‘I remember having a Kid Capri tape from ’88; I still have the cassette tape,’ Atlanta DJ tells Mixtape Daily. By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Rahman Dukes DJ Trauma Photo: MTV News DJ Trauma is taking his skills to a bigger stage. After spinning at Atlanta’s Hot 107.9 for 10 years, Trauma recently left the station to focus on being the tour DJ for Ciara and Sean “The Pen” Garrett, as well as his own Carte Blanche team. Trauma has long been a key member of the ATL DJ/mixtape scene thanks to his role as a co-founder of the Superfriends DJ clique, his work on radio and as a staple on the club scene, holding down parties for Diddy, Jamie Foxx and Jay-Z, among others. Although Trauma has plenty of hip-hop ties, he believes his breakthrough mixtape was last year’s #ialmostmadeamixtape, which had him teaming up with British R&B crooner Estelle. “I really wanted to start focusing on the music that I love to hear and I want to help the world hear,” Trauma told Mixtape Daily. “I want to create mixtapes that are not disposable. That’s part of what’s wrong with the mixtape game now, ’cause I remember having a Kid Capri tape from ’88, I still have the cassette tape. People still download the links. I want to create tapes like that, that no matter what, it’s classic. A Trap or Die [mixtape] is classic. That’s the type of mixtape I want to create. Even if it’s an Estelle, which is kind of like pop music or soul, a lot of her records are real soulful and real good music. I want to do stuff like that.” While Trauma’s output also includes a tape with neo-soul singer (and Barack Obama playlist entry) Anthony David, his latest is an EP with former “American Idol” contestant Anoop Desai. Titled Zero.0, Trauma eventually assembled all of the producers and songwriters for the project, earning himself a co-executive producer credit. “What ended up happening is it turned into a real album,” Trauma said of Zero.0, the first of planned trilogy. “It’s called Zero because everything starts and ends from zero. … [Anoop] used to sing in an acapella group. You get his soul and R&B influences on the tape but then you also end off with his single, ‘OoWee,’ which is like a straight dance/pop song.” Billboard hosted the free mixtape upon its initial release and on April 20 a high-quality version will be available for purchase on iTunes. Next, Trauma plan to drop another mixtape, The Sex Tape Chronicles 2, with Verse Simmonds, as well as his own I Am the Party project, inspired by music that gets people jamming no matter what part of the world they’re in. As Trauma put it, “No matter where you are in the world, you can party with me.” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines .
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DJ Trauma Wants To Make ‘Classic’ Mixtapes
