Mista Sinista: Street Beat Street Records showcase 1996

Mista Sinista will be my special guest DJ at the launch of my new bi-weekly Sunday party #‎thefunbRunch at Queens Comfort Feb. 7th from 10a - 4p. As y’all know, it wasn’t until I met my mentor Andrew Venable aka Dr. Butcher in 1990 that I began developing my own signature style on turntables. Drew Daddy helped me understand that knowing how to do what those whom I idolized did in the many DMC and NMS battles I studied just wasn’t gon’ cut it (excuse the pun) if I wanted to make an impression on the DJ world. On the contrary, I needed to forget everything I learned, start with a clean slate, and begin finding my true self on turntables. Just as Drew pointed me down the correct path, there was this other young kid the Dr. was grooming in much the same way. His name, Joey aka Mista Sinista. Word... Drew was grooming us both simultaneously. “Whereas you and I spent more time training and sharing ideas, Sinista spent more time watching me practice and studying my approach to djing.“ I think this differentiation made it so I eventually was farther along in the process of creating my DJ identity. By 1991, Drew began gravitating more towards music production, causing Sin and myself to naturally drift towards each other. From July of 1991 through August of 1992, Sin helped me train for the 1992 Northeast DMC competition at the old Palladium on 14th St. (Union Sq., NYC). He’d trek it to my parent’s home in Jackson Heights, Queens from East Elmhurst. The walk is about 1.5 miles, possibly longer. But regardless of rain, sleet, or snow, Sin would make it to me by foot so long as I offered him a few packets of Twinkies to refuel from the long journey. He’d just sit there, timing me, offering feedback on what it was I needed to do to improve my DMC set. Indirectly, watching me train was helping Sin understand how he could incorporate my ideas into his own unique version of what a DMC set could look and sound like. Coupled along with this post is a perfect example of what I mean. Enjoy! P.S. Mista Sinista will be putting his amazing turntable skills on display at Queens Comfort this Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Accompanying Sin will be my student from last semester’s #‎DJSkillsAndStyles course at The New School Joosephine Jason and the Godfather of Noise, the one and only Rahzel (Rah’s set time will be at 1pm). So if you’re in or around Astoria, Queens this Sunday, stop through my new party #thefunbRunch and watch this trio showcase what true Hip Hop talent sounds like while you stuff your faces.