ROB RHYTHM

Rob Rhythm Dj/Producer

Born in the “Garden State” Plainfield, NJ, Rob started collecting records at the age of 11 years old when his father would take him to the local record store Plainfield and Newark NJ to buy 45’s which ranged from 70’s R&B, Jazz, funk, Rock, Disco and Soul. “ My musical influences came from my father who listened to the typical stuff at that time but he also listened to Johnny Taylor, Jimmy McGriff, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Chicago and many other artists.” My father was an avid WBLS listener. By the late 70’s was the first time I heard non-stop DJ mixes on the radio which was amazing. To date Rob Rhythm has collection of 300 cassette tapes recorded from radio ranging from Larry Levan, Tony Humphries, Louie Vega, David Morales, Jelly Bean Benitez, Mike Jenkins, Jay “Mixen Dixon, Kenny Carpenter, Frankie Crocker, Bobby Konders, Latin Rascals, DJ Disciple, Timmy Regisford, Merlin Bobb, Shep Pettibone, John Robinson, Red Alert, DJ Marley Marl, Mr Magic Rap Attack, World Supreme Team Show, Funkmaster Flex, Grandmaster Flash, Hit Man Howie T, the list goes on.

By 1981 now 15 years old he met a neighbor whom happened to be close friend of George Clinton , a working DJ playing small bars around NJ introduced him to DJ culture. “It was crazy because this guy was in a record pool, so I heard all the hot stuff on record labels such as: Salsoul, West End, Prelude and many other labels before the records were commercially released.” This guy had 3 Thorens MK125 Turntables and a Bozak Rotary DJ mixer”. At the same time a neighbor living on the opposite side who was a Hip-Hop DJ, would meet and I would sit in on his practice sessions. That DJ was the first DMC World Champion from the United States the legendary DJ Cheese!”
From that point on I knew I wanted to be a DJ.” From 1983 to 1987 would also frequent clubs such as Club Zanzibar, Club 88, Cheetah Club, The VFW in Plainfield, The Roxy, the second wave of Studio 54, The Latin Quarter, The Copa Cabana, Roseland Ballroom and Paradise Garage 2 months before it Closed. College parties at Rutgers University, Bloomfield College and Trenton State University were frequented as well. “That time period was a very exciting because I was influenced both by the Hip-Hop scene and the Disco/Club scene.
In the winter of 1993 Rob moved from Plainfield, NJ to Oakland, CA where the house scene was starting gain momentum. It was then that opportunity came to play in clubs around San Francisco such as Sound Factory, DV8, Upper Room, Up and Down Club, Club Pink, Art Bar , 330 Rich, The People Party, Nulife, Raw Basics and other guest spots and residencies around the Bay Area.

In 1996 he teamed up with San Francisco DJ/Producer Ra Soul and produce an EP for Canadian House Label 83 West Records called “Oaktown Funk” and the track was called “Brazilian Funk”. “That was a very proud moment for me because at the time I was living in the SF Bay Area and did not have access to take the mix shows in NY anymore. But a friend from NY mailed me a cassette of a Tony Humphries mix show on 98.7 kiss FM. Mid way thru side A Tony played my track! Now I am back to finish what I started!

https://www.mixcloud.com/robertwarejr/
https://soundcloud.com/rob-rhythm