Influences: Dj Deeon (Dance Mania)

I thought Farley was an idol back in the early days. WBMX was the first radio station to play house and you had Farley and the Hot Mix 5 with guys like Mickey “Mixin’” Oliver, Scott “Smokin’” Silz and, later, Julian “Jumpin’” Perez every week. Farley’s early productions were big in clubs – ‘Aw Shucks’, ‘Jack The Bass’. He was early with X-rated lyrics on a house track. This was on the flip of ‘Jack The Bass’.

This one of the first 12”s that really inspired me to go in and make music – ‘Time To Jack’ was one of the best things out back then. Chip worked at one of the main record stores for DJs, Imports Etc. in the South Loop and I used to buy stuff regularly from him.

Steve “Silk” Hurley was there from the start – he collaborated with Farley initially and then went his own way and they both did versions of ‘I Can’t Turn Around’ / ‘Love Can’t Turn Around’. Steve used to play at a high school party near my house – I remember him dropping Chip E’s ‘Like This’ and I watched him play off pitch control decks and reel to reels. It inspired me to go home and start recording party stuff.

Mike Dunn was in the first wave, DJ-ing and making more underground tracks. Another important producer. He had a label, Muzique Records, which was also distributed by Ray Barney – The MD Connection ‘Tracks That Move Ya’, ‘Personal Problem’ and this acid track written by Bam Bam, ‘Magic Feet’, all big records.

In the earlier days, Paul Johnson wasn’t really making ghetto tracks but he made some great cuts sampling R&B vocals and chopping them up in a new and different way which caught on big with crowds in the city. Producers like Paul, Robert Armani and DJ Rush – they came out first before ghetto house really took hold and they were definitely an inspiration.

I used to sell my own mix tapes to the local Chinese stores – I stamped my name on the tapes, left copies with them and went back to pick up the money for any they had sold. Then DJ D-Man came out with the first official ghetto house mix tape, the first professionally done with a printed cassette and sleeve. I knew that I had better tracks so I went to Ray Barney and he started manufacturing and distributing my tapes from that point on. We sold a lot of tapes together.

Man, ‘Land Of Confusion’, ‘151’, ‘Downfall’ – they’re just my favourite acid tracks, they changed the game. Armando was a big deal in the city for DJs and producers and you’d see Farley, Mike Dunn, all the big guys at his gigs. He played the main Chicago clubs like The Playground, Music Box, the Hummingbird. He was a real humble, down to earth guy too – real cool.

“I was making tapes for 4-5 years before I put anything out on wax. Armando sampled one of my songs as Traxxmen for ‘In Yo Mouf’ in ’94 and I started making records after that with Ray Barney. I had built the relationship with him through doing mix tapes and he believed in my music. He opened the doors for a lot of young producers to get out of the hustle and make some money.