Erick Morillo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Erick Morillo
Erick Morillo in October 2012
Background information
Also known as	Ministers de la Funk, The Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, Deep Soul, Club Ultimate, Li'l Mo Ying Yang
Born	(1971-03-26)March 26, 1971 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	September 1, 2020(2020-09-01) (aged 49) Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
Genres	House, electro house
Occupations	Disc jockey, producer
Instruments	Turntable, sampler
Years active	1982–2020
Labels	Strictly Rhythm, Subliminal Records
Associated acts	El General, Reel 2 Real, Jocelyn Brown, Harry "Choo Choo" Romero, José Nunez, P. Diddy, Audio Bullys, Terra Deva, Leslie Carter, Shawnee Taylor, Deborah Cooper, Duane Harden, Fiora, Eddie Thoneick, Alexandra Burke

Erick Morillo (born March 26, 1971 – died September 1, 2020) was a famous Colombian-American disc jockey (DJ) and music producer. He also owned his own record label. Erick Morillo was known for his work in house music.

He used many different names for his music, like Ministers de la Funk and Reel 2 Real. His biggest hit was "I Like to Move It" in 1993, which was used in movies and commercials. His record label, Subliminal Records, had a number-one hit called "Fun" by Da Mob. He won many awards, including "Best House DJ" and "Best International DJ" multiple times.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Erick Morillo was born in 1971 in New York City. He spent many of his younger years in Cartagena, Colombia, living with his family. There, he grew up listening to salsa and merengue.

When he was 11, he moved back to the United States. He lived with his mother and sister in Union City, New Jersey. At this age, he also started DJing at weddings for friends and family. He was inspired by different music styles like reggae and hip hop. He went to a private Catholic school and later graduated from Emerson High School in 1989.

Career Highlights

Erick Morillo took a course in studio engineering in New York City. He then started DJing at local clubs. At a club in Weehawken, he met Latin reggae star El General. They became friends and worked together on a song called "Muevelo" in 1991. This song mixed reggae and house music and became a big hit.

The Success of "I Like to Move It"

Morillo's music became popular in Latin clubs. He also became friends with "Little" Louie Vega, another famous house DJ. Louie Vega told him to focus on songs with vocals. In 1993, Morillo released "The New Anthem"/"Funky Buddha" which did well in clubs.

Later that year, his song "I Like to Move It" was released under the name Reel 2 Real. This song became a huge international dance hit. It made Morillo very successful and he started traveling the world. He recorded a full album called Move It! in 1994, which had more popular songs, especially in England.

From Reel 2 Real to Subliminal Records

Even though Reel 2 Real was very successful, Morillo wanted to make music that was more respected in the house music scene. He wanted to create "street credibility" for his sound. He worked with Louie Vega again as Lil' Mo' Ying Yang and released "Reach" in 1995.

In 1997, Morillo started his own record label called Subliminal Records. He partnered with Christina Pazzanese to launch it. Subliminal Records aimed to release "ghetto music" with a classy style. Their first big song was "Fun" in 1998, which featured singer Jocelyn Brown. This song became a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.

Morillo, along with his friends and fellow DJs José Nunez and Harry Choo Choo Romero, formed the core of Subliminal Records. They were also known as the remix team The Dronez. They won "Remixer of the Year" in 1999 from Muzik magazine. Subliminal Records also helped other artists become famous.

Worldwide Club Nights

In the late 1990s, Erick Morillo toured the United States. He hosted popular club nights called "Subliminal Night" in New York City. Many other famous DJs played at these events.

Morillo also hosted club nights around the world. His "Subliminal Sessions" parties at Pacha in Ibiza were very famous. Pacha was named "Best International Club" in 2002. Morillo himself was named "Best International DJ" and "Best House DJ" at the Pacha Ibiza awards. He often played at many events each month in places like Greece, London, and Russia.

One of his most memorable performances was in Ibiza after the September 11 attacks. He ended his set with Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York," and people were very emotional, singing along and waving American flags.

Erick Morillo also appeared on MTV UK and hosted MTV Ibiza. He released his first album under his own name, My World, in 2004. This album included songs with famous artists like Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Awards and Recognition

Morillo and his mother, Elisa, at the October 11, 2012 ceremony in Union City, New Jersey in which the portion of Bergenline Avenue on which he grew up was dedicated in his honor. To the right of Morillo are Mayor Brian P. Stack and Commissioner Lucio P. Fernandez.

On October 11, 2012, Erick Morillo was honored in his former hometown of Union City, New Jersey. A part of Bergenline Avenue where he grew up was named "Erick Morillo Way." The mayor praised Morillo for giving 100 Nook tablets to a local school.

DJ Awards

Erick Morillo won the DJ Award for "Best International DJ Award" three times. He also won the "Best House DJ Award" three times. He received a total of 15 nominations for these awards between 1998 and 2011.

International Dance Music Awards

At the yearly Winter Music Conference, Morillo won the "Best American DJ award" in 2005. He was nominated for this award 10 times in total.

Muzik Awards

Muzik was a UK dance music magazine. Erick Morillo won an award from them in 1999.

Death

Erick Morillo passed away at his home in Miami Beach, Florida, on September 1, 2020.

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart