DJ Revolution

D.J. Producer. Educator. Wake Up Show since 1997.

Resident DJ on The Wake Up Show with Sway & King Tech, now on Shade 45 on SiriusXM. Cuts on records with KRS-One, Evidence, Sean Price, Marco Polo, Blu and Swollen Members.

Listen on Spotify ↗ Book DJ Revolution Instagram ↗
1997Joined The Wake Up Show with Sway & King Tech
3Solo albums, plus three break records
100sSongs across albums, features, scores and library placements
15 yrsTeaching at Scratch DJ Academy
AboutBio · OriginDJR-01
DJ Revolution cutting on turntables under teal club lights
On the decks

39 years behind the decks

DJ Revolution is one of hip-hop's most respected DJs. Since 1997 he has been the resident DJ on The Wake Up Show with Sway & King Tech, the syndicated radio institution that helped launch Eminem, Xzibit and Common. The show moved to Eminem's Shade 45 channel on SiriusXM in 2013, and he is still behind the decks.

He has released three solo albums, including King of the Decks on Duck Down, which DJ Premier ranked number one on his list of the year's top 20 hip-hop albums. His cuts and production run through records by KRS-One, Evidence, Sean Price, Marco Polo, Blu, Swollen Members, Dilated Peoples and Planet Asia, and through music for MTV, VH1, ESPN and the film Black Mask.

He competed on BET's Master of the Mix, returned as a judge for season two, and has played stages from the BET Awards to clubs across Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Today he runs ATW Recordings and Skills Over Everything, his school for DJs and producers, and has taught at Scratch DJ Academy for 15 years.

Origin
Young DJ Revolution at his uncle's wedding, working his grandfather's turntables and homemade mixer
First gig: his uncle's wedding, on his grandfather's decks and the homemade no-fader mixer

I was 12 when my grandfather took me to the college radio station I listened to every day. Watching one guy run the turntables, the mics and the phone lines all at once, I knew that was what I wanted to do. Soon after, he pulled his old, crusty belt-drive turntables out of the attic and built me a bare-bones mixer out of scrap metal: no faders, just two volume knobs. Once it was wired up, he showed me how to use it all.

I saved chore money and lunch money for 75-cent 45s, sold custom mixtapes to the kids in my class, and played my first gig at my uncle's wedding. I could barely see over the table. Then I heard "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel," and I knew exactly what kind of DJ I was going to be. By 14 I was taking it seriously.

Ten years later I drove out to LA with no connections. My friend Prince Ice (who I didn't even know was the Prince Ice) got an old tape of mine to King Tech, and two weeks later I was walking into the booth at 92.3 The Beat at King Tech's invitation. The whole Beat Junkies crew was in the hall. The Invisibl Skratch Piklz and Rob Swift were in the control room, next to a grey prototype Vestax 05 I had never seen before. Tech had me go on first, and Sway introduced me in his now iconic voice with words I'll never forget:

"We're live on the air with 5 million listeners. Don't screw it up."Sway, my first night on The Wake Up Show

I held my own, and they asked me to come back. I've been coming back every week for almost 30 years.

Radio On air · Shade 45WUS-97

The Wake Up Show

The longest-running hip-hop mix show in radio history, and the one where a generation of MCs first proved themselves on live radio. DJ Revolution has been its resident DJ, executive producer and audio editor since 1997.

  • 1997Joins Sway & King Tech as resident DJ on The Wake Up Show
  • MTVThe show runs as a TV series, with his opening theme and music beds
  • 2013The Wake Up Show moves to Eminem's Shade 45 on SiriusXM
  • 2024The Wake Up Show 2024 Anthem with Fashawn, Sir Veterano and crew
DJ Revolution in headphones at the turntables, black and white
Behind the decks
ListenTracks · Mixes · LiveDJR-C1

Press play

Ten signature cuts, features and mixes, loaded on the deck. Hit Shuffle and let it run.

DJ RevolutionStereo Cassette Deck · Full Logic Control
DJR-C1
PowerTape
Cassette showing the current track A A King of the Decks feat. Sean P & Tash N.R ☐YES ☐NO No. 01 DJR-C1 STEREO CASSETTE · TYPE II 01 POSITION · HIGH BIAS · 70 µs EQ LONG BEACH · CALIFORNIA
Input L
Input R
Output
Phones
Tape counter
Ready · King of the Decks
0:003:18
Side A · Index

    Also on Spotify

    All music on Spotify ↗ Mixes on Mixcloud ↗ SoundCloud ↗ Live on Twitch ↗
    CreditsRecords · Scores · MixtapesCAT. 134

    Four decades on wax, air and screen

    Solo albums and break records, full-album production, features, film and TV scores, and countless library placements across film and TV.

    Heard on records by KRS-One · Evidence · Sean Price · Tech N9ne · Marco Polo · Blu · Swollen Members · Dilated Peoples · O.C. · Bahamadia · Planet Asia · Fashawn

    Features & turntable credits

    91
    • "Life Doesn't Frighten Me" (Full Album)Malcolm & Martin (Presented & Produced by DJ Rev)Soulspazm Records2011
    • "To Be Continued..."EvidenceRhymesayers Entertainment2011
    • "Devil's Reject"Madchild (feat. DJ Revolution)Battle Axe / Suburban Noize2012
    • "Astonishing"Marco Polo (feat. Inspectah Deck, Large Prof, O.C., Tragedy & Rev)Soulspazm Records2013
    • "West Coast Love"Marco Polo (feat. King Tee, MC Eiht & DJ Revolution)Soulspazm Records2013
    • "BK 2 NJ"Marco Polo (feat. Das EFX)Soulspazm Records / Fat Beats2013
    • "Get Down"Pharoahe Monch (feat. DJ Revolution)Single2014
    • "Kiss the Sky"Blu (feat. MeLa Machinko & DJ Revolution)Coalmine Records2014
    • "Kiss the Sky (Large Professor Remix)"Blu (feat. MeLa Machinko & DJ Revolution)Coalmine Records2015
    • "U Need to Stop"St. Basil (feat. Headkrack, Mr. Mecc & DJ Revolution)Independent2016
    • "Giant Steps"Blu & Nottz (feat. Bishop Lamont, Torae, & Skyzoo)Coalmine Records2016
    • "Some Other Shit"Slaine & Termanology (feat. Madchild & DJ Revolution)ST. Records / Brick Records2017
    • "Bad Publicity"Evidence (feat. Krondon)Rhymesayers Entertainment2018
    • "Bear Witness"Sean Price & Small Professor (feat. DJ Revolution)Coalmine Records / Duck Down Music2019
    • "Refrigerator P"Sean Price & Small Professor (feat. Rock & DJ Revolution)Coalmine Records / Duck Down Music2019
    • "Think About It"Sean Price & Small Professor (feat. Illa Ghee, Rock & Rev)Coalmine Records / Duck Down Music2019
    • "Word To Mother"Sean Price & Small Professor (feat. DJ Revolution)Coalmine Records / Duck Down Music2019
    • "Surveillances"NapsNdreds (feat. DJ Revolution)de Rap Winkel Records2020
    • "Crown Royal"Fashawn (feat. DJ Revolution)Fresh Yard Records2021
    • "Elements"DJ Revolution ft. Planet AsiaElements Ent.2021
    • "Grimez Galore"Milez Grimez (feat. DJ Revolution)Independent2021
    • "Pitfall Music"Vic Spencer & Small Professor (feat. Flee Lord & Rev)Coalmine Records2022
    • "Get Down (Buckwild Remix)"DJ RevolutionFresh Yard Records2022
    • "Rap Shit"Torae & Marco PoloInternal Affairs / Spaghetti Bender2023
    • "STICK UP!"NapsNdreds & Nottz (feat. DJ Revolution)Innercity Legends Production2023
    • "The Wake Up Show 2024 Anthem"Fresh Yard Records, Sir Veterano, Sway & TechFresh Yard Records / Dymond Mine2024
    • "Hardcore"Reel Drama (feat. Ruste Juxx & DJ Revolution)Independent2025
    • "Survival Skills"KRS-One & Buckshot (feat. DJ Revolution)Duck Down Music2009
    • "Intro" (GOYA 2)TermanologyST. Recordspre-2010
    • "Double Barrel"Marco Polo & ToraeDuck Down Musicpre-2010
    • "Lifetime"Marco Polo & ToraeDuck Down Musicpre-2010
    • "The Radar"Large Professor & Marco PoloRawkus Records / Soulspazmpre-2010
    • The LayoverEvidenceDecon / Taylor Madepre-2010
    • "I Don't Hate"EvidenceDecon / Taylor Madepre-2010
    • "Mr. Slow Flow"EvidenceRhymesayers Entertainmentpre-2010
    • "In NYC"EvidenceRhymesayers Entertainmentpre-2010
    • "Untitled"EvidenceRhymesayers Entertainmentpre-2010
    • "Hot & Cold"Evidence & AlchemistRhymesayers Entertainmentpre-2010
