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Alex Mejia: is The Mastermind Elevating Northern California's Music Scene | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
Apr 2, 2024
Subscribe to Sway’s Universe for more 🔥: Dive deep into the heart of Bay Area hip-hop with this exclusive tell-all from Alex Mejia, the unsung hero whose behind-the-scenes magic lifted the scene to legendary status. From teen ambitions to industry icons, witness how his unwavering belief and relentless dedication ignited the careers of Bay Area giants like Sway, King Tech, and countless others. Unearth the roots of a cultural powerhouse and celebrate the integrity, innovation, and indelible impact of a true visionary. Don't miss this unparalleled glimpse into hip-hop history, only on Sway In The Morning. Want more epic content? Follow us on social media and check out our website for the latest in music, culture, and the voices shaping our world.
#WestsideRadio #BeatsHopeMovement #MusicMerchandise #IndependentRecordLabel #MusicIndustry
#BayAreaIcons #MusicMerchandise #MixshowDj #IndependentCareer #DjCommunitySupport
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Sway & Tech’s Bay Area Influence
7:17 - Alex Mejia’s Bay Area Legacy
11:58 - Spotlight on Alex Mejia
17:09 - The 10 O'Clock Bomb Explained
17:37 - Westside Radio Connection Explored
19:35 - Tupac and West Side Connection
24:20 - Twitch Community Building by Alex Mejia
27:34 - Connecting with Alex Mejia
30:10 - Alex Mejia DJ Mix Session
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0:00
and we got a juggernaut in the game with
0:02
us right now A Bay Area icon Northern
0:06
California pillar in this entertainment
0:09
business in this music business if it
0:11
was not for him there is so many
0:14
dominoes that would have never have
0:16
fallen I will say thank you to this man
0:18
today on this radio show broadcasting
0:21
worldwide for the vision that he had for
0:23
the belief that he had for the effort
0:26
the execution the commitment the
0:28
devotion that he had
0:30
towards me and my brother DJ King tech
0:33
for if it was not for him we would not
0:35
have been on radio we had a whole
0:38
independent career we was trying to
0:40
really set off at this time as teenagers
0:43
and keing Tech and I got a lot of doors
0:46
slammed in our face a lot of people said
0:48
no a lot of people in the Bay Area
0:49
didn't see the vision that keing Tech
0:51
and I had him being from Hayward by way
0:54
of Lake Merced in San Francisco then him
0:57
moving to San Jose and me being from
0:59
Oakland we are Bay Area born and bred
1:02
individuals but when we came on the
1:04
scene we were doing something a lot
1:07
different than the
1:08
conventional um way of people were
1:10
expressing themselves through music we
1:12
look different we dress different but
1:14
there is not one person in the Bay Area
1:18
that's more
1:19
Oakland there's not one artist in the
1:23
Bay Area that's more
1:25
Oakland than sway King Tech and and my
1:30
brother T Callaway give a round of
1:34
applause born in Oak in Oakland hospital
1:37
and graduated from an Oakland High
1:38
School and lived in the heart of 23rd a
1:42
in East Oakland and what we were doing
1:44
at that time we didn't even we had this
1:47
energy we had this vision for the bay we
1:50
wanted to bring people together and
1:51
celebrate this culture of Hip Hop and we
1:54
wanted to do it properly have to be with
1:56
Integrity with morals we wanted to be
1:58
innovators we wanted to be different you
2:01
weren't not supposed to copy people and
2:04
then benefit from somebody else's
2:06
creativity unless you gave them credit
2:09
or unless they were Affiliated to your
2:11
movement so we tried to do radical
2:14
differentiation the music that we made
2:16
was different the way we dressed was
2:19
different from who folks who dressed in
2:21
Oakland people I went to school with did
2:24
not understand what it was we were doing
2:26
but there was an individual who was in a
2:29
position of power in a position to
2:31
change lives I don't even know if he
2:33
realized it at that time because all he
2:36
wanted to do was Advance culture all he
2:39
wanted to do was open doors for
2:40
Independent Artists so Independent
2:42
Artists from Northern California can
2:44
have the same type of success that
2:45
artist from New York LA and other places
2:48
had he saw the gift he saw the treasure
2:51
and who we were being from Northern
2:53
California when I say we I'm not just
2:55
speak in s and tech there are a slew of
2:59
Bay Area artists that would not have the
3:01
opportunity that they received to become
3:03
the great people that they become if it
3:06
wasn't for him behind the scenes opening
3:09
doors wow it wasn't for him behind the
3:12
scenes poking people who were in
3:14
positions of power who did not
3:16
understand the culture okay it was
3:18
relatively new we're talking the early
3:21
late ' 80s early 90s they did not get
3:24
what was happening they weren't living
3:26
in the clubs he was DJing all the
3:29
popular Club from the East to the South
3:31
Bay I know I was there the first clubs I
3:35
went to was to watch him perform as a DJ
3:38
okay because he wanted to take me around
3:40
the Bay Area to show me the different
3:43
audiences that are out there that you
3:45
can appeal to but if you don't know they
3:48
there you won't know how to appeal to
3:50
them he had me dressing in slacks and
3:52
hard toe shoes with butting down rayon's
3:56
t-shirts going to clubs looking fresh
3:59
looking fresh really had me dressing up
4:02
the part I was probably some at one
4:05
point I think we were too young but you
4:06
he was sneaking Us in the clubs and then
4:09
he was the one that heard a song we had
4:12
called we want to rock you where King
4:14
Tech took theb 1200 and did some
4:17
phenomenal things as a producer um as he
4:20
truncated samples Loops um and made a
4:24
collage of medle and I was able to kick
4:26
a verse on and being from Oakland that
4:29
didn't sound like a style we heard from
4:31
Oakland at that time and he called the
4:34
label that was um on our Independent
4:38
Record and had no idea that the number
4:40
436
4:42
51436
4:44
6116 to All City Productions was my
4:47
bedroom in the back of my mother's house
4:50
on 23rd half that man um called us and
4:54
asked us about the record and asked us
4:56
about who we were and we soon showed up
4:59
to his house
5:00
I don't remember how we got his address
5:02
we might have looked it up in a local
5:04
phone book showed up to his house and
5:06
knocked on his door and brought him the
5:08
vinyl he shut the door in our face I
5:11
think he had somebody in the house I'm
5:13
not sure what it was um it was a long
5:15
time ago that part is blurry and we
5:17
stayed there and knocked back on the
5:20
door and said hey man my partner quit
5:22
his job this is pretty much all we have
5:25
what can you do with this can you listen
5:27
to the music and he brought us in his
5:29
home
5:30
and from there that man attached himself
5:32
to our lives and really assisted us we
5:37
he didn't ask for anything he just had
5:40
um a love for what it was we were doing
5:42
to this day this man is one he's our
5:45
brother he's our good friend the the the
5:48
collage the the Hall of Fame collage
5:52
tribute that we played on this air he
5:54
was behind that him and King Tech put
5:57
that together uh the visual image from
6:00
that collage that damn near made me cry
6:02
seeing pictures of myself and King Tech
6:04
and all of us in those Beginnings he was
6:06
right there Alex Mah used to make us go
6:09
to a dance studio in Alam um off a Park
6:13
Boulevard right upstairs dance studio
6:16
and he used to make us practice practice
6:18
practice and rehearse now we were
6:20
already Tech being a beat boy and we
6:23
were already accustoming me being a team
6:25
player to practicing but it really
6:28
taught us workmanship
6:30
in that in preparation I remember the
6:32
first show we did I don't know if you
6:34
remember this I think it was in ukay or
6:37
somewhere in that area first show we
6:39
ever did we had a routine and King Tech
6:41
do on the music and I was supposed to
6:43
come out and do my thing and I I got
6:45
stage fright and I stood next to Tech
6:48
behind him the whole time
6:51
rapping you choked I choked he was young
6:54
I was young I never didn't realize that
6:56
I'd never done that until the day
6:59
happened
7:00
and that man said let's go practice this
7:03
is how you got to hold your mic this is
7:05
how you got to address that audience and
7:08
I took that in that information as I
7:11
normally do collect that data and look
7:13
where we at 30 plus years later amen
7:17
salute to you salute to you ladies and
7:19
gentlemen I want to introduce to you one
7:20
of the most important people that ever
7:22
come out of the music business in
7:23
Northern California if it wasn't for him
7:26
a lot of these careers from E40 on down
7:29
wouldn't have the prowess that they have
7:31
today give it up for the one and only
7:33
Alex Mahia oh my goodness thank you so
7:37
much come on brother thank you so much
7:40
I'm about to tear the [ __ ] up that makes
7:42
both of us oh my goodness my brother
7:45
things we've seen yeah the dreams and
7:48
hopes that he had good to see you
7:50
Heather by the way good shout out to
7:51
everyone here at shade45 good to see you
7:53
guys here first of all your team here is
7:56
most excellent my brother thank you man
7:58
incredible my goodness can you believe
8:00
first of all I don't think I've been on
8:01
the mic for a big major corporation
8:03
since 1996 brother oh really yeah for
8:07
real and so uh I've just been putting
8:09
into the work doing all kinds of whether
8:10
making records or whatever uh
8:13
philanthropy amazing work there but uh
8:16
yo I have to can I just say something
8:18
about the team here absolutely that's PB
8:20
our videographer Tor Heather be it's
8:23
about the dream you have to want to do
8:25
it right you have to want it so bad and
8:28
I just want to clarify one thing so when
8:30
they when they came to my house I opened
8:34
up the door and King text says is this
8:36
KL and I'm like no this is not Cameo
8:39
this is my house my brother like and I
8:41
didn't want to and I was watching a
8:42
Chicago Bull game at the time that's
8:44
what it was and and so I was like you
8:47
know I was lost in the Jordan world
8:49
right then and I was like and I didn't
8:50
want to listen to to their music in
8:51
front of them and critique it at that
8:53
time but I was like thank you so much
8:55
for the record I appreciate it and I
8:57
I'll I'll talk to you guys I'll give you
8:58
a call after I listen to it so I close
9:00
the door and this is the part where it's
9:02
very important for anyone who's
9:03
listening to the airwaves it's very
9:05
important that they hear this just
9:07
because the door closed doesn't mean you
9:09
walk away they didn't walk away they
9:12
stood there they stood there and I
9:14
looked out the window and I'm like
9:16
they're still standing there and that's
9:18
when I opened up the door and I said yo
9:20
fellas what's going on and this is when
9:22
I heard his voice for the very first
9:25
time cuz it was all King Tech doing all
9:27
the talking and he's like yo
9:30
man my brother here quit his job to come
9:32
see you and bring you that record that's
9:36
when I knew they will give up everything
9:38
and anything to do it and I'm like and
9:41
and that's what I was doing I was
9:42
struggling as a DJ too yeah and I'm like
9:44
these are my people and you have to find
9:46
your tribe in order to fit in right
9:48
sometimes yeah and I was like come in
9:50
come in and I love music I also grew up
9:54
in Oakland California brother so you
9:56
know fille East 17th Street the whole
9:58
bit okay that's right salute to everyone
10:00
Oakland born and raised and fought in
10:02
Oakland by the way Heather you know what
10:03
I mean you fellas you know what I'm
10:05
talking about like knuckled up yeah so
10:07
luckily you know karate paid paid the
10:10
bills okay so so um but the thing that
10:14
was so beautiful about that when he said
10:16
that and they came in and I grew up on
10:17
Parliament Funkadelic and all the good
10:19
stuff you know Rufus Chaka Khan God
10:21
bless everyone from Oakland California
10:24
all the Michael Jackson everyone used to
10:26
come to Oakland Coliseum side and we
10:28
love music we fell in love with you know
10:30
Sugar Hill Gang like everybody else you
10:32
know we fell in love I fell in love with
10:34
hip hop you know just like everybody
10:35
else but that day that they knocked on
10:37
my door it was something different that
10:39
was the day I met hip-hop wow and when I
10:43
met hip-hop I was like it's necessary
10:47
for you to take your journey MH and I
10:50
could feel it when I heard that music
10:52
from King Tech and your voice The
10:55
Passion of it and it was different it
10:57
was New York it was la it was the bay
11:00
and it was a new sound and I we
11:03
absolutely loved it and I from that
11:05
point on we went to and luckily for us
11:08
we had a a coalition of DJs that's right
11:10
in College radio that would help new
11:12
artists develop and make their things
11:14
shout out to David Kev Kevin everybody
11:17
back in the day and it's interesting
11:19
because when Paul yeah Dave Paul all all
11:21
our friendsim Kim call that God bless
11:24
her M and all these people out there
11:26
just uh gravitated to just help them and
11:28
just give them an interview and that
11:30
helped you know their skills and
11:32
training but let me tell you it was an
11:34
honor to watch you grow and manifest
11:36
every day and just you just get better
11:39
and better at what you do and look at
11:40
you now I'm so proud of you man thank
11:42
you Alex man I'm proud of you brother
11:44
man this guy this guy has been it's
11:46
something to be said about people who
11:49
who uh put put other people's happiness
11:51
in front of their own you know and you
11:54
you've opened a lot of doors you know
11:56
for a lot of people coming out of
11:58
Northern California I often tell a story
12:00
about Keith nfle oh God bless him yeah
12:02
Keith nfle hired you right did he hire
12:04
you or yeah Keith Keith brought us in I
12:07
was actually the first mixer on K out
12:09
radio wow before everybody else and so
12:11
uh we all put audition tapes together
12:14
and I was just so lucky you know they
12:16
were like okay we're going to make you
