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DJ Sake1 has emerged from the Left Coast music scene as a leading sound provider and tastemaker. Born and raised in San Francisco, Sake (rhymes with ‘cake’) has absorbed the diverse musical influences of California and the progressive political traditions of the Bay Area, and developed a soundtrack for struggle.

Using the “Move the Crowd” ethos of the hip-hop generation as a starting point, Sake1 has developed a style which has been described as “conscious party rocking” – a collage of hip-hop, soul, Caribbean, and world rhythms that moves the mind at the same time as the body. Starting as a graffiti writer (where he earