DJ Nana
DJ Nana is one of those rare individuals who keeps his eyes and intentions focused on defying the status quo and conformity.
The days when hip hop culture and deejaying started seeping into mainstream media and popular culture seem so long ago. At the time, it seemed like an entertaining and exciting trend, but over the years that trend has become a facet of the art which rings false; a commercial cliché with no substance. In a time when the image of a DJ can be seen in fast food ads, when anyone with an mp3 playlist based on Top 40 tunes can claim to be one, it's literally fresh and increasingly rare when you come up on a cat who truly cares about the artistry of hip hop music, is knowledgeable about where it's been and has a keen sense of where he wants to take it. Toronto's DJ Nana is one of those rare individuals who is focused on defying conformity and constantly redefining the status quo. Says DJ Nana, "It's always been rebel music".
Born the second child of parents hailing from the West African nation of Ghana, Nana grew up a world away in the relatively quiet suburban city of Waterloo, Ontario. Despite his occasional reluctance (Nana refused to take guitar lessons early in his youth- something he now regrets), his parents encouraged him to get involved in music and extracurricular activities at an young age. Early performances with his sister on a TV variety show for kids as well as in school plays and multicultural shows uncovered a raw talent for performance, yet neither Nana nor his family imagined that music was going to shape his life as it has.
Quick to acknowledge that growing up in a town located one hour away from Toronto had its ups and downs, Nana feels he's stronger for it. Hailing from a smaller place meant fighting to breathe life into the local scene; it forged a rugged work ethic that has served him well as a mainstay in the T.O. scene.
Nana's rise began with spinning shows and an internship with now disbanded but much respected Figure IV entertainment. It proved to be a fruitful connect – he rose to the position of personal assistant to Figure IV manager Sol Guy, and lay the groundwork for future ill collaborations with the likes of Kamau and K'Naan, who he would later back up as a performance DJ.
It didn't take long before early affiliations with organizations like Figure IV and other Toronto artists such as Matisse, Rikoshay and Theology 3 began to attract attention, and soon Nana was a regular fixture at several prominent hip hop nights around the Toronto and Montreal areas. Word spread, and his unique sounds could be heard on shows like Much Music's Much Vibe. He was one of the founders of Toronto's Love Movement Mondays/Dear Hip hop jams and has played in integral part in the success of D6 Music, an emerging music company showing much promise.The list of accomplishments threatens to surpass this article's word limit, but rest assured, DJ Nana has been steady flexing innovation in any sector you can name. Whether organizing parties, selecting the music of the minute to move them, calibrating his cavernous beats or "blowing domes in the comfort of their own homes" through weekly podcasts, Nana is homing in on the music that matters most to him, regardless of genre, and striving to share it with discerning ears.
Anyone who has seen Nana rock a show live can give testament in advance – its no joke he provokes folk to dance. Always a dependable source for the real-time interpretation and synthesis of grooves which is deejaying, he's been honing his skills in some of Toronto's most respected hip hop nights for years and is no stranger to rocking a dance floor. His mixes rep the breadth of his listening, channeled through a lucid sensibility which is even in tune with the crowd he is moving and the necessities of the moment.
Getting at what drives his work is difficult - it seems deeply personal and is best described by Nana himself. "I think of myself as an innovator. I'm an artist, a DJ, a performer, producer, music supervisor, promoter and entrepreneur. My aim is to inspire others, bridge gaps and set new artistic standards of integrity infused with creativity". Those who are only familiar with DJ Nana in his disc jockey capacity have a lot to look forward to.
The recent release of Nana's first EP, entitled "543", begins a new verse in his career. Featuring artists Luke F.O.R.C.E., Tumi of Tumi and the Volume, Kamau, Lep Noel of Fatal Phonetics and MC Collizhun over beats both elegant and rugged, the EP represents DJ Nana's official entry into the production sphere, a move that's long been in the mail (he has been producing on an MPC 2000 since he was 16). The title holds numeric significance for Nana; it combines a nod to his change of area codes as well as to the number of children in his family and the pieces of equipment needed to deejay.
Nana's beats are well dressed. Understated, they let their texture and quality speak for them rather than try to fit into a style or label - evidence of his production values and overall beliefs about hip hop: "There should be no expectations – one should never expect anything, ever. Period. In my mind, one of the worst things to have happened to hip hop music and culture is the notion that it has to be received in a specific manner".
Citing a healthy range of influences from Bluenote classics like Herbie Hancock to contemporary innovators like The Roots, from The Streets to Madlib , DJ Nana's "543" EP represents the opening stages of a campaign. Showcasing a wide array of fresh MC talent and introducing Nana's honed production, the EP is a refreshing reminder of what is and ought to be important in hip hop music, at a time when it's essence is in danger of being steadily eroded by the tide of mainstream slop which has borrowed hip hop's look, its feel, occasionally its sound, but never its heart.
"It's always been rebel music;" DJ Nana reminds us, "rebel music goes against the grain, taking it to a whole other level. We make the rules".
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yeah yeah
SAY WORD!?thats my big brother ;)
Nice site
Hello, Your site is great. Regards, Valintino Guxxi
your name
as one of many Nana's.. just thought i'd give a supportive shout out..may your dreams come true..
big!
word up nana
nana da great
nana is the reason i love hip hop again! thanks nana your the best
p.s. bun a bronco