12:17
prime time we're going to do this with
12:18
you we're going to do this and Heather I
12:20
go on and they're like okay we're going
12:22
to put you on at 2 amm you're going to
12:23
be working for free yeah cuz I wasn't
12:26
ready I was not ready but the door was
12:28
open for me and I was working hard you I
12:30
wasn't the big Club DJ like like so many
12:34
great like mind motion and DJ FX and all
12:36
those guys and Cameron Paul God bless
12:37
him rest your soul and Michael Erikson
12:40
and but I love production so I love
12:43
recording the shows and putting
12:44
everything together so uh that was my
12:46
skill and my train so when he heard the
12:48
tape that's what he heard so no matter
12:50
what you do in life you have to make
12:51
sure that you still figure it all out
12:54
you know okay maybe if I'm not here shy
12:57
in front of people let me take another
12:58
route but you just have to still put in
13:00
the work to get down with the get down
13:02
there you go man this is Alex Mahia and
13:04
I'm I want to get people to follow him
13:06
too at DJ Alex Mahia and you spell that
13:09
m e j i a Alex real quick you talk about
13:13
mix show you was the first mix show mix
13:15
DJ on KL where were mix shows as a whole
13:19
at that time uh I was influenced by Red
13:21
Alert okay uh God bless him um and uh
13:26
and Cameron and Michael Erikson and uh
13:28
gentlemen by name of Tony Valera but
13:30
mind motion and DJ FX would come on a
13:34
Friday night and be featured and so uh
13:38
their mixes they would do Mega mixes and
13:39
stuff like that so I was there was just
13:42
it was very rare when you actually there
13:44
was the format was not on radio it
13:45
wasn't it wasn't not really just just a
13:48
few stations Pockets full of them but
13:50
but those ones were doing it were doing
13:51
it well New York everybody was you know
13:54
they had their shows God bless Chicago
13:56
pH uh Florida everyone was doing their
13:58
thing but
13:59
Cameo broke the mole C broke the mo yeah
14:02
we broke the mole and made sure the DJs
14:04
at least when I got in finally in a
14:06
position of power to pay the DJs pay the
14:08
DJs for their skills and their training
14:10
I don't like it anymore when I hear
14:12
about DJs playing for free I can't stand
14:14
it yeah I can't stand it because of us
14:16
doing what we did please all those
14:18
programmers out there that are not
14:20
taking care of your DJs pay your DJs pay
14:23
them because if they're going to control
14:25
your uh million dollar billion dollar
14:28
radio station
14:29
you know it's like forance you give
14:31
someone the keys to the plane like you
14:34
you're just going to let going let him
14:35
just pilot that plane you're take care
14:36
of that person at least you know it's
14:38
skill and labor you know I'm Mexican so
14:40
that's what I'm saying take care of me
14:41
skill and labor I heard that pay the
14:44
pilot man pay the pilot and so uh we
14:46
broke a lot of areas in that world you
14:48
know so luckily but once again Heather
14:51
Heather I wasn't very good so I was
14:53
like was very good we doing that no more
14:56
you on at 2 A.M you here here now well
14:59
let's apologize everyone who Hadad of
15:00
time there was nobody who rocked a party
15:03
like Alex M I didn't even know what a
15:05
club DJ did until I saw what you do tell
15:08
the story of Killing Me Softly uh
15:11
Killing Me Softly uh God bless the the
15:13
Fuji uh let me see um just uh to make
15:17
sure that uh putting the Beats on it
15:19
what you talking about yes well we got
15:20
the we got the cassette and then you did
15:23
something really interesting to the well
15:25
the song needed more uh Vibe on it just
15:27
some energy to it right yeah so uh uh
15:30
put um top billion beats behind it you
15:33
guys know that beautiful record right
15:35
AIO yeah but uh so put all that stuff
15:38
back behind the beat and just made sure
15:40
we put that in uh just put a nice
15:43
introduction to it yeah so this is also
15:45
something we want to make sure that we
15:47
tell our artists make sure you make it
15:48
funky in the very beginning make sure
15:50
you bring in that energy with people you
15:52
know people are trying people are
15:54
working hard out there they're doing
15:55
their thing you know bring that energy
15:57
for br energy and hey we love Lauren
16:00
Hill and and W cleff and and pra right
16:02
we love them and so we wanted to make
16:04
sure that they broke through so by us
16:06
putting in all the work into the special
16:09
edits and remixes and all that stuff
16:10
help Elevate their career even for our
16:13
radio station yeah and our radio station
16:15
was the one to break that song The
16:16
People station the people 106 came first
16:19
Summer Jam that's where Summer Jam was
16:22
created let's start it yeah that Keith
