I remember Dusk from being around records and various related... He was a really nice man. Rest in Peace Dusk. I heard the news today at Buena Park. I don't really understand how this can be. Rest in Peace.
YO, DON"T PLAY MAN!!! That was my boy thanks to Rob One. Are you truly serious???? Damn I am sooo fucked up right now. What happened??? Dman man wtf??? amir
Yesterday was one of the saddest days. i am still reeling over this. i don't think it has hit me fully yet. dusk was an amazing person and always had an awe inspiring smile on his face. i will truly miss you tarek. RIP
damn...i:m in kyoto at an internet cafe....I just had to chime and say this is terrible. without the root down and people like Dusk a side of cali that i hold close woudn:t exist. I met dude briefly and he was good peoples and definetly a talented dude
dude I held it together that night until I called Ritu. Her screaming "duckie no!" I f**ing lost it and i still am having a very hard time with this. Being on tour and away from LA is not helping. I haven't cried this much in a loooong time and what makes it worst is I know if you were here you would son me like, yo, come on b. I just don't understand why. There can't be a master plan because you not being around is not a part of it, it just cant be. And what really really fucking kills me is how much we have grown apart in the last few and how little I did to stay in touch, reach out, anything. I was so proud of you when I checked the new crib, god man, I was so happy for you. We talked about how we would start taking trips to Home Depot together, talking about grass, lawns, faucets. damn man. Your photos were the truth. Your dedication to music, to life and mentoring and everyone around you was so real you were a frickin charachter; it was almost too hard to accept how dude you were some times because it seemed impossible for someone to be that real, that dedicated to music, rocking crowds, hip hop, kids, fricking everything. I keep reliving that day on the beach with you, actualy me you and Ritu and Paula and the beach was empty. And we sat and played chess as the waves rolled in and i was never more real. And I fell in love with Ritu that day. And we just were. I want that day back dude. I want you back. Back in our lives and back in this f**ed up reality and I just want one more chance to do this right and not grow apart and tell you how much I looked up to you, respected you and love you homey.
for life dude. We dedicate this shit to you. From taking the photos for Next Step, trading records, laughing and living; there ain't no resting in peace because your legacy is alive and continues to represent daily. And every night when we step on stage we do it in your honor.
I never had the chance to meet him but he made the Strange Fruit radio show with my wife on Pacific radio a few years ago. She had that terrible phone called yesterday. I have some of his mixes at home, I'll try to post some next week. May he rest in peace.
Rootdown was a great experience last night. Alot of folks came through. The first two hours DUsk's Top rankin and LA Musica mixes were playing. Both are really really dope. Alot of the Captan family was there- dancin, cryin, laughin along with the extended family in la casa, it was an amazing celebration. There were alot of tears- me included. it's hard without him in the world. it was also really amazing to hear dusk's voice coming from old sets that he had played. it was the only way dusk would have wanted it to be. his speech he always said on the mic is etched in my mind.
Also had this forwarded to me earlier today.
Some Things to Ponder: So Many Losses in So Short a Time By Davey D
The city of Angels is in mourning as it has lost not one but two iconic figures within a week. In fact both passed away on the same day Saturday April 30th.
The first was DJ Dusk a well known member of the Universal Zulu Nation and an incredible DJ whose most recent exploits had him spinning every Thursday night at Rootdown at a club called Little Temple. Over the years Dusk made a huge impact for not only being an incredible diversified DJ who could spin everything from Salsa to Hip Hop to Reggae, he also made inroads on the radio. I believe he got down at Pacifica's KPFK. He was one of those deejays who kept himself rooted in the community and tried to make a difference.
The circumstances surrounding Dusk's death speak volumes to the type of man he was. The way it was explained to me, was He had a gathering of close family and friends at his home and was walking a woman back to her car when an out of control driver sped towards her. The woman was destined to be hit when Dusk leaped to her rescue. He pushed her out the way and tucked his head down to take the full impact of the vehicle which he knew would hit him. He was dragged for about 80 yards as the driver tried to escape. Luckily an alert passerby swung their pick up truck in front of the driver and prevented him from leaving. I'm not too sure about what sort of charges if any will be levied on the driver.
