DJ Sexual Chocolate grew up in Oakland, CA in an awkward period that saw the end of Soul Beat television, the rise and fall of the hyphy movement, gentrification, and social unrest.  To no surprise, his music was borne out of those periods of unpredictability and more. 

“Do we have the Blackstreet?”  He asked his mother three times before the vehicle even began to move.  We were 10 at the time, before any of us discovered music; most of us only knew what our parents listened to.  Unfortunately for his mother, the field trip for which she volunteered to drive was a multi-hour excursion, and her son’s set list consisted of playing each song twice. That’s how I met him, a 5th grader with an unusual obsession with Blackstreets sophomore album, Another Level, on cassette. That and music binging car rides became a theme. 

Some time later, I realized his obsession wasn’t over Blackstreet, it was over music.  We had discovered our own taste in music by then.  Most of our class listened to hip hop.  However it was the height of the alternative rock and Nu Metal, and I ate it all up, unapologetically.   CDs were still incredibly expensive at the time, but I spent all my money on BMG music buy 3 get 12 free promotions.  We would take turns listening to new music passing a personal player back and forth (although, I’m convinced he owes me a few plays still).  All those alternative rock influences in his current music?  That came from us.  

 After graduating junior high school, I didn’t hear from him much.  We kept in touch, but I had no idea what he was doing for the better part of 8 years.  The next thing I know he’s DJ Sexual Chocolate.  If I knew he continued studying music after  being classically trained as a teen,  maybe I would have never stopped playing the piano.  Nevertheless, he emerged as a seasoned musician.  What came later was a whirlwind of listening sessions and arguments over the validity of conspiracy theories (another story).  People may wonder how music with roots in 90s R&B, the regrettable Nu-Metal movement, the high school band, and whatever he was doing during the absent period  sounds.  Trust the process, it sounds pretty good.

- Jason Mui

Darby Porteous
vulgarwarlock@gmail.com
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