16:25
uh adopted that name and uh luckily for
16:28
us we we'd have groups like uh hammer
16:31
two short uh Run
16:33
DMC uh Mariah Carey this is all Boys to
16:38
Men Boys to Men yeah two two days of
16:41
just everybody who's anybody was A Tribe
16:43
Called Quest everybody two days back
16:45
then two days yeah two days of a massive
16:47
concert shout out to everyone from the
16:49
bay area that L to listen and come out
16:51
to those and have even a wonderful food
16:53
fight from time to time yeah it was a
16:54
great food fight was always in the in
16:56
the big balls that they uh paused with
16:58
the the the beach balls uh we performed
17:01
there yeah you remember me and King Tech
17:03
performed and the 22,000 people stood
17:06
and it was amazing y I loved it it was
17:09
great I want to ask you about we we Alex
17:12
Maha was really great at identifying
17:15
local and Independent Artists and we had
17:17
a show called the 10:00 bomb yes sir we
17:19
was we that we broke so many we
17:22
specifically made that show for local
17:24
artists and Independent Artists and we
17:26
were able to break so many artists from
17:28
the loonies even Outcast um a lot of
17:30
these artists were coming we were able
17:32
to use that as a as a breaking ground
17:35
but you had an idea for Westside radio
17:39
specific yeah at that at that particular
17:41
time uh just uh the economics still to
17:45
this day still is not you know New York
17:47
is the number one Marketplace for
17:48
selling things right just just so
17:50
massive so beautiful we love New York we
17:53
love New York and uh but it just doesn't
17:56
give it just due to play everyone all
17:58
over the place yeah you know the quality
18:00
of workmanship of recording and artist
18:01
and all that good stuff and so uh we had
18:04
to create just more identity for those
18:07
artists that were making such an impact
18:09
on the west coast and so uh luckily for
18:12
us uh you know we have already had done
18:14
so much already you know uh but but uh
18:18
it was um for Westside radio was about
18:20
grabbing an artist from the west coast
18:22
and bringing him name to the radio
18:23
station and have them pick the music and
18:25
actually have them do the airwaves that
18:27
was the original concept yeah that's the
18:29
original concept and uh it was quite
18:31
beautiful and and sway just actually
18:33
just talked me into putting some of
18:35
those on the air recently so that's on
18:38
Mixcloud right now so uh it's it was a
18:41
great thing so you hear Cypress Hill for
18:42
the very first time in radio uh Westside
18:45
Connection E40 just and they them in
18:48
their own words just being themselves
18:50
you know like I get to take over this
18:51
radio station yeah do your thing and now
18:53
look at you guys you guys have it all
18:54
over your Airwaves here at Sirius XM
18:57
yeah I love it that's the way you do and
18:59
then it went to LA right and um Harold
19:01
Austin and those guys at 92.3 to beat
19:04
and then Julio G took it and made it
19:06
into something enormous yes enormous and
19:10
thank God he kept it going and the
19:12
Legacy kept going and from my
19:14
understanding they're broadcast getting
19:15
ready to create it all over again and
19:18
I'm looking forward to seeing what
19:19
manifests itself from that because it's
19:21
the it's it's it's it's it's interesting
19:24
to see where the West Coast artists are
19:25
at still right now because they've held
19:27
it down for a long time absolutely and
19:29
they keep they keep the money and
19:30
revenue coming in and I'm really apprec
19:32
I appreciate all that that's happening
19:35
and uh but I'm going swing it back to
19:37
Tupac that's the reason why Tupac did
19:40
what he did while he was on Riker's
19:42
Island and listening to uh Hot 97 he
19:45
heard home of hip-hop where hip hop
19:47
lives and all that stuff and he was like
19:49
okay I haven't heard Outcast I haven't
19:51
heard Ray love I haven't heard the
19:53
loonies I haven't heard Bone Thugs in
19:55
harmony he says this is not cool the e
19:58
ecomics is not right I'm a ride for the
20:01
west and to me that that he that was a
20:04
lot to put on his shoulders to say like
20:06
I'm riding for the west side so when you
20:07
hear him say Westside he really means
20:09
that [ __ ] he he really means that stuff
20:11
he's like because he wants just to be
20:13
acknowledged that for not just him my
20:15
apologies for the movement the culture
20:19
to move forward and and you must help
20:21
one another in order to really move
20:23
forward we see it all over the streets
20:25
right now people need help so you don't
20:27
deny my brother or sisters that are
20:28
doing music let them give them a shot
20:31
give them a shot the the the the famous
20:34
um Tupac interview that I got a chance
20:37
