DJ Semtex

DJ Semtex (born John Fairbanks; 1974) is an English DJ, author, radio DJ and presenter of Spotify's Who We Be podcast. Between 2002 and 2018, he was presenter for BBC Radio 1Xtra's weekly hip-hop show.

DJ Semtex
Background information
Born22 November 1974
Manchester, England
GenresHip hop, grime, British rap
Occupation(s)DJ, broadcaster, author
Associated actsDrake, J Hus, Kanye West, Dizzee Rascal
Websitedjsemtex.com

Biography

Due to complications from lymphangioma at the age of 16, DJ Semtex had an arm amputated. He did not confirm this until his 2016 autobiography and previously refused to answer questions on the subject.[1]

He began his career by promoting parties in Manchester while playing at the city's music venues such as The Haçienda.

In 2002, DJ Semtex began hosting a Friday night show (21:00 to 23:00) on BBC Radio 1Xtra.[2]

He was Dizzee Rascal's official tour DJ in 2008, a role in which he also performed video DJing and scratching with his mouth.

As an interviewer,[3] he interviewed J. Cole shortly before the release of his debut album in 2010, DJ Khaled at his L.A. home in 2017, and conducted the only UK interview with Skepta upon the release of his album Konnichiwa.[4] In 2009, Drake's first UK interview was with DJ Semtex; Drake had a follow-up interview with DJ Semtex that went viral and was covered by Rolling Stone,[5] Billboard[6] and The New Yorker.[7] When Drake launched his ‘More Life’ project in London in early 2017, he discussed it with DJ Semtex.

His debut as an author, Hip Hop Raised Me (2016), was well received, with co-signs from Drake, Chance the Rapper, Ghostface Killah, and Redman. It has been translated into French, German and Italian.

In 2018, DJ Semtex announced he was leaving 1Xtra after 15 years working for the station and took his Friday night hip hop show to Capital XTRA.[8]

Launched in early 2018, Semtex is the host of Spotify's bi-weekly Who We Be podcast. The show focuses on hip hop, British rap, grime, and Afrobeats, including interviews with musicians. Past guests include Joe Budden, Future, French Montana, Giggs, Dave, AJ Tracey, and Davido.

Chuck D has said "DJ Semtex is a "generator of generations."[9]

References
  1. Oke, Tobi (11 October 2016). "A Lesson In Hip-Hop With DJ Semtex". Complex. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  2. Yates, Kieran (18 August 2017). "'Most stations wouldn't play half our playlist': 15 years of 1Xtra". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  3. Collins, Hattie (31 January 2009). "Hattie Collins on Wale and DJ Semtex's battle on the micro-blog". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  4. "Skepta's Top 5 MCs and Everything Else We Learned from His Rare Filmed Interview with DJ Semtex". Noisey. 12 May 2016. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  5. "Drake's 'More Life' Playlist Is Redefining Borders of Blackness in Pop". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  6. "Drake Says His Grammy Wins For 'Hotline Bling' Feel Weird Because 'It's Not a Rap Song'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 18 May 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  7. Battan, Carrie (21 March 2017). "Drake's Musical Wanderlust on "More Life"". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "A Lesson In Hip-Hop With DJ Semtex". Complex. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
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