Hello and thank you for your interest in me and my work! 

I may reveal my age by doing this, but believe it or not I have been DJ'ing since 1984.  I am originally from Chicago and was inspired and unexpectedly thrust into DJ'ing through making mixtapes for break-dancing "battles" that me and my friends were getting into at the time.  My friends and I were merely making these mixtapes in my bedroom on equipment hardly suitable for DJ'ing.  In Chicago at that time, there were several incredible mixshows being featured on the radio from black radio stations in Chicago like WBMX and WGCI and on local college stations like WNUR or WKKC which we recorded, bought the records played, and tried to emulate the mixes.  There was also a short-lived, often ridiculed disco station called WDAI that I secretly enjoyed.  I actually still have all of those mixtapes that I will make available here ASAP!!! 

After finishing high school, I ended up attending college at The University of Wisconsin - Madison, double majoring in Afro-American Studies and Communication Arts.  This was vital to me because my education helped me to define and to learn the true roots and history of this music I loved so much!  Another DJ friend of mine G Most and his brother and I ran a very busy mobile DJ business on campus for most of my time there, catering to many black and white fraternities and sororities as well as many other local clients.  We also were collecting and trading mixtapes from NYC, giving us a window into other styles of mixing and music not always present in our tapes from Chicago. 

When I graduated from college in 1991 I immediately came to NYC to further pursue my DJ career.  The magic of NYC's multicultural mix further broadened my musical horizons and made me thirsty for more!  I was DJ'ing and promoting several parties there full time, and I eventually accumulated 11,000 records!

From 1999-2004 I co-founded and ran a small independent dance music label called CAPTIVATING RECORDS along with DJ Will (Automatic)(The Carry Nation).  We managed to put out five 12" single vinyl releases during a very difficult time for everyone in the music industry.  We were the executive producers for each project, giving us the creative freedom to license and release our own original songs and tracks, material from other artists, as well as our own remixes of those singles.  It was quite the learning experience! 

My main passion, goal, and focus has always been within music and DJ'ing and it is very clear to me that playing music is a gift that I have been blessed with.  And even after all these years, I still enjoy sharing and celebrating this ability and music with those who want to listen.  This journey continues to take me through several clubs, bars, lounges, outdoor venues, and restaurants in NYC and beyond, and I am truly grateful!

As a veteran DJ, I feel obligated to mention that there are a lot of people out there trying to become and/or claiming to be DJs these days but very few of them actually know the history of dance music or possess the dedication, mixing skills, experience level, and the musical or technical knowledge to truly consider it their profession.  It takes a lot more than a laptop with a few music downloads and a controller to make an event or party happen!

The DJ sets, mixes, remixes, and re-edits I have posted on this page are a few examples of my work that I have produced on my own and by collaborating with others. The DJ sets I have shared here were all recorded "live" and were not pre-programmed, re-edited, or post-produced in any way.  That would take all the fun out of it, right? 

The DJ sets titled “YES SHE DID” are also live mixes done at THE FACE RADIO in BROOKLYN (or at parties) with my then co-host Tre D’Ambrocia. 

For bookings and more info, please contact me at djgantjohnson@yahoo.com

Thank you for listening!

MUSICALLY YOURS, GANT

XXOO

Michael J. Emery, M.A., C.Ht., M.NLP is a Personal Development Coach and Trainer. Michael's background is in marketing, advertising, transpersonal psychology, NLP, and Ericksonian hypnosis.

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