I stepped out of the cafe and into the night club to converse with international Dubai-based DJ, Crown Prince, to discuss all things sonic and party-smashing…
Dorian: Where were you born?
Crown Prince: I was born on an island named Antigua in the West Indies.
Dorian: How has coming from there shaped who you are today?
Crown Prince: Being born there and raised between Brooklyn, NY, and Florida has given me an awareness and appreciation of cultures through speech, food, dance, and of course, music.
Dorian: When did you get in to DJing?
Crown Prince: I was always around DJs growing up. I think I destroyed 60 percent of my dad’s vinyl and dubbed over his cassettes trying to put mixes together for me to listen to. In college, that’s where I started to really learn and take it seriously.
Dorian: How did you first make a name for yourself?
Crown Prince: I took a very unconventional route in making a name for myself. Back when there was Napster, Winmx, AudioGalaxy, Limewire and the other various file sharing platforms, I would make mini-mixes of Dancehall tracks and flood the web. I still have people come to me and talk about those early mixes.
Dorian: When did you come to the UAE and how did you break in to the scene here?
Crown Prince: I came to the UAE on the first of March, 2012. In regards to breaking in to the scene, let’s just say I personally feel as though I’m still in the process of doing that.
Dorian: The way I’ve seen you rock a party makes me think you are already established. Where does the name Crown Prince come from?
Crown Prince: Ahhh the name… Long story short, one of my uncles is nicknamed, “King”. As a kid, my nickname was King because I said that I was next. In picking a DJ name, I tried a few but didn’t want to use the word, King, so I settled on “Crown Prince”.
Dorian: What’s your favourite genre of music?
Crown Prince: Picking a favourite genre is the toughest because of such love and influence that just about every genre as given me but if there has to be one… Reggae!! Not dancehall or bashment, I mean Reggae! No matter what’s going on, some Beres Hammond, Bob Marley, Gregory Issac, Jacob Miller, and others is all I need.
Dorian: What’s the secret for making a crowd go crazy during one of your sets?
Crown Prince: I don’t think there is a secret to making a crowd go crazy. It’s DJing 101 to try to read the crowd and anticipate what it will take to make the collective have a great time.
Dorian: Who are the hottest artists out right now to you?
Crown Prince: To be honest, I feel that the producers are the stars at the moment. Major Lazer, Calvin Harris, Mustard, etc… But if I have to pick, nobody is winning like Drake is at the moment.
Dorian: I agree, I love what Kendrick Lamar is doing as well. You’ve traveled a lot this summer. Where did you go?
Crown Prince: This summer’s tour is so amazing. I’ve had stops in; Miami, Orlando, Antigua, Barbados, Toronto, Atlanta, Bermuda, Trinidad, Bahamas, NYC, Ft. Lauderdale, with stops in Jamaica, D.C., and more to come. I enjoy everywhere… Old friends, good food, and great music – I’m always enjoying myself.
Dorian: Wow. What makes a good DJ, scratching, mixing, and/or blending?
Crown Prince: That depends on which aspect you are judging the DJ by. Competition? Then yeah, Scratching and routine creativity. Mixtapes? Then yeah, mixing, blends, scratching. Clubs/Parties? Selection and timing! Too many DJs think that they are good but are playing the hottest records at midnight when the party is going till 3 or 4. Playing your position while entertaining the crowd makes a good party DJ.
Dorian: I like how you put it. Where can people catch you spinning?
Crown Prince: At the end of my tour in early October I’ll be returning to the UAE and settling back in with some new residencies. Keep updated on where I’ll be by hitting me up on Twitter and Instagram @DjCrownPrince or FB “Dj Crown Prince”.
Dorian: Cool. Can you hit up the management meant to take care of the bill before I go?
Crown Prince: Stares blankly.
