If the clock is ticking, DJ Clockwork is behind something major happening somewhere. When he's not busy touring as alt rap sensation Mac Miller's official DJ (which he is a lot of the time), he's putting out mixes, gigging, and building out a fanbase in his own right. Clock somehow managed to take some time out of his schedule to whip up this 5:07AM mixtape (the first in a trilogy), so we slipped in a quick Q&A before letting him get back to his busy schedule of making college girls have to change their underwear.
How did you get started?
I got started when I was 15 in Cincinnati, DJing every gig I could get my hands on...from teen dances to my junior prom. I continued DJing all over the Midwest. Then, I eventually got some cool gigs in New York (shouts to Roxy Cottontail and Jasmine Solano), and even Paris, France, on some solo DJ shit. I landed my first tour with Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek about two years ago, and I've just been goin' hard ever since...
How did you link up with Mac Miller?
I linked up with Mac in October of 2010, and it's been the best journey to date. We started off doing a tour in Ohio/Kentucky—four cities: Columbus, Dayton, Covington, Lexington—which was super cool and super sold out. Even then, Mac had a loyal and strong fanbase. From that tour, we did an East Coast/West Coast run that was probably the best time of my life. The energy in our camp is strong and powerful, and it shows in the music Mac makes. This "MostDope Family for Life" we talk so highly of is REAL—a bunch of brothers on the road together touring...we really respect/love each other.
The mix is pretty diverse. Where would you say your musical roots lay?
My musical roots lay in Ohio. A lot of soul and funk comes out of Ohio, and that's what I was pretty much raised on.
What goes into a Clockwork beat?
My favorite keyboard, herb, movies, video games, and some loud speakers.
What's coming down the pipe?
Well, since this is a trilogy of mixtapes, you can expect the other two tapes to be released soon...probably really soon... I also have an instrumental project coming out with an Ohio buddy of mine. That's goin' to be wild. I'm just excited about making more music and keeping the true art form of DJing ALIVE. #MOSTDOPE4LIFE And you can also expect a lot of other projects from other MostDope members soon...
Listen to 5:07AM below and head on over to Noisey's Facebook page for the exclusive download!
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