During the last couple of decades, the DJ profession has taken off. Turntablists are getting top-billing at music festivals, picking up lucrative sponsorships, and garnering legions of avid fans.
Even celebrities like Paris Hilton are jumping behind the booth to give their careers a second wind. Working in nightlife since the late 90’s, DJ Ruckus has overseen this transformation. He has built an eclectic, prolific career for himself that ranges from working with Hip Hop legends like Run-DMC and Diddy to deejaying elite fashion events and parties in Dubai. Revisiting his rise from teenage DJ to jet-set entertainer offers a window into what it takes to be a self-starter in a highly competitive industry.
There’s something a bit cinematic about Ruckus’s origin story. Raised in Miami, he recalls being 14-years old when he stormed into a Kinko’s and printed out business cards advertising his DJ services for “weddings, parties, and Bar Mitzvahs.” Ruckus would eagerly pass these cards at school, asking classmates to spread the word. One of Ruckus’s early inspirations was an episode of The Fresh Princeof Bel-Air where Will Smith plays around with a turntable — scratching and spinning a record. The undeniable swagger and coolness enticed him. He became drawn to musicians who were “using turntables as an instrument.” And with this passion, he got his head start.
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Photo: Fabbio Galatioto
While many DJs have to wait until their 20s to break into the scene, Ruckus began playing clubs early. When he was fifteen, his older brother booked him a show at the Miami hotspot Crobar on Thursdays for Hip Hop night. Though his mom was at first wary of his gig, he cut a deal with her that no matter what he had to show up to class on time the next day. Ruckus says his nightlife career made him stand out; he a was a “nerd” at school “but obviously one of the coolest nerds.”From there, the cool nerd started working star-packed hotel launches and steadily climbed his way up.
His career reached new heights when he was seventeen. At a New York City party, a man tapped his shoulder in the middle of his set. He turned around and it was none other than Sean “Diddy” Combs himself. The legendary mogul asked Ruckus to hop on a plane and play his birthday party in Morocco along with two other DJs. “It was a confidence booster,” he recalled about how this opportunity changed his life.
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Photo: Alex Slash
Another career highlight was working as a backing DJ for Run-DMC at the first Made In America Festival in 2012. This made Ruckus less of a curator of the culture and more of an active participant, assisting an icon who personifies an entire Hip Hop generation. “I was very excited to be part of deejaying history and Hip Hop history,” he reminisced. A few years later, the one and only Reverend Run officiated his wedding to model Shanina Shaik in the Bahamas.
But there’s more to his craft than networking with celebrities. Being a good DJ comes down to having an impeccable sense of what a crowd wants. Since he works all across the globe, he needs to be extra mindful and specific. Ruckus welcomes the challenge of being eclectic, stating. “If I had chosen just to do electronic, Hip Hop, and rock n’ roll, it probably would have made things a lot easier.” His ability to cater to a variety of audiences comes from a mix of intuition and meticulous research. Alexander Wang loves Hip Hop for his parties, while clubgoers in Dubai want to turn up to “Shake Body” by Scales. Ruckus noted that he’s always “collecting information, and staying on the ball of what’s going on in different markets.” To do this, he uses tools like Shazam that show which songs are the most searched in various geographic regions.
For his own remixes, Ruckus looks for songs that will be timeless and “played forever.” Having released viral remixes to Ludacris’ “Move Bitch” and Busta Rhymes’ “Break Ya Neck,” he plans on tackling Flipp Dinero’s “Leave Me Alone” next. What else is in the pipeline? A surprising turn to politics. He’s working on a record that criticizes the notoriously polarizing MAGA hat. Though he was vague about details, he insists it has nothing to do with Yeezus and stated. “What Kanye is doing is crazy as hell, but he’s a very, very smart person and he’s the only person who got to talk about his interests with the president in front of the whole world.” On top of these projects and crisscrossing the globe (he’s played over 200 shows this year), he’s making sure to spend time with his wife Shanina Shaik. The newly wedded power couple follow a “14-day rule” ensuring that they can’t be apart for more than two weeks.
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Even with this exciting life development, Ruckus shows no signs of stopping. His next performances span the entire world — New York City with Diplo, residency dates in Las Vegas and Dubai, and New Year’s Eve in Bali. Ruckus stresses that his continued success comes from “being nice and being humble and being easy to work with.” Having humility, Ruckus urges, “is a piece of the puzzle” that’s critical no matter what.
Keep up with DJ Ruckus’ every move on Instagram @DJRuckusOfficial.
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