Interviews > Dj Neil Armstrong – Return of the Mix
The Saturday evening and Sunday Morning mix that you just can’t seem to stop listening to. That is what a mix tape from Dj Neil Armstrong is like once you have it blazing out of your speakers. It all sounds like a great weekend.
I had a co-worker put me on to a mixtape and I have been an avid follower of the Dj ever since I have heard Neil blaze.
Laying soul classics from Al Green, Isaac Hayes and The Ojays, and intertwining the grooves with the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye and others. He mixes clips from comedians and from film, along with the cuts of rock or rap. The sounds are amazing and the selections are tight. Truly a Return Of The Mix.
It all depends on what goes on in Armstrong’s spirit, as the mix absorbs you and your imagination.
Dj Neil Armstrong just had the opportunity to tour with the legendary Hip Hop artist Jay-Z, and gave me a moment to catch up with him before his Olympic Tour.
Here’s the Interview:
Saster: Let’s go back… way back… back into time. What was it that really sparked your interests in music?
Dj Neil Armstrong: As far as pure music goes, I grew up playing a lot of instruments and taking music classes . Classical stuff – violin, piano, flute, guitar etc etc. I’m Filipino American, and most of us have pianos in the house.
As far as hip hop goes, I am one of the fortunate ones to have been born and raised in NYC during the golden era of hip hop. When I was in high school, thats when Slick Rick , De LA Soul is dead, It Takes a Nation of Million’s came out. I was at the concert that was used for The Scenario video when LONS performed at the palladium. So hip hop just found me. The culture, the vibe , everything.
Saster: What was ‘Hip Hop’ like for you growing up in Queens?
Dj Neil Armstrong: I grew up in Queens, but I’m an all over New Yorker. Went to High School up in the Bronx, went to college in the city, and even went to a church in Staten Island. So, I was kind of all over the place. As far as where the hip hop and us chillin’ was , we used to chill down in the village, near broadway and saint marks if we weren’t up at school or I wasn’t doin’ homework. So a better question would be what was hip hop like growing up in New York. It was just like most people think, without all the pretense and the colorful clothes though.
Saster: Many people reference that they listened and caught wreck their Dad’s or Momma’s records. Did your parents have a crazy record collection for you take advantage of?
Dj Neil Armstrong: My parents are relatively older – my pops had nat king cole and lawrence welk albums. Soooo, not really.
Saster: What and when was the big break dealt to you, and how did it go down?
Dj Neil Armstrong: I guess by big break you’re most likely referring to linking up with Jay 
Jay & I have a mutual friend named Vashtie Kola, She’s like the downtown it girl and is just that connected. Jay mentioned to her that he needed a dj, she is also friends with my manager sky, and my name got put on the plate. I was told about the possibility of it happening – of becoming Jay-Z’s tour DJ on a Wednesday. On Friday, I was on a plane to Miami where I met Jay and “auditioned” with the rest of the Roc Boys….
You know the rest.
Saster: So, how does the ‘5th Platoon’ come about? Where does the name come from? Any meaning and/or reason?
Dj Neil Armstrong: 5th Platoon is the collective of DJ’s Im down with for the last 12 years. We were battle DJ’s 1st – and there are 7 of us .Daddy Dog, Vinroc, Roli Rho, Do Boy, I.Emerg, Kuttin Kandi, and myself. from 96 to 2005 at least one of our crew were heavyweights in the turntablist scene , but these days we have moved onto more individual projects. I keep pushing the name because thats where my roots lie at.
Saster: What was it like battling in other hoods in the Five Boroughs? What about the US, or other countries?
Dj Neil Armstrong: Battling was probably the funniest if not most stressful time of our lives. It was done for the love, not for money or because it was our career. We just did it cause we wanted to represent.
I’m actually a lot more known for my mixtapes then my days battling, but I wouldn’t be who I am today without having been part of my crew.
Saster: You have some Mixtapes with some excellent ‘classic’ cut’s, and it really sounds like you really grew up with the classic music selections that you rock. Can you explain your connection to the music and era? How old were you when some of this music was blazing?
Dj Neil Armstrong: Well, I pride myself in just listening to good music, regardless of genre or age or whatever. Some stuff I grew up with, some stuff just found me. Like, I wasn’t listening to Stevie Wonder when I was 18. IF I was , I was listening to “I just called to say I love you”, and I sure as hell was NOT.
But eventually as time went on, I just discovered the music, or it discovered me.
Music, good music … it chooses you.