to sit and do Alex was with me he's the
20:41
one that recorded it he was right there
20:45
uh he really kind of orchestrated the
20:48
Whole Thing Once Lila called us and and
20:50
and we came down to um LA to do it he it
20:53
was him and I and it was Pac uhhuh it
20:57
was pac's idea yeah thank you so much
20:59
sway but it it was pac's idea he uh we
21:02
were doing Westside radio I said okay so
21:04
uh we want to uh do an interview with
21:06
him and I was calling the label and they
21:08
said he'll be about $25,000 for this
21:10
interview that's right they did say that
21:11
and I was like uh wait for a radio
21:13
interview yes for a radio interview 25
21:16
1996 but but remember he's a movie star
21:19
it he deserves it I don't care he
21:20
deserved it but there was no budget in
21:22
for that you know if if we could do it
21:24
sh hell yeah we could pay all our
21:26
artists that way if we had it like that
21:28
but we didn't have it like that we just
21:29
wanted to acknowledge and love him and
21:31
give him his flowers and uh they were
21:34
like no no no no no no no you need to
21:36
pay 25 Grand so I you know dealt with
21:38
all my politics everyone at the label
21:40
God bless them and uh just no one would
21:43
open up that door and I said okay I know
21:46
so Lea Steinberg who you just had here
21:47
by the way fantastic interview I said
21:50
can you get this message and letter over
21:52
to him and and she did she got a and by
21:55
the way famous letters artists out there
21:57
please still write letters to people
22:00
that you want things from or need things
22:02
from it plays such an important role
22:04
just like shock G wrote a letter to
22:06
Prince just and all that stuff counts it
22:09
really means something when you take the
22:11
time to do that wrote the letter to Pac
22:13
and then he said I want to do the
22:16
interview my way but we're going to keep
22:18
it a secret and so he sent for us and we
22:22
kept it on the download and because he
22:24
really wanted people to hear this his
22:28
message and also about the thing I just
22:30
spoke about economics and helping out
22:32
every everybody needs to so a lot of
22:34
people don't talk about that enough
22:36
about his uh plight for really trying to
22:37
help out humanity and the culture of Hip
22:40
Hop yeah he really just wanted to even
22:42
the playing field and uh and that you
22:44
did a great job on that interview sway
22:46
by the way I don't thank I wish I knew
22:50
then what I know now though I but but it
22:53
was the moment we were in the moment
22:54
yeah it was the moment yeah and uh and
22:57
Pac said his message out there and uh
22:59
when we rode for it you know we
23:00
understood his message you know and but
23:02
here's the here's the part that's
23:04
beautiful about what he did he dude I'm
23:07
talking about torch he's put in the
23:10
homework dude he started he played us at
23:12
least at least five to six records of
23:15
what he had coming in the future he's
23:17
like I got to have this War I got to do
23:19
this to even the playing field but I'm
23:21
going to go back I'm going to go back to
23:23
all the special things that you guys
23:25
love about me like U Dear Mama all that
23:28
stuff and he started playing us those
23:30
records like changes he started playing
23:32
us those records ahead of time you know
23:34
God bless Johnny J Johnny J who was also
23:37
there rest in power rest in power and
23:39
and and uh but he's like i' I've done
23:42
all these records already to come out
23:43
for the future so this is just a moment
23:45
in time and he said I'm just doing
23:47
hip-hop I'm just battling I'm and it's
23:49
on wax so let just everyone else just
23:52
needs to chill out and just let me do
23:54
what I'm doing here and CU I'm going to
23:55
swing it back around but we need to get
23:57
this money right
23:59
we need to make this happen and uh his
24:01
passion uh was real it was very real man
24:04
this is Alex Mahia man we I'm just
24:06
listening to this story go ahead torch
24:08
hit
24:10
him what's up y'all this is Tupac with a
24:12
fat plate of grits bacon and eggs tell
24:15
these people to get up he come on man
24:18
that's that day Alex um since then you
24:21
done a lot before you go into this mix
24:23
than tell me about this community that
24:25
you helped create on
24:27
Twitch oh my God the family of twitch
24:30
ladies and gentlemen I highly recommend
24:32
that everyone listens to all the DJs on
24:35
Twitch whether it's uh tweak music tips
24:38
VTEC uh icy Ice uh Grandmaster Flash is
24:43
on there Premiere has been on there
24:44
everyone has been on there God bless
24:46
them uh so many DJs uh that care about
24:51
music they didn't get a chance to as as
24:53
you said earlier in the in the show uh
24:55
they just wanted to reach out to their
24:56
communities and make people feel good
