We caught up with DJ Official and barraged him with questions.  See below for the interview and get to know Official! (Picture courtesy of Philip Rood)

You travelled all summer with Reach for the Don’t Waste Your Life tour, and now, coming at the end of the year, you have your first album due to release on Reach Records.  We’ll get into the title and the album in a little bit, but first let’s get some personal questions out of the way so the world can know who DJ Official really is.  Often you aren’t front and center stage, sharing your heart in the mic or dropping a verse, which makes you more of a mystery.  Let’s shatter the barrier and open up for the peoples with a load of questions.

Where are you from?
I’m originally from New York. Born in the Bronx. Lived in Brooklyn and Long Island. But for the last 8 years have lived in Philadelphia.

What was DJ Official like growing up?
I lived most of my life in a town on Long Island called Amityville (Yes the same town as the movie). I grew up in a predominately African American neighborhood and went to a school with the same demographic. So being around that, when rap started getting popular and hip-hop starting becoming a major culture I saw myself drawn to it at an early age. So I kind of went against the grain of my upbringing. My mom is Puerto Rican and my stepdad is Chinese and Puerto Rican and knew nothing of rap and hip-hop culture. I was the first in my family to really gravitate towards the culture. Being a minority within the school I went to was hard at first but cause you didn’t see many puerto ricans and caucasians in hip-hop at that time. But I loved hip-hop and fought to make myself apart of it growing up.

How did you get into being a DJ?
Well In junior high I really started getting into the music aspect of it and started a group with my friend Eric. He was a rapper and I was also a rapper. We would buy maxi singles with what ever little money we could scrounge up at the time. Maxi singles at the time had the single and an instrumental of the song. So we would use those instrumentals and make songs with other peoples’ beats. But at the same time my dad had an old technic turntable since the 70’s he didn’t use and I would take his records when he was gone and practice scratching. I wasn’t that good at first, but I was determined to learn and get better. It wasn’t till after high school that I met a new friend Cipha Sounds did I really start to get pushed into the DJ arena. We were taught by a guy named DJ Riz and use to carry records for Funkmaster Flex. That’s when I knew I wanted to do this for a living rather then just a hobby. Really I knew much sooner, but it wasn’t till then when I got my foot in the door did I know I could live off this.

Can you share the story of how you started following Jesus?
I didn’t grow up in a church home, but we would go to church every now and then. I really didn’t get introduced to Jesus and the truths of the bible till high school. It was threw a friend of mine, Mike. At that time we were rapping, getting in trouble, and just living a life of mayhem. His mom was a church going women and not just one who was religious, but one who knew the bible to be true and that Jesus was the only way to GOD. So as I would go over there she would try to talk to us about Jesus and at first I wouldn’t listen. But as time went on I would sit there with her and talk about GOD. Really it was just to be respectful and get her off my back. It wasn’t till 1996 when I got into unbelievable trouble with the law and got arrested did I really listen. I remember sitting in a jail cell thinking about my life and where did I go wrong. I remember as I was there lying on a cot the discussions with Mike’s mom come into my mind. The more I looked back on those conversations the more I realized I offended GOD and this was payment for my sin. I got on my knees in the jail cell, confessed my sin, confessed my need for a savior and the want to live a life new. Man, in a flash I felt like a new man and praised GOD for it. I was still in that cell, but knew no matter what, I was okay. I got out a day later and that weekend went to church. Made a public confession and started really living for GOD. Still going threw legal problems for 6 months after that but was a born again believer in the lord Jesus Christ.

Who are some of your greatest spiritual influences?
I would say my greatest spiritual influences in my life would have to be. My friend Mike’s mom for her persistent involvement in my growth as a christian early on. My old Pastor Vin who really took me under his wing early on. The Cross Movement as a whole. They really challenged and changed my life, walk and talk. I found out from them what it really was to be a follower of Christ. My good friend Miguel Davilla. Its hard to find people who you can connect with not just on a friendly level, but that the words they speak really say something to your soul and your the better for it. There are many pastors (John Piper, Eric Mason) and authors who have done work in my life or influenced me but the above list of people who I would say really influenced me and changed my life.

You are into a lot of different types of music, what are some of your favorite genre’s other than hip hop?
I love an array of music. I think the reason being my father played guitar since forever and was really into classic rock. My mom was really into salsa, and top 40 music. So I was influenced by alot. But I would say music I love is Electronica, Downtempo/Chill, B-More Bounce, and Rock.

On a day off, what does DJ Official like to do?
On day’s off I really like doing a number of things. I love to read. Mostly spy novels. I like chilling with my wife and daughter,  playing xbox, and working on music.

You’ve been traveling for over 10 years, what are your top 3 favorite places on planet earth?
My favorite 3 places that I have been too would be England, Vancouver and Alaska. England just had a great vibe to it. Vancouver was one of the most beautiful city’s I have been too and Alaska is great for the outdoorsy type.?

If you had to choose between DJing forever, or producing forever, which would it be and why?
Producing! Don’t get me wrong I love DJing but the feeling I get from creating music from scratch is such a wonderful experience. Plus when people like it, the experience only gets better.

Whats your favorite track that you’ve ever produced?
Phanatik’s “Now Who’s The Man”. I love the feeling of that track and when we did it at shows people went crazy.

Let’s move on to your album, scheduled to drop around Christmas…
Why do an album?
Threw the years I’ve grown relationships with many people around the globe who happen to be artist and as a producer I’ve always wanted to work on a project that I fully produced and had all those people on. Been on my heart and mind for many years.

The title is “EnterMission”.  Unpack that for us. 
After I got the okay to do an album. I really wanted to have a theme with it. I saw how well received 13 letters was and the concept behind it. People used the cd as a tool for bible study. I wanted to create a cd that people could use as a tool and be excited about. I remember my pastor talking about being missional and living missional. Letting people around you know about GOD in your walk and talk.  Not just overseas but in your own backyard. Also my good friend Miguel talked about doing a cd about missions with me. I knew then this is what I wanted my cd to be about.

What is your hope for the album?
I want people to get excited about doing missions or being missional in there own church, town, city, state, country or abroad.

Who is going to be featured on EnterMission? 
There are a number of artist that are featured but I will give you a brief listing. We have Lecrae, Tedashii, Triplee, Sho Baraka, Phanatik, Jahaziel, Stephen The Levite, Cam, Thisl, Flame, Json, K-Drama, ADF, R-Swift and many more.

Any advice for aspiring DJ’s and producers?
Keep practicing…..I know that is cliche, but if I didn’t continue to press on I wouldn’t see my craft get better. Make sure you have people critiquing you…..very important. Also make sure you have the right motives in this. If your just doing it to be seen, or to make alot of money. You are heading to a dangerous place. Remember the DJ and producer are the backdrop to the MC. Stay humble and play your role in that. Make sure you can do all you can so the MC can do all he can.

Thanks for the time Fish, we’ll be looking forward to the end of 2009! Stay up on the latest at our site and on DJ Official’s twitter