Saster: You have rocked with some big names in the Hip Hop culture, but what was the feeling when you were in demand by Jay-Z?
Dj Neil Armstrong: Jay, as far as the world is concerned, as far as history is going to show. Jay is as big as it gets right now. To work with him, to be able to have backed him up and be involved in the shows he put down, like Glastonbury in front of over 100,000 people, to have rocked Madison Square. It was all just really incredible.
Saster: Can we expect any Production that you are working on? Anything for Jay-Z?
Dj Neil Armstrong: I’m not into production actually. That is a really tough game. If your a DJ, and you play hits… how can you miss?? But if you are trying to convince people what you make is a hit? Shoot… that shit is tough.
Saster: What is one of the craziest things that have happened on the 2008 tour?
Dj Neil Armstrong: Craziest by far was the Glastonbury Festival in the UK. somewhere between 100,000 and 140,000 people, it was on BBC. It was a big deal because it was the 1st time that a Hip Hop act headlined the festival.
I’m sure I will look back on my life, and that single event will be one of the top 5 experiences of my life.
Saster: Let’s get to some issues. What are your thoughts on some of the New music that is coming out today?
Dj Neil Armstrong: I think at this point its really cliche to just say hip hop is dead, or wack, music is wack etc etc.
I think… there is just more stuff that you have to weed through to get to the good stuff these days.
I myself, although I have a wide spectrum of music appreciation, I know musicphiles who are wayyy crazier in the diversity of sound.
There is stuff out there, you just just have to find it… and not depend on the radio or popular BLOGS, or what the tight pants wearing hipster is playing. You gotta figure out what sounds good to you, by yourself.
Saster: What are your thoughts about Graffiti? I’ve heard some ‘Style Wars’ sample cuts in your Filthy Mixtapes.
Dj Neil Armstrong: Come on man, love Graff!. I can’t do it to save my life, but love it as an art form.
I didn’t know anyone personally that became famous famous, but you know, shit went hand in hand. If you listened to hip hop, you liked graph, you went to DJ shows, you went to MC shows, you knew B-boys, etc etc etc. Today I’ll run into Haze and some of the older school cats at parties and what not.
Saster: Name a joint that you are always guaranteed to have when you are on a gig.
Dj Neil Armstrong: Hmmm, Real Love – Mary J Blige….
I can play that for almost any crowd and there will be some reaction…
Saster: Having traveled the world, any place that you have visited that you feel weren’t too familiar with Hip Hop?
China seemed to be the one I feel is just becoming aware of the culture.
Dj Neil Armstrong: Hmmm, not at all. My “career” actually started out in the Far East, when I went to school out in Hong Kong back in 95/ 96. Technically speaking though, some might argue that culturally Hong Kong is different from mainland China.
Hip hop in the form that is now, is pretty far removed from what most people call the “four elements”. I think there were people who followed that stuff, but to say that China for example isn’t familiar with it , well one could argue that most people in the US have a very skewed image of what “real” hip hop is. I bet the kids listening to Little Wayne have no Idea who Frosty Freeze is.
MTV , videos, whatever is on TV is what most youth around the world equate with Hip Hop. There are pockets of countries where they are more aware of some of the earlier hip hop . Denmark for example, and Germany.
So, in Denmark – I could play the Pharcyde, Jay-z, Bleek, Tribe called Quest, and they would get all of it. In a country like China, I probably would stick to Flo-Rida , if that answers your question….
Saster: How was Africa?
Dj Neil Armstrong: Africa was dope. The show actually ended up being just me Jay and Bleek, and some hip hop shit . The DJ and the MCs.
I didn’t get to go to do much site seeing, but I’m heading back in a couple of weeks so hopefully I can do something then.
Saster: Any advice for the up and coming youth in the music game?
Dj Neil Armstrong: There is no real formula, you need to figure it out as you go along. Besides that, make a product that people want, make it quality, and you can’t go wrong. And you have to just love what you do – if you love what your doing, you can’t help but shine, even if no one else can see it but you…
Saster: Thanks for your time Neil, I am always a fan and may you have the most fruitful career. Love what you are doing and maybe we can get to hear some new productions that you are working on.
Dj Neil Armstrong: No doubt, thanks for listening. Be on the lookout for the next batch of mixtapes, which I am feening to get back to after all this touring!
Im definitely looking forward to the life after touring and hope y’all who have been listening since day one keep lookin out.
Interview by- Stern Rockwell © 2008
Tags > fresh2 > graffmuseum > New York > NYC > sast > saster > streets are saying things
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