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 to many as DJ Spen, is an American DJ, music producer, and record company boss. He was born on October 13, 1968.
Contents
DJ Spen's Music Journey
Early Days in Hip Hop
DJ Spen started his music career very young, at just 13 years old. He was a local DJ in Baltimore, Maryland. He would make special mix tapes for radio shows and play music at parties.
In 1983, Spen helped create a hip hop group called Numarx. Other members included 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 in and around Baltimore. 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 Hit Song
Later, Spen, Kevin Liles, and Rodney 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 it.
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 Baltimore. 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. Some of these artists included Paula Abdul, Michael Jackson, Crystal Waters, and Ultra Nate.
Later, another talented 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 finished a full dance music production called A Feelin'.
Starting His Own Companies
DJ Spen continued to work with The Basement Boys for several years. In 2004, he started his own business called Code Red Recordings. During this time, he also created a production team called the Muthafunkaz. This team released their music on Code Red.
In 2011, Spen founded another record label called Quantize Recordings. He is the President and CEO of this company, meaning he leads the whole business.
Recent Achievements
DJ Spen still travels the world to perform as a DJ. He has played at famous places and festivals like Ministry of Sound, Coachella, Southport Weekender UK, and SunceBeat Festival Croatia.
In 2018, Spen and Italian producer Michele Chiavarini had a number one hit on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. This was for their remix of Donna Summer's song Hot Stuff. Also in 2018, Quantize Recordings had a number one song on the Billboard Dance Chart. This was Barbara Tucker's cover of the Lyn Collins song "Think (About It)".
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 his Remix Masterclass, which is an educational course for people who want to learn how to produce music.
