Behind the decks professionally for 4 years, Yung Cyber DJ began his career as the official DJ for local artists in Mamelodi. Moving on to club DJing, he now does signature hip hop nights in PTA, garnering a big following. Joining CapCity Records as the official Tour DJ for Blaklez, N’veigh and PdotO in 2012, he’s started to really make an impact within the growth of Cap City Rap City. HYPE got a chance to catch up with the DJ.
You started DJing professionally four years ago. What has the ride been like so far, working with the likes of PDotO, Blaklez & Nveigh ?
Its was always going to be challenging but working with them has been great they’ve been supportive since day one. I’m blessed to be part of the team
In terms of Cap City hip hop artists, we’ve been waiting for drops by Nveigh and PdotO for a long time. What are the challenges they’re facing in terms of releasing in your opinion? Everyone knows Cap City has some of the best artists in the country, but many of their careers don’t get off the ground in the mainstream. Describe the hustle working alongside these artists.
Releasing isn’t as easy as made out. Especially when one has a project they’re willing to maximize on. Certain procedures need to be in place before a release. We have graduated from street sales to being in nationwide stores. Accessibility of the music was always the problem, now we working on getting the music to everyone. The delay is caused mainly in getting dates from distributors. The albums are done, but until we get our story straight with distribution then we can’t compromise the diamonds we have at our disposal.
What DJ equipment are you working with?
I’m currently using the Rane SL3 (Serato Scratch Live) and Pioneer CDJ 800
What’s the worst misconception about DJs?
That we are players and we sleep around a lot.
Are you still doing your signature Hip Hop & R&B nights and where can people get more info on it?
Yeah I still Am and people can follow me on twitter(@YungCyberdj) or join my facebook page (YungCyberdj)
What’s happening on the scene in Mamelodi in terms of hip hop?
Hip hop has really grown in Mamelodi over the past few years. There are a couple of new DJs on the scene who are pretty nice with it and a couple of new rappers who are also pretty nice. I believe with more exposure the next best thing might just come out of Mams.
You’re still relatively young. What are you aspirations in the industry and where are you hoping to take your career in future?
I really wanna make a name for myself and to be counted amongst the best in the country but my biggest dream is to be like the Oskido of Hip Hop in SA.
DJs have become the artists in recent years. Fundamentally they always have been the ones to break records and help get artists out there. Are newcomers in jeopardy if DJs are more in the forefront pushing their own agendas? What’s your take on the new era of DJing?
I honestly do support this whole new era of DJing. It’s something that’s been around for a while; it’s just that people have only caught on to it now. And I don’t think newcomers have anything to worry about. DJ Speedsta did a song with Cassper when he was still regarded as a “newcomer”. As an artist I think you should just work on releasing good music everything else will fall into place eventually.
What is the groupie love like as a DJ?
[Laughs] Well it’s been a bit crazier than I thought it would be. Some of the things I experience on a daily basis especially when I’m in the hood is insane but the love and support has been great I must say.
What are your thoughts on the SA hip hop industry?
I’m happy with how the game looks, artistry wise. I mean we’re finally carving a sound that’s our own. For years we been victims of imitating the international sound, mainly cause we believed we’d have a broader reach. I think our rappers are now getting the memo. We are now making music that’s tangible to our people. In terms of the business side I feel like a lot can still improve. We are growing a culture of listeners who are now expecting free songs. The danger in that is once a consumer is used to getting music for free, by the time you try and sell it to them they won’t buy it. You look at artists who have like 80 thousand downloads on Datafilehost but no remuneration for that. Those downloads need to translate to sales. Trust me, beats and studio’s are expensive lately, but I reckon we’ll be fine. Soon I hope.
Vinyl VS digital?
Digital