    • "The Medicine"Planet AsiaAvatar Recordspre-2010
    • "The Streets"Buckshot & Boot Camp ClikDuck Down Musicpre-2010
    • "Torture"Swollen MembersBattle Axe Recordspre-2010
    • "Therapy"Swollen MembersVirgin Recordsalbum cut ('03)
    • "Bust"Swollen MembersVirgin Recordsalbum cut
    • "Take It Back"Swollen MembersBattle Axe Recordspre-2010 ('01)
    • "Total Package"Swollen Members & Planet AsiaBattle Axe Recordsalbum cut
    • "Camouflage / Heavy"Swollen MembersBattle Axe Recordspre-2010
    • "Midnight Madness"Heltah SkeltahCoalmine Recordspre-2010
    • "Hip Hop"BekayCoalmine Recordspre-2010
    • "The Professional"O.C.Grit Recordspre-2010
    • "Grit"O.C.Grit Recordspre-2010
    • "Bullsh*t"KRS-OneKoch Recordspre-2010
    • "Comin' From a Lower Level"Chops feat. Ras Kass & Talib KweliGoodvibe Recordingspre-2010
    • "Hot"Vishiss feat. Phil da Agony & Ras KassGoodvibe Recordingspre-2010
    • "Fingerprints / I-5 Beat Down"Joey Chavez feat. Phil da Agony & Dilated PeoplesIndependentpre-2010
    • "Come Git It"Soul Supreme feat. Big Daddy KaneGrit Recordspre-2010
    • "Fatal Mistake"Sly BoogyBolo Entertainmentpre-2010
    • "Fame"ConciseDouble Uppre-2010
    • "Double Up"Checkmate feat. Royce da 5'9"Independentpre-2010
    • "A-G-O-N-Y"Phil da AgonyRawkus Recordsunreleased
    • "Blunted"Phil The Agony (feat. DJ Revolution)Goodvibe Recordings2000
    • "Blunted Barber Shop"Phil da AgonyIndependentpre-2010
    • "Expansion Team Interlude"Dilated Peoples & DefariCapitol Recordspre-2010
    • "Main Event Pt. II"Dilated PeoplesCapitol Recordsunreleased
    • "Interludes"Dilated PeoplesCapitol Recordsalbum cuts
    • "Work the Angles"Dilated PeoplesCapitol Recordspre-2010
    • "One of a Kind"Bravo & SandmanGruv-Attackalbum cut
    • "New York, New York"Triple SeisIll Boogie Recordspre-2010
    • "The Bubble"The Alkaholiks feat. King TeeLoud Recordspre-2010
    • "Current Events"MysticGoodvibe Recordingspre-2010
    • "National Guard / Step Up"Masters of IllusionThresholdpre-2010
    • "Respect"4th Avenue JonesInterscope Recordspre-2010
    • "Phife"Melody AdonisLndspd / Grv Attackpre-2010
    • "Hold Tight (Remix)"Slum Village feat. Planet AsiaGoodvibe Recordingspre-2010
    • "Patience"Grand Agent & Born AllahIll Boogie Recordspre-2010
    • "Mingling with Mayhem"Grand AgentIndependentpre-2010
    • "Special Forces"BahamadiaGoodvibe Recordingspre-2010
    • "Album Intro"BahamadiaGoodvibe Recordingsalbum cut
    • "Mystic Handyman"Scritti Politti & Likwit CrewVirgin Recordspre-2010
    • "My World"Chino XLWarner Bros. Recordsalbum cut
    • "Casket"CzarIndependentpre-2010
    • "They Don't Know"Kamachi & A.G.Ready Rock Recordspre-2010
    • "Be an M.C."Mykill Miers & Bumpy KnucklesBlackberry Recordspre-2010
    • "Serve 1"Spontaneous feat. TashGoodvibe Recordingspre-2010
    • "Bustin'"RascoBlackberry Recordspre-2010
    • "Bits & Pieces"RascoStones Throw Recordsalbum cut
    • "Crash the Boards"Planet Asia & RascoCali Agents Recordsalbum cut
    • "Bringin' It Back (Remix)"Planet Asia & 427Blackberry Recordspre-2010
    • "Partna's Konfused"Kool Keith & Motion ManFunky Ass Recordspre-2010
    • "Develop Tools"Defari & Joey ChavezIndependentpre-2010
    • "The Freshest"Red Foo & Dre KroonBubonicpre-2010
    • "D.J.'s & M.C.'s"Crooked IVirgin Recordspromo 12"

    Albums, breaks & production

    43
    • King of the Decks (Full Album)DJ RevolutionDuck Down Music
    • In 12s We Trust (Full Album)DJ RevolutionMillenia Music / Ground Control
    • R2K Version 1.0 (Full Album)DJ RevolutionBlackberry Records
    • Steel Wheel (Full Album)DJ RevolutionSoulspazm Records
    • This or That (Full Album) (feat. DJ Revolution)Sway & King TechInterscope Records
    • Instrumental AddictsDJ Revolution & King TechKnocturnal
    • U Need New BreaksDJ RevolutionBattle Axe Records
    • Coffee BreaksDJ RevolutionBattle Axe Records
    • Big Honky BreaksDJ RevolutionNu Gruv / Ground Control
    • "Evolution / Revidence"Evidence & DJ RevolutionMillenia Music / Ground Control
    • "No Mistakes Allowed"Statik SelektahBrick Records
    • "Revolutionize"El Da SenseiFat Beats
    • "Confess"Son DoobieBattle Axe Records
    • "Put Your Blunt Up"Son DoobieBattle Axe Records
    • The Upper Hand (Album)Ed O.G.Fat Beats / Overlook
    • "Rise & Shine"Ed O.G.Fat Beats
    • "Under Pressure"Strong Arm SteadyAvatar Recordings
    • "Fuk Wit Dis"Sly BoogyBolo Entertainment
    • "9 Elements"KRS-OneKoch Records / In The Paint
    • "Things Will Change"KRS-OneKoch Records / In The Paint
    • "Woman Pt. 2"AkrobatikCoup d'État
    • "No Coast" (feat. Planet Asia & Obie Trice)Baby BlakBaby Blak Records
    • "Wake Up"Baby BlakBaby Blak Records
    • "Tables Turn"Baby BlakBaby Blak Records
    • "Album Intro"Baby BlakBaby Blak Records
    • "Blak Is Back"Baby BlakMillenia Music
    • "Skillz Philly / Soldierz"Grand AgentMillenia Music
    • "Smack Ya Face"DefariBaby Blak Records
    • "Album Intro"DefariTommy Boy Records
    • "Killing Spree Pt. II"Mykill MiersIll Boogie Records
    • "Raw Shit"Mykill MiersIll Boogie Records
    • "1 for the Treble"Mykill MiersIll Boogie Records
    • "Do What They Gotta Do"Mykill MiersIll Boogie Records
    • "Everyday Ritual (Remix)"Mykill MiersIll Boogie Records
    • "Killing Spree (Remix)"Mykill Miers feat. Planet AsiaBlackberry Records / Ill Boogie Records
    • "5th Element"AkbarIll Boogie Records
    • "Forever"Rasheed & KamachiBlackberry Records
    • "1.9.8.6. (Remix)"Rasheed & Ill Advised feat. The RootsQuake City
    • "1.9.8.6."Rasheed & Ill AdvisedQuake City
    • "Big Bad Wolf"Tech N9neQuest / Knocturnal
    • "Many Styles"Styles of BeyondMammoth Records / Ideal
    • Wake Up Show Mix Tapes / ClassicsSway & King TechAll City Productions
    • Wake Up Show Battle TimeSway & King TechAll City Productions

    Film, TV & scoring

    7
    • Various ProgramsProduction package music & music bedsMTV
    • Various ProgramsProduction / Music BedsShowtime / NBC / Fox / Hulu / etc.
    • Hip Hop HonorsMusic Beds & Production Package MusicVH1
    • The Hook UpOpening Theme & Music BedsESPN
    • The Wake Up ShowOpening Theme & Music BedsMTV
    • Black Mask (Film)Original Motion Picture Score ContributionArtisan Entertainment
    • "Where We're From"The Elements Documentary Original Score2021

    Mixtapes & tour exclusives

    12
    • Soundcheck Mixtape Magazine (Issues 00–06)
    • Class of... Compilation Series
    • The Breaks in Hi-Fidelity
    • The ABCs of Hi-Fidelity
    • Draft Radio Series
    • The Wake Up Show Archives (Volumes 1–6)
    • DJ Revolution Down Under Vol. 1 (Australian tour exclusive)
    • Plasticman (Japan exclusive)
    • The Way of the Samurai (Japan tour exclusive)
    • Smiff-N-Wessun: Reloaded Mixtape
    • Defari Album Snippet / Best of Sonar
    • Super 7 Series Vol. 5 (feat. Jazzy Jeff, Z-Trip, Gaslamp Killer, Chris Karns & Mick Boogie)
    Skills Over EverythingLessons · CoursesSOE-3U

    Learn from DJ Revolution

    Skills Over Everything is DJ Revolution's training ground for DJs and producers, in Los Angeles and online. Beginners learn the fundamentals the right way. Working DJs sharpen cuts, blends and routines with someone who has done it live for decades.

    • Private lessons, one on one
    • Level 1 and Level 2 DJ courses
    • Scratch drills and video classes
    • Music production sessions
    Ask about lessons

    The full Skills Over Everything site is relaunching soon.

    A Skills Over Everything class, students cutting on turntables under purple light
    DJ Revolution teaching his daughter to scratch
    BookingClubs · Festivals · PressDJR-B1
    DJ Revolution on the turntables at a concert in Los Angeles DJ Revolution on stage on the mic

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