The Complex 7: DJ Muro

DJ Muro is a walking hip-hop renaissance man. Among crate diggers and sample DJs, Muro is internationally known for his soul- and funk-inspired mixtapes, which have earned him the title “King of Diggin’.” To Japanese hip-hop fans, he’s forever known as the godfather of Tokyo’s hip-hop scene. And to streetwear enthusiasts, Muro is renowned as a tastemaker who has worked with Stüssy, UNDFTD, and Staple. He has produced chart-topping hits in Japan, but still receives pounds of respect from the purists. Overall, he’s more than just your average DJ.

Despite the cultural impact he wields in Japan, DJ Muro is still relatively unknown Stateside. Well, time to get familiar! If you’re in NYC, you can check out the legend on the one’s and two’s tonight with DJ Neil Armstrong. If that’s too last-minute, you can also check him out tomorrow night with Q-Tip at Santo’s Party House, or Saturday night with DJ Chairman Mao at APT. In the meanwhile, read our Complex 7 with the Japanese honcho, and check out some of his best productions…

Interview by Jaeki Cho

“The Roosevelt” feat. Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, Trife Da God

“Lyrical Tyrants” feat. O.C.

Sky High! ~Mizell Bros. Works~ Sampler

 #1: WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER ONE DEAL-BREAKER FOR A GIRLFRIEND?

DJ Muro says: Lies. Big lies. I had a girlfriend who wasn’t a normal girl. But since I’m not regular myself, I guess I can’t find a regular girl.

 #2: WHAT’S THE WORST WAY YOU’VE BROKEN UP WITH SOMEONE?

DJ Muro says: When I used to live in New York back in the early ’90s, my ex-girlfriend was cheating. I found out when I was going through the closet, and I found a bunch of letters that my girlfriend was writing to another guy—who was actually a House DJ.

 #3: WHAT HAS TO BE IN YOUR FRIDGE AT ALL TIMES?

DJ Muro says: Maybe water? And every time I come to New York, I drink a lot of apple juice. Japanese apple juice is whiter in color. The apple juice out here is more yellow, and I think it tastes better.

 #4: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SNEAKER OF ALL TIME?

DJ Muro says: There’s a record called Return of the Funky Man by Lord Finesse. On the record cover he’s wearing a pair of all white high-top Air Force 1s. When I first saw those it was shocking. I could confidently say that I was the first person who brought the high-top Air Force 1s to Japan. It was really dope. Lord Finesse rocked the straps on the Air Force 1s without putting them around his ankles, and nobody in Japan was rocking it like that.

 #5: WHAT’S THE MOST EMBARRASSING PIECE OF CLOTHING YOU’VE EVER WORN?

DJ Muro says: When I started out hip-hop in the ’80s, hip-hop wasn’t established in Japan. A lot of rap artists and b-boys were booked together with clowns. I had to perform in department stores with small-time comedians, and one time I had to dress up as a clown.

 #6: IF YOU HAD A WEEK HOLIDAY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

DJ Muro says: Actually, these two weeks that I’m in New York are the days that I’m off. If I get a week holiday, I’ll probably go back to Jerry’s Records in Pittsburgh and dig. I’ve never seen a record store like that. I was there when the store opened until the store closed.

 #7: WHEN’S THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

DJ Muro says: I didn’t actually cry, but when I finally went to Jerry’s Records in Pittsburgh during my last trip, I got a little emotional. Oh, and I knew Haze for more than ten years. So when I went to visit him, and seeing him doing all right with the new studio in New York, it got me a little emotional.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

Complex: How did your relationship with D.I.T.C. initially spark?

DJ Muro: I used to come to New York City to buy things such as sneakers and other things to resell them in my store Savage. I used to go to record conventions, and that’s where I met Lord Finesse and D.I.T.C. members. I passed my demo to them.

Complex: Are you planning to work with any New York rappers anytime soon?

DJ Muro: There’s a Marvel comic called Big Joe Crash, which KRS-One did the original soundtrack. The animator for that pitched the idea of doing an animation called Bronx Story in a Marvel comic way. They wanted me to work on the soundtrack, and KRS-One already sent me the acapella.

Complex: How do collaborations with Futura, Staple, Dice & Dice, UNDFTD, and Timberlands come about?

DJ Muro: A lot of collaborations happen when a lot of people from those companies come and chill at the parties I spin. A lot of requests happen when they ask me to do a product accompanied by a mixtape.

Complex: Why do you think that although hip-hop and sneaker culture started in New York, it has elevated aesthetically in Japan?

DJ Muro: In the ’90s, the possibility of hip-hop culture’s growth seemed limitless, and I wanted to bring that exciting vibe of New York into the Japanese scene. And I think it’s because a lot of people like me are out in Japan. We never shifted to another side; we always loved New York street culture, continued loving it, and it just grew.