24:58
and that's what music does you know stop
25:00
looking at the numbers all the
25:01
programmers out there everyone out there
25:03
stop looking at the numbers and how does
25:04
it make you feel as you notice in every
25:08
generation of Music uh in every
25:10
generation if if if we were to all
25:12
listen to Queen we'd all feel the same
25:15
way yeah I said Queen yeah because we
25:16
know one bites the dust all that stuff
25:19
but the kid that's brand new to
25:20
listening that record first time he
25:21
going to feel exactly the same way you
25:23
felt when you hear that record so to me
25:26
especially for hip-hop and old school
25:27
hip hop it's Timeless it's Timeless so
25:30
all these radio stations all played as
25:31
new stuff you got to play the old stuff
25:33
with the new stuff and so and so these
25:36
DJs on Twitch they're playing everything
25:39
you can hear every format out there and
25:41
they're doing it for the love of music
25:43
and there's so many good DJs I mean
25:46
really really good DJs absolutely so uh
25:49
God bless all the DJs on Twitch and uh
25:52
and the the the platform creates a
25:55
system where we can give back so we've
25:58
been creating movements through beats
26:00
for hope God bless beats for Hope beats
26:02
for hope.com if you guys don't beat for
26:04
hope.com if you guys can get a chance
26:06
check it out so we were already doing
26:09
these big parties and benefits now torch
26:11
and you you you guys love this you guys
26:13
would absolutely love this the the thing
26:15
is we would have big parties $20 ahead
26:19
music for like eight hours high-end
26:21
entertainment all you can eat just $20
26:24
to get in and so we that when the co hit
26:27
we stop we couldn't do parties no more
26:29
so that's when we went to the platform
26:30
of twitch and we started doing
26:32
merchandise so uh merchandise is uh
26:35
sponsored by many DJs uh and uh also
26:39
organizations a lot of food banks a lot
26:42
of food banks and see this is the
26:43
beautiful thing so one day I'm driving a
26:45
check on my mom and I'm driving through
26:47
the through the five and here I am
26:49
Heather and I'm like I'm listening to
26:51
you guys and you guys are talking about
26:53
a f a food bank in New York City and I
26:56
go wow I said okay
26:58
I got I got I I I can do this I can I
27:01
can put together my organization and we
27:03
can help out all these food banks so I
27:04
call up my business partner Monica
27:06
Martinez God bless her I said well we're
27:08
going to do this we're going to make
27:10
this happen and so we just started
27:12
putting one piece of the puzzle at a
27:13
time and we have uh over 900 pieces
27:17
right now wow and uh I love art and
27:20
design and so we uh and we also accept
27:23
uh donations the people that want to
27:25
donate art to help out food banks all
27:27
over over the country wow yeah and so
27:30
you guys help spark that wow and so uh I
27:32
salute to you guys they deserve a big PL
27:34
of Applause thank you so much Alex I
27:36
need people to know how they can reach
27:38
you on what platforms let's spell it out
27:40
for folks before you go into this mix I
27:42
need all the citizens and I always ask
27:44
folks when I ask you to follow folks
27:46
it's just not frivolous it's people who
27:48
are doing some really great things some
27:50
substantive things and they need to
27:53
support too just like we need to support
27:55
just like citizens you tuning in you
27:57
need support
27:58
because this is this is this is what we
28:00
do at his highest level for the right
28:03
reasons so Alex how can they reach you
28:06
um they can reach me at uh I'd rather I
28:09
like them go to beats for Hope okay IG
28:12
beats for Hope with the number four and
28:15
my personal one is DJ Alex me I'm not
28:16
very good on IG that's okay but but the
28:19
thing is uh you can reach us there and
28:22
uh good or bad we'll take it I I'm cool
28:24
with it okay uh because uh first of all
28:27
the conversation needs to have yes
28:28
indeed and so uh we're excited about
28:30
that and uh and but you can also follow
28:32
me I'm on and also because of you guys
28:35
salute to you guys for during Co you
28:37
guys helped a lot of DJs for the first
28:39
time get on your Airwaves to let the DJs
28:42
play when all the platforms wouldn't let
28:44
anybody get on you guys did that say it
28:47
say it wow it's true it's true you guys
28:50
put all these and and also those that
28:52
have passed like purple Pam yes God
28:54
bless Pam the funus yes indeed and so
28:56
you guys put on and broadcast all these
28:58
from all over the to let the DJs play
29:01
and I can't thank you guys enough for
29:03
doing that so that's uh one way you can
29:05
reach me so uh just oh but twitch oh now
29:09
twitch I'm on every morning at 700 a.m.