Last night (Thursday) all sorts of folks including Dusk's family came out to the Little Temple to pay respects. People tried to stay upbeat, but in reality it was sad. It was sad to see his family experiencing such a major loss. It was sad to see those close to him holding it together, putting on a brave face, but inside mourning and missing Dusk greatly.
Ironically, the last time I saw Dusk was three weeks ago when he put together the annual tribute for DJ Rob One another iconic DJ from LA who passed away from brain cancer 5 years ago. Lots of people from all over including Hip Hop pioneer Prince Whipper Whip flew in from Michigan to pay tribute. The loss of Rob One, although 5 years later seemed to still be fresh on a lot of people's minds. Dusk was the perfect host as he meticulously pulled old mixtapes and drops for the late DJ and played them for the audience. He wanted to make sure that a cat like Rob who meant so much to so many people would not be forgotten. He wanted to make sure that that those who attended would strive for the excellence that Rob One came to represent.
I'm sure no one in their wildest dreams would've thought we'd all be back at Rootdown paying tribute to DJ Dusk. It's a sad thing and just underscored the importance of us not to take anything for granted.
As I sat at the bar listening to them play two of Dusk's mixtapes... 'Top Ranking', a classic reggae and dancehall CD and 'La Musica' a classic Salsa CD, it hit me just how harsh this past year has been in terms of untimely deaths.
First it was J-Dilla, then it was Professor X and later on we lost Proof. We just lost Big Hawk down in Houston. We lost Taurus aka T who was hype man for The Coup. Atlanta rap star T.I. had his van shot up and lost one of his peoples. On top of that we lost LA Hip Hop pioneer Mixmaster Spade, Crip Founder turned Peacemaker Stanley Tookie Williams, C. Delores Tucker who fought to clean up the filth in the music industry, Rosa Parks the mother of the Civil Rights Movement and Coretta Scott King the first Lady of the Civil Rights Movement and widow to Martin Luther King. It seems like we were just talking about losing comedian Richard Pryor and heck it just a year ago I recall getting that painful phone call from Red Alert telling me that Justo Faison who was the deejay's biggest advocate was killed in a car crash. That's an awful lot of people who have meant something to us to be passing all within a year. Sadly I know I forgot a couple and I didn't include those who were close family and friends, like my cousin Michael who was like an older brother.
Again I'm laying all this out so that we take this to heart and strive to make the most out of life and try and make life for those around you better???Plus I think it's important that we always take time out to reflect on those who pass. I mean really reflect and not become so hardened that we see these passings as routine. I also think we need to be honest with ourselves about whether or not we actually gotten over the passings of people from a few years back.
I'll be honest it's going on 10 years and I still think about 2Pac. I recall missing Rob One when we were at his tribute. The death of Jam Master J is still fresh in everyone's minds. Many still mourn over Biggie. Those loses are still being processed by many of us and it gets harder and more complicated because we get hit with all these others???
As we were sitting here dealing with the passing of DJ Dusk I got word that another LA legend passed away. Michael 'Mixxing' Moore who used to spark the airwaves with his trademark Militant Mix on a number of radio stations including KKBT. This brother was all about taking Hip Hop and using it as a tool to spark social change and bring consciousness to those who needed it most. He wasn't the first to play speeches over break beats and dope Hip Hop instrumentals. But he was among the first to do it with an unmatched focus and determination to wake folks up at a time when radio was starting to dumb people down.
I'm not sure what lead to Moore's passing. Dude was only 46 years old and I hadn't spoken to him in quite sometime. I know I got hit up on Myspace and asked to be his friend. That was on Thursday or Friday of last week and in retrospect I'm not sure if it was Mike or one of his peeps. I just recall getting his email and I said soon as I get back to LA, I'm gonna give dude a call. He was a big part of LA history and just never got his props. By Saturday he was gone.
