The GOODS 10th anniversary celebration continues as we welcome the legendary DJ AMIR into the hotbox at Sala for the month of May. Join us for this night of serious music and big ol' ANDY WILLIAMS birthday!
DJ AMIR (Kon &Amir/Wax Poetics/BBE - New York)
with residents SCOTT C & ANDY WILLIAMS
Saturday May 26th
La Sala Rossa, 4848 St. Laurent
10:30-3AM $12 no frills
DJ AMIR
For over two decades, DJ Amir Abdullah has stayed alive in the music business by a careful balancing act. On the one side, DJ Amir is a club rocking, crate digging, turntable purist. On the other hand, Amir Abdullah is a deft businessman, working behind the scenes at such venerable labels as Fat Beats Records, Rapster/K7 Records in Germany, and most recently as the label head of Wax Poetics Records. It’s this savvy approach to both sides of the business that has allowed Amir to stay working and relevant in an industry that is constantly in transition.
DJ Amir's start in the music business began not as a selector, but as a listener. From an early age, Amir's ears were saturated in the sounds of jazz, gospel, soul, and disco. As the youngest member of his family, Amir had a hard time getting his music played. When he was old enough, Amir sought to shed the music of his parents by tuning into the world of hip-hop. Yet instead of finding an escape, Amir discovered the music of his home in the music of his peers. The samples in his favorite songs played like a panoramic remix of his parents’ turntable. Soon Amir found himself tracing ties inside the music, mining the myriad connection between jazz, funk, disco, soul, and hip-hop. If he found a sound he couldn't identify, it was only a matter of time before the young Amir unearthed the source.
Ever since, Amir has been a man on a music mission. He's braved the strange and dangerous locations for the rarest wax, dealt with the shadiest characters and collectors, and had his knowledge called upon by some of the biggest names in hip-hop. It was during the 1990s, while making a name for himself as a respected DJ and collector that Amir broke into the business side of the music industry. Beginning in the marketing department of Fat Beats Inc, within a few years Amir was promoted to company’s vice president of sales. Since leaving Fat Beats, Amir has worked freelance A&R for Rapster Records, been the sales manager for ABB Records, and is currently the acting label manager of Wax Poetics Records in Brooklyn, NY.
Amir has acted as both resident DJ and as touring turntable star. A few of Amir’s most recent and notable gigs include the Do Over Party in LA, the Grand Groove Party at APT in NYC (with Chairman Mao), the Southport Weekender festival in Southport UK, Sunsplash Festival in Anatalya, Turkey, and the Wax Poetics Japan Issue #1 release party in Tokyo. Acting as more than just a live DJ, Amir have a discography that extends back far. Beginning with the esteemed underground On Track mixtape series, Amir along with his partner Kon have released over nine compilations, including The King of Diggin album on BBE, two volumes of Off Track, the follow-up series to their legendary On Track mixes. With the third volume of Off Track set for release from BBE in March 2010 and a fourth volume already in the works, Kon and Amir show no signs of slowing down.
Regardless of industry trends, Amir continues to quietly make moves his own way. Choosing substance over show, Amir makes waves without making noise. It's this kind of shrewd business sensibility and working command of music that makes Amir so highly regarded in the world of hot wax. Shady Records, Dr. Dre, Pete Rock, Diamond D, and Capitol Records (to name but a few) have called upon Kon and Amir's respected expertise. Amir’s client list has included Dilated Peoples, Big L, Pete Rock, Jay Dee, Madlib, Mandrill, The Mizell Brothers, Common, Lyman Woodard and Dennis Coffey. In a world where anybody with a laptop and an iPod fancies themselves a DJ, Amir is here to keep the true tradition of the turntable alive.
