When i started DJing out, and producing my own edits and remixes,  I only wanted to spread good music and make it available and completely for FREE to EVERYONE, which I’ve done for 12-15 years now.

I believe I’ve given back to this industry more than I’ve ever taken, and I appreciate all the support from other DJs, promoters, venues and everyone who has helped me along the way. This was my way of ‘paying it forward’, to make the music i love to hear and play accessible for others. I will always continue to give back in future, but for the time being, not in the way of giving away free non-commercial music in this day and age when everything is so accessible.

To illustrate my point:  I once got asked by the most knowledgeable person i know on music –  if i wanted his music collection on a massive Hard Drive for my birthday (El Maestro you know who you are). I politely refused, his music collection is his life’s work, and i knew if he just gave it to me, I knew I wouldn’t appreciate the thousounds and thousands of hours of time, auditioning music, listening, learning about artists, producers, musicians, labels that would have taken over 40 years to gain. And to just, hand it to me. It didn’t seem fair. I was skipping and missing the process of my own musical discoveries. I had discovered and find the music for myself. Yup, kinda kicking myself now for saying no, so Simon … I’ll you up on that offer from 13 years ago if it’s still going!! hahah! 

 Anyway, I digress. In this world of instant “everything”, you can have it all, one click, a single hard drive handed to you, but you will never  know what you have been given …. and that’s the beauty of it all. Discovering music … in your own way, in your own time. You pick up one piece at a time and build your music knowledge. I’m not trying to sound preachy, but Soundcloud gates give you the cheat code to music (but not really), you to have it all for free…. but really. you don’t! It’s kinda crazy right?!.

I can’t even remember the countless times i’ve complimented a DJ playing on their song choice, a mashup or remake of an orginal soul or funk artist, only for them to to tell me “no this is “DJ [fill in the blank]” without having a clue the original artist was Donny Hathaway or Eddie Kendricks, or a particular sample was from the Isley Brothers or Dionne Warwick …… SMH .. Man, i just can’t!! 

With all of that said, a big massive THANK YOU to all who jumped through the BS hoops for Free Downloads on Soundcloud. Everyone has to start somewhere, I was there too many years ago, i was fortunate enough to have 5 generations in the music industry so i got a pretty good start….. but as far as the free downloads go, they don’t seem to mean anything anymore, so it’s time to change it up. Again, i appreciate all the soundcloud support, and I plan to be busier than ever in 2024.