Because of Moore's militant, uncompromising stance on important issues, he won't get the shine that others will get. No one should forget him getting a helicopter and dropping flyers calling out KKBT and accusing them of being racist during the Summerjam back in the early 90s after he had a huge falling out with them. No one should ever forget the passion in that exuded when he spoke about wanting to wake folks up. He was a mentor to many including DJ Mark Luv who heads up LA's Zulu Nation chapter. Damn I wish I could find copies of his militant mixes. He made his mark and should not go unnoticed. May he RIP.
Lastly we need to make a moment of silence for an activist who set the standard and never wavered from
speaking truth to power. Damu Smith out of Washington DC may not get the accolades and praise that we have given to some of our fallen Hip Hop heroes who have passed on, but Damu was a giant figure among giants. He was known all around the world.
The work that he did and continued to do up to his recent passing where he advocated for Peace and Justice with his organization Black Voices for Peace is such that it helped elevate us all. In fact when you look at what Damu Smith stood for damn near all of his life, you'll note that he championed causes that have led to so many untimely deaths. Damu was about spreading Peace and promoting both spiritual and physical health.
He was the type of cat who was knee deep in the battles along the environmentalist front. Talk about beef. He was the type of cat that fought tireless in places like Louisiana and Mississippi and throughout the south demanding that unscrupulous companies not use our neighborhoods as toxic dumping grounds. He wasn't some tree hugging hippie type. He was focused on getting rid of the dangerous toxins and chemical plants that was directed at many of our communities. Damn I wish I could run down everything this cat did. This man was an incredible organizer. And when he spoke he lit up the room. Damu was one of those cats who really set the standard because he walked the walk and talked the talk and he was humble. There were very few contradictions and discrepancies with him.
The sad part about Damu's passing is that because of the dumbing down we have going on in urban radio and throughout a lot of urban media in general, he won't be given a moment of silence. No deejays are gonna play his speeches or talk about his life. He'll be one of those unsung heroes who one day we'll realize we came this far because of the work he put in??? You can peep more about Damu Smith here: http://www.damusmith.org/
So many deaths in so short a time??? I can't help but think and feel that God is asking for each of us to step up our game. We've lost so many of our heroes to violence. We gotta do more then say RIP and play a few tribute songs. We lost so many to bad health and disease, and yet many of us are continuing down the same unhealthy paths that have taken our friends and loved ones. Many of us are not spiritual fit. We say we love the people who died but how many of us take the time and effort to carry out the sound ideals and solid effective work of those we so admired? All this is a jarring wake up call. Either we wake up or start doing the right thing or we'll soon find ourselves doing a lot more tributes...
maybe someone should press up some Top rankin and LA Musica mixtapes for sale on the strut? could raise some money to for Rootdown operating costs (though they may be aight financially)...
anyway I went once to Rootdown and it was fresh.
can't say I knew Dusk but his contributions are well known, and he has obviously touched a lot of strutters personally.
Comments
dude was such an amazing person and a truly talented dj.
rip.
amir
November 1996
10 years of DJ comraderie - those were the good days when learning a new scratch or discovering a new break were all that mattered.
peace.
dude
hold your heard Drez
for life dude. We dedicate this shit to you. From taking the photos for Next Step, trading records, laughing and living; there ain't no resting in peace because your legacy is alive and continues to represent daily. And every night when we step on stage we do it in your honor.
I love you man.
Thes
same, RIP.
May he rest in peace.
Rootdown was a great experience last night. Alot of folks came through. The first two hours DUsk's Top rankin and LA Musica mixes were playing. Both are really really dope. Alot of the Captan family was there- dancin, cryin, laughin along with the extended family in la casa, it was an amazing celebration. There were alot of tears- me included. it's hard without him in the world. it was also really amazing to hear dusk's voice coming from old sets that he had played. it was the only way dusk would have wanted it to be. his speech he always said on the mic is etched in my mind.
Also had this forwarded to me earlier today.
Some Things to Ponder: So Many Losses in So Short a Time
By Davey D
The city of Angels is in mourning as it has lost not one but two
iconic figures within a week. In fact both passed away on the same day
Saturday April 30th.
