“Near the close of the second One thousand years, a Young one shall rise from the South – possibly Miami, maybe Nicaragua, but not farther South than Chile... He shall have uncanny Powers and the Messiahs of his day shall give him praise... Wheels of a near-platinum alloy will spin deliriously beneath him as this prophet some how retains his perfect balance and rhythm among the perilously colliding beats. In this distant future, the one known as ‘Burroughs’ will have his influence fully realized, as Cut ‘n Paste will be an accepted means of everyday expression, and Chaos will indeed reign supreme.”
- XLR8R Magazine 10/99
“More than just a technical DJ, Craze is a performer, inciting the crowd into a frenzy while titillating the scratch fetishists. Starting with Mobb Deep and winding up with Common -with cut and juggle excursions through Biz Markie, Q-Bert, electro and jungle -he slid easily to a second victory,” stated New York City’s PAPER Magazine.
On September 18th 1999, reigning DMC World Champion, DJ Craze (Arith Delgado) defended his 1998 title and claimed the 1999 title with a landslide victory, a feat accomplished by only one other DJ in DMC history (Germany's DJ David won the solo competition in '90 and '91). Dedicating his winning 6 minute set to his new baby girl (Angelee, born five days previous), DJ Craze once again took home 2 gold Technics 1200's and a matching Technics DJ mixer. Craze, A-Trak, and Infamous (Allies) also claimed 2nd place in the first official DMC Vestax/Numark World Team Championships.
On September 23, 2000 in London, England, Craze defended his 1999 title and claimed the 2000 DMC World Champion title, an unprecedented 3X win, making DMC and turntablist history. He also won the Team Championship for 2000 alongside Allies' crew member A-Trak, regaining the title from the UK's Scratch Perverts.
There are DJs and there is 23 year old, three time DMC World Champion DJ Craze, a feared warrior who's also taken the top prize in the ITF, Zulu Nation and East Coast Rap Sheet battles.
Craze's championship titles include:
- World ITF Scratch Off Champion '98
- World DMC Champion '98, ’99, '00
- USA DMC Champion '98
- ITF Western Hemisphere Scratch Off Champion '98
- Winter Music Conference Scratch Off Champion '96, '97, '98, '99
- East Coast DMC Champion '97
- East Coast Rap Sheet Champion '96
- Zulu National Champion '95, '96
Craze’s blend of hip-hop, breaks, drum & bass and turntablism is untouchable. His tours have included the largest North American Drum & Bass excursion - The Kung Fu Knowledge Tour, the 35 date Mixer’s TGIM Tour with DJ Infamous, and extensive dates worldwide... Jamaica, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Iceland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Scotland, Italy, Netherlands, France, Canada, and Nicaragua. This, along with, extensive coverage in all most every hip-hop and dance music magazine and TV program available, (Check out the January 2000 cover of URB Magazine and the October 2000 covers of MIXER and DJ TIMES) has made Craze a worldwide hip-hop phenomenon.
Craze is a mad scientist who slices and dices beats into a breathtaking sonic concoction in his Miami laboratory and at events all over the world. When Craze is behind a set of 1200s and a mixer, he's on stage: sometimes he's shy, sometimes he's cocky, but I've never heard him be anything short of absolutely magnificent.
Where some turntablists are content to fill their routines with the same ol' thang, Craze uses his awesome technique to move beyond the crab scratch and has catapulted drum 'n' bass into a realm that nobody has yet to explore. The Nexxsound - Craze's first ever mix CD - stands as a testament to his pioneering vision of melding the mentality of a battler with the street smarts and savvy of the jungle elite.
Lauded for years by hip-hop aficionados, Craze has won the respect of England’s drum 'n' bass mafia, which explains why revered British labels like V Recordings, Undiluted and Virus have presented him with exclusive tracks you won't be able to hear anywhere else. And let's not forget Craze's exclusive turntablist cut ups - three mind blowing pastiches that are all ahead of its time. Craze is moving at the speed of light. Sleep on his skills and he's gonna leave you in the dust.
DJ Craze, number one DJ in the world, and it's just the beginning…
A good read...
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