DJ Mick (formerly Mick Boogie) likes it hot. After he landed in the city, he made a visit to a mall before ending the outing with a chicken delicacy. “It was so spicy. I had never tasted anything so spicy but I liked it,” he says with a smile. Dressed in formal shirt and trousers, Mick walks in with his wife Rana McClendon. On his first visit to Hyderabad, New York-based Mick seemed to have taken a liking to the city. “Hyderabad is awesome, beautiful,” he declares. “I was not sure what to expect from the city. I like it here. The climate is perfect. Technology is one of my other passions. I have invested in technological companies and I like the technology culture here.”
We ask him about his formal dressing and Mick laughs, “I barely drink, don’t do drugs. I eat (he says patting his stomach) and I am married. I like to keep it professional.”
Mick began deejaying as a hobby in college before it became a full-fledged career. The much sought-after DJ is regularly seen spinning the discs at Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas Tokyo, Dubai and Berlin. “I love playing all types of music. Sticking to one genre is like limiting yourself. Today’s youngsters listen to diverse music, thanks to internet,” he says. His gigs turn crazy depending on the crowd’s energy levels. “My concerts are very reactive. Give me a crowd which is excited and energetic and we rock it with music. But if the crowd is lame, sleepy and tired, there is no fun,” he says.
His remix projects with Adele, Kanye West, Coldplay and Jay-Z are considered classics. “When you spot a Jay-Z or super models among your audience, it changes the vibe. People work harder,” he says. On a different note, he says, “Celebrities like to keep it cool and don’t really party. I think it is because of the paparazzi. It’s the regulars who party hard.”
In two weeks from now, Mick is going to Europe and Paris. Looking at his wife, he says with a wink, “I think she is going to shop in Paris and spend all my money there.”
Besides Hyderabad (where he performed at the Over The Moon pub in Hotel Daspalla), his India itinerary for VH1 Hip Hop Hustle includes Mumbai and Delhi also.