The first was DJ Dusk a well known member of the Universal Zulu Nation
and an incredible DJ whose most recent exploits had him spinning every
Thursday night at Rootdown at a club called Little Temple. Over the
years Dusk made a huge impact for not only being an incredible
diversified DJ who could spin everything from Salsa to Hip Hop to
Reggae, he also made inroads on the radio. I believe he got down at
Pacifica's KPFK. He was one of those deejays who kept himself rooted
in the community and tried to make a difference.
The circumstances surrounding Dusk's death speak volumes to the type
of man he was. The way it was explained to me, was He had a gathering
of close family and friends at his home and was walking a woman back
to her car when an out of control driver sped towards her. The woman
was destined to be hit when Dusk leaped to her rescue. He pushed her
out the way and tucked his head down to take the full impact of the
vehicle which he knew would hit him. He was dragged for about 80 yards
as the driver tried to escape. Luckily an alert passerby swung their
pick up truck in front of the driver and prevented him from leaving.
I'm not too sure about what sort of charges if any will be levied on
the driver.
Last night (Thursday) all sorts of folks including Dusk's family came
out to the Little Temple to pay respects. People tried to stay upbeat,
but in reality it was sad. It was sad to see his family experiencing
such a major loss. It was sad to see those close to him holding it
together, putting on a brave face, but inside mourning and missing
Dusk greatly.
Ironically, the last time I saw Dusk was three weeks ago when he put
together the annual tribute for DJ Rob One another iconic DJ from LA
who passed away from brain cancer 5 years ago. Lots of people from all
over including Hip Hop pioneer Prince Whipper Whip flew in from
Michigan to pay tribute. The loss of Rob One, although 5 years later
seemed to still be fresh on a lot of people's minds. Dusk was the
perfect host as he meticulously pulled old mixtapes and drops for the
late DJ and played them for the audience. He wanted to make sure that
a cat like Rob who meant so much to so many people would not be
forgotten. He wanted to make sure that that those who attended would
strive for the excellence that Rob One came to represent.
I'm sure no one in their wildest dreams would've thought we'd all be
back at Rootdown paying tribute to DJ Dusk. It's a sad thing and just
underscored the importance of us not to take anything for granted.
As I sat at the bar listening to them play two of Dusk's mixtapes...
'Top Ranking', a classic reggae and dancehall CD and 'La Musica' a
classic Salsa CD, it hit me just how harsh this past year has been in
terms of untimely deaths.
First it was J-Dilla, then it was Professor X and later on we lost
Proof. We just lost Big Hawk down in Houston. We lost Taurus aka T who
was hype man for The Coup. Atlanta rap star T.I. had his van shot up
and lost one of his peoples. On top of that we lost LA Hip Hop pioneer
Mixmaster Spade, Crip Founder turned Peacemaker Stanley Tookie
Williams, C. Delores Tucker who fought to clean up the filth in the
music industry, Rosa Parks the mother of the Civil Rights Movement and
Coretta Scott King the first Lady of the Civil Rights Movement and
widow to Martin Luther King. It seems like we were just talking about
losing comedian Richard Pryor and heck it just a year ago I recall
getting that painful phone call from Red Alert telling me that Justo
Faison who was the deejay's biggest advocate was killed in a car
crash. That's an awful lot of people who have meant something to us to
be passing all within a year. Sadly I know I forgot a couple and I
didn't include those who were close family and friends, like my cousin
Michael who was like an older brother.
Again I'm laying all this out so that we take this to heart and strive
to make the most out of life and try and make life for those around
you better???Plus I think it's important that we always take time out to
reflect on those who pass. I mean really reflect and not become so
hardened that we see these passings as routine. I also think we need
to be honest with ourselves about whether or not we actually gotten
over the passings of people from a few years back.
I'll be honest it's going on 10 years and I still think about 2Pac. I
recall missing Rob One when we were at his tribute. The death of Jam
Master J is still fresh in everyone's minds. Many still mourn over
Biggie. Those loses are still being processed by many of us and it
gets harder and more complicated because we get hit with all these
others???
As we were sitting here dealing with the passing of DJ Dusk I got word
that another LA legend passed away. Michael 'Mixxing' Moore who used
to spark the airwaves with his trademark Militant Mix on a number of
radio stations including KKBT. This brother was all about taking Hip
Hop and using it as a tool to spark social change and bring
consciousness to those who needed it most. He wasn't the first to play
speeches over break beats and dope Hip Hop instrumentals. But he was
among the first to do it with an unmatched focus and determination to
wake folks up at a time when radio was starting to dumb people down.
I'm not sure what lead to Moore's passing. Dude was only 46 years old
and I hadn't spoken to him in quite sometime. I know I got hit up on
Myspace and asked to be his friend. That was on Thursday or Friday of
last week and in retrospect I'm not sure if it was Mike or one of his
peeps. I just recall getting his email and I said soon as I get back
to LA, I'm gonna give dude a call. He was a big part of LA history and
just never got his props. By Saturday he was gone.
Because of Moore's militant, uncompromising stance on important
issues, he won't get the shine that others will get. No one should
forget him getting a helicopter and dropping flyers calling out KKBT
and accusing them of being racist during the Summerjam back in the
early 90s after he had a huge falling out with them. No one should
ever forget the passion in that exuded when he spoke about wanting to
wake folks up. He was a mentor to many including DJ Mark Luv who heads
up LA's Zulu Nation chapter. Damn I wish I could find copies of his
militant mixes. He made his mark and should not go unnoticed. May he
RIP.
Lastly we need to make a moment of silence for an activist who set the
standard and never wavered from speaking truth to power. Damu Smith
out of Washington DC may not get the accolades and praise that we have
given to some of our fallen Hip Hop heroes who have passed on, but
Damu was a giant figure among giants. He was known all around the
world.
The work that he did and continued to do up to his recent passing
where he advocated for Peace and Justice with his organization Black
Voices for Peace is such that it helped elevate us all. In fact when
you look at what Damu Smith stood for damn near all of his life,
you'll note that he championed causes that have led to so many
untimely deaths. Damu was about spreading Peace and promoting both
spiritual and physical health.
He was the type of cat who was knee deep in the battles along the
environmentalist front. Talk about beef. He was the type of cat that
fought tireless in places like Louisiana and Mississippi and
throughout the south demanding that unscrupulous companies not use our
neighborhoods as toxic dumping grounds. He wasn't some tree hugging
hippie type. He was focused on getting rid of the dangerous toxins and
chemical plants that was directed at many of our communities. Damn I
wish I could run down everything this cat did. This man was an
incredible organizer. And when he spoke he lit up the room. Damu was
one of those cats who really set the standard because he walked the
walk and talked the talk and he was humble. There were very few
contradictions and discrepancies with him.
The sad part about Damu's passing is that because of the dumbing down
we have going on in urban radio and throughout a lot of urban media in
general, he won't be given a moment of silence. No deejays are gonna
play his speeches or talk about his life. He'll be one of those unsung
heroes who one day we'll realize we came this far because of the work
he put in??? You can peep more about Damu Smith here:
http://www.damusmith.org/
So many deaths in so short a time??? I can't help but think and feel
that God is asking for each of us to step up our game. We've lost so
many of our heroes to violence. We gotta do more then say RIP and play
a few tribute songs. We lost so many to bad health and disease, and
yet many of us are continuing down the same unhealthy paths that have
taken our friends and loved ones. Many of us are not spiritual fit. We
say we love the people who died but how many of us take the time and
effort to carry out the sound ideals and solid effective work of those
we so admired? All this is a jarring wake up call. Either we wake up
or start doing the right thing or we'll soon find ourselves doing a
lot more tributes...
That day will be on my mind for a long time.
anyway I went once to Rootdown and it was fresh.
can't say I knew Dusk but his contributions are well known, and he has obviously touched a lot of strutters personally.
DUSK RIP/z"l