DJ Fresh (American DJ) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids DJ.Fresh
Background information
Birth name	Marqus Brown
Also known as	The World's Freshest
Born	(1981-11-02) November 2, 1981 (age 43) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Origin	Oakland/Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	R&B hip hop soul
Occupation(s)	Music producer, DJ
Instruments	Digital audio workstation turntables
Years active	Late 1990s – present
Labels	Fresh in the Flesh Livewire

Marqus Brown, born on November 2, 1981, is known as DJ.Fresh. He is a talented American hip hop DJ and music producer. DJ.Fresh works from Oakland and Los Angeles. In 2016, XXL magazine named him one of the 30 best hip-hop producers.

Since 2005, DJ.Fresh has created a popular series of albums called The Tonite Show. Many famous artists have been featured on these albums. He has also produced music for other musicians. His 2013 album with J. Stalin, Miracle & Nightmare on 10th Street, was very successful. It reached high spots on music charts.

Growing Up

Marqus Brown was born and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. When he was a kid in Baltimore, he loved hip hop culture. He started mixing music on turntables when he was only nine years old. He was inspired by soul, hip hop, and jazz artists from the 1970s and 1980s. Some of his early favorites included Anita Baker and Whitney Houston.

At nine years old, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in California with his family. There, he continued to practice his DJ skills. He performed and competed in DJ battles around the Bay Area.

Making Music

Starting Out in Music

DJ.Fresh mixing live

DJ.Fresh got his first big chance at age 18. He was the DJ for a show in San Francisco with the rapper Common. Soon after, he went on two tours as a DJ for the famous rapper Nas. He also began making his own music. He created beats using turntables and a digital audio workstation. In 1999, the International Turntablist Federation (ITF) named him the 3rd best DJ in the United States.

He first used the name DJ Fresh. Later, he changed it to The World's Freshest. To avoid confusion with another producer named DJ Fresh, he started writing his name as DJ.Fresh.

The "Tonite Show" Albums

In 2005, DJ.Fresh started his special album series called "The Tonite Show". For this series, he produces entire albums with different guest artists. Some of the artists he has worked with include Freddie Gibbs, the Jacka, the Grouch, J-Stalin, Yukmouth, Mitchy Slick, E-40, and Raekwon.

His 2014 "Tonite Show" album with Trae Tha Truth received good reviews. Critics said it showed a great partnership between the two artists.

Producing for Other Artists

In 2006, DJ.Fresh began producing music for many well-known artists. His first big production was for J. Stalin's album, The Real World West Oakland. Over the next two years, he also worked on albums for Shady Nate and Bicasso. He later produced for artists like Mitchy Slick. He was even named the Best West Coast Producer in 2009 and 2010. By 2010, he was leading a production team called Whole Shabang.

DJ.Fresh

Miracle & Nightmare On 10th Street is a special double album. It was a team-up between J. Stalin and DJ.Fresh. This album came out on July 16, 2013. It was very popular, reaching #61 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It also hit #28 on the Heatseekers Albums chart.

In 2013, he also released the album Feet Match the Paint with Mitchy Slick. The next year, in 2014, he put out his Boomin' System Mixtape. This mixtape featured guest artists like Scarface and Kendrick Lamar. People really liked the mixtape. A review from Complex magazine praised how varied and surprising the music styles were.

His Music Style and Tools

DJ.Fresh mixes many different styles in his music. These include hip hop, EDM, house, jazz, and R&B. Even though he makes a lot of hip hop, he sees himself more as an R&B producer.

He uses older, analog equipment like turntables and vinyl records. He also uses a MIDI controller keyboard. For his digital work, he uses a program called Ableton Live. Sometimes, he even includes live instruments in his songs.

What He's Released

Albums

• The Real World West Oakland (with J. Stalin) (2006)
• The Tonite Show: ... (with Yukmouth) (2011)
• The Tonite Show: The Album (with Various Artists) (2012)
• The Tonite Show with the Jacka (with the Jacka) (2012)
• The Tonite Show with Raekwon (with Raekwon) (2013)
• Feet Match the Paint (with Mitchy Slick) (2013)
• Miracle & Nightmare on 10th Street (with J. Stalin) (2013)
• The Tonite Show with Trae tha Truth (with Trae tha Truth) (2014)
• The Tonite Show with Freddie Gibbs (with Freddie Gibbs) (2014)
• The Tonite Show with Planet Asia (with Planet Asia) (2015)
• The Tonite Show with Jay Worthy & Mitchy Slick (with Jay Worthy and Mitchy Slick) (2018)
• The Tonite Show with the Grouch (with the Grouch) (2018)
• The Tonite Show with Curren$y (with Curren$y) (2020)
• The Tonite Show (with Various Artists) (2023)
• The Tonite Show the Sequel (with Curren$y) (2024)
• The Encore (with Curren$y) (2024)
• The Tonite Show Part 2 (with Jay Worthy) (2024)
• Live and Let Fly (with the Musalini) (2025)
• The Tonite Show with Paul Wall (with Paul Wall) (2025)

Mixtapes

• The Tonite Show with Mistah F.A.B. (with Mistah F.A.B. ) (2005)
• The Tonite Show with Mistah F.A.B., Pt. 2 (with Mistah F.A.B. ) (2008)
• Boomin' System Mixtape (2014)