29:12
because of you guys you guys help spark
29:14
that as well come on let's go so so I'm
29:16
on at 7 in the mornings uh Twitch uh. TV
29:19
Alex Mah in the mix uh with the am crew
29:22
salute to the am crew who's in there
29:24
getting down with the get down shout out
29:26
to curse the beat Junkie
29:28
everybody that's doing their thing
29:30
Michael motion everybody out there
29:32
there's so many people Chris Leo hell
29:34
yeah hell yeah d DJ 415
29:38
41545 BT Media Group there's I trust me
29:41
Heather my family is big now it's huge
29:43
it's massive okay it might not show it
29:45
in the numbers but it is a good time
29:48
when we all get together Glenn AI
29:50
everybody Ty tiger all of us have a
29:52
great time shout out to Joe churchward
29:55
that's hitting us up you know churchward
29:57
by the way where's where's the cocktails
29:58
in
29:59
here I was going to say and the citizens
30:01
are loving the history too for real so
30:03
thank God bless God bless the citizens
30:07
twitch.tv right Alex Mahia in the mix M
30:10
EJ I a thank you Alex man you ready to
30:13
do this brother this man doesn't do this
30:16
all the time C this is doing this for us
30:19
he doing it for y'all my hands all wet
30:21
it's been a while since he been on the
30:23
radio DJ like this kind of platform
30:25
right what's this man right here think
30:27
what's PB thank you so much for being
30:29
here I appreciate it you got a camera on
30:31
me and everything yeah bro we going big
30:33
here and he got lights too yeah come on
30:35
man you ready we're g to talk about your
30:36
story a little bit later
30:38
no yes of course we can so we got a
30:41
camera here I just want everyone to see
30:42
this oh wow okay the first if you guys
30:45
get a chance to really listen to what
30:48
they did this is the concrete jungle
30:51
album from Sway and King Tech original
30:55
flynamic Force what year did that come
30:57
out what's on the back
30:58
oh I I want to say uh
31:02
1989 91 91 1991 wow this album right
31:07
here is absolutely incredible you want
31:09
to pass that around little thank you man
31:11
he he got he actually got a vinyl cover
31:13
of our album Concrete Jungle that's the
31:16
first and only album we did with giant
31:18
Warner Brothers God bless them yeah God
31:20
bless them it's a major record deal we
31:22
had a major label deal yeah you were in
31:23
tough competition cuz you know Heather
31:26
maybe you can help me out why does every
31:27
arti artist hate their record company
31:29
every artist I know not unless they own
31:31
it and even then so these guys were on
31:34
the label with color me bad and Jade at
31:36
the time and Aaron Hall and so these
31:38
guys were on the St they were that's who
31:40
they were competing against wow that's
31:43
who they were competing against and so
31:45
uh beautiful young
31:47
men and King Tech hey hey you guys also
31:51
showed me we're going to do it our way
31:54
Alex yeah all the time yeah we did you
31:57
guys did and so even they were uh styled
31:59
designed and fashioned and they said you
32:01
know what we're going to put this on
32:03
stuff on for you guys but then we're
32:05
going to need pictures with what we want
32:06
yeah and they did and we like okay what
32:08
are we doing just do you just do you
32:10
yeah man just do you okay this these
32:12
were the days Alex yeah so we got that
32:15
vinyl man thank you for bringing that
32:16
too bro that just reminds me of so much
32:18
we were young men and dreaming and now
32:20
we're living and walking in our Dream
32:22
citizens this is why I always say you
32:24
could write your own script I I got to
32:27
say speaking of real quick Hammer MC
32:31
Hammer let's talk about Hammer so so so
32:32
you not only you guys brought me a
32:34
record but also Hammer did yeah so
32:36
salute to all the Independent Artists
32:38
and DJs and MC's that just go out to
32:42
shake hands and give people the time
32:45
that are of influence their music yeah
32:49
it's important all the artists are like
32:51
I'm kind of struggling well get to know
32:52
that DJ get a chance to know who they
32:54
are a little bit yeah they're not we're
32:55
not perfect trust me DJs are not perfect
32:57
but uh you take the time and anything
33:00
can happen you ready Alex man here I'm Y
33:03
no no no no no no no no this information
33:06
is necessary this is why I wanted you to
33:08
come up here there's no apologies for
33:10
your greatness okay this is DJ Alex
33:13
Mahia you could follow him on social
33:15
that way you go to
33:17
twitch.tv Alex
33:19
Mahia uh if you go to twitch.tv he's
33:22
about to take over your Airways this is
33:24
the first DJ to ever give swaying Tech a
33:28
chance give it up for the one and only
33:30
Alex Mah on Sway in the Morning shave 45
33:33
would help it being Tracy G Alex Maha
#Arts & Entertainment