails, you got a job, you going to school, you a good mother, and you don'’’t need nobody to help you handle your business, independent ladies, make some noise!

So check the flavor of the rhythm I wrote.

And while I got a chance here, let me clear my throat!

Oh!

Let'’’s go, y'’’all.

Have mercy, babe.

Ha!

I hope you don'’’t mind.

Let me clear my throat.

Get your hands in the air.

Let's go!

Get your hands in the air.

Let'’’s go.

Come on.

It go a little something like this.

Now I need some help from the maestro, play it.

♪♪ >> And the beat goes on.

Thank you for watching.

>> Somebody, anybody, everybody in this joint, make some noise in this joint, man!

>> This program was produced by WHUT and made possible by contributions from viewers like you.

For more information on this program or any other program, please visit our website at whut.org.

Thank you.