DJ Spen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
DJ Spen
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DJ Spen in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sean Spencer |
| Born | October 13, 1968 |
| Genres | Hip hop, dance music |
| Occupation(s) | DJ, record producer, record executive |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Associated acts | Numarx, The Basement Boys |
Sean Spencer, known as DJ Spen, was born on October 13, 1968. He is an American DJ, a person who plays recorded music for an audience. He is also a record producer, meaning he helps create music, and a record executive, who manages music businesses.
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Becoming a DJ and Starting Numarx
DJ Spen started his music journey when he was just 13 years old. He began as a local DJ in Baltimore, Maryland. He would make special mix tapes for local radio shows and play music at parties.
In 1983, Spencer helped form a hip hop group called Numarx. He started it with friends like Kevin Liles, Rodney "Kool Rod" Holloman, Darryl "Junie Jams" Mims, and Wayne Mallory. Kool Rod and Junie Jams were the MCs, or rappers, of the group.
Numarx performed all over Baltimore and the nearby areas. They even opened shows for famous artists like LL Cool J and Run-DMC. In 1984, Numarx released their first song, "Buss It," on KMA Records.
Writing a Worldwide Hit Song
Later, Spencer, Liles, and Holloman, along with Bill Pettaway and Ky Adeyemo, wrote a song called "Girl You Know It's True." This song became very popular in German nightclubs. A producer named Frank Farian heard it and decided to have the group Milli Vanilli record their own version.
Milli Vanilli's version of "Girl You Know It's True" became a huge hit all over the world. In 1988, Numarx released their own album, Our Time Has Come, which included their original version of the song.
Working in Radio
DJ Spen also worked at several radio stations in the Baltimore area. These included V-103, 92Q, WKYS-FM, and Majic 95.9. At Majic 95.9, he started a popular show called the Flashback Saturday Night Dance Party. He eventually became the Mix Show Director at V-103, which meant he was in charge of the mixed music programs.
Moving to Dance Music
In 1989, DJ Spen changed his focus from hip hop to dance music. He joined a production team called The Basement Boys. This team was known for remixing and producing songs for many famous artists. They worked with stars like Paula Abdul, Michael Jackson, Crystal Waters, and Ultra Nate.
Later, another musician named Karizma joined The Basement Boys. He became DJ Spen's production partner. They often worked together under the name Deepah Ones. In 1995, Spen completed a full-length dance music album called A Feelin'.
Starting His Own Companies
DJ Spen continued to work with The Basement Boys for several years. Then, in 2004, he started his own music business called Code Red Recordings. During this time, he also formed a production team called the Muthafunkaz. This group released their music on Code Red.
In 2011, Spen started another company called Quantize Recordings. He is the President and CEO of this company, meaning he leads and manages it.
International Performances and Chart Success
DJ Spen still travels the world to perform as a DJ. He has played at famous places and festivals like Ministry of Sound in the UK, Coachella in the US, Southport Weekender in the UK, and SunceBeat Festival in Croatia.
In 2018, DJ Spen and Italian producer Michele Chiavarini had a number one hit on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. This was with their remix of Donna Summer's song "Hot Stuff." Also in 2018, Quantize Recordings had another number one song on the Billboard Dance Chart. This was Barbara Tucker's cover of the song "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins.
In 2020, Spen produced the song "Party People" with Crystal Waters. In 2021, a remix of Spen's song "Praying For You" by Louie Vega was nominated for a Grammy Award.
In December 2023, DJ Spen released an educational course called "Remix Masterclass." This course teaches other music producers how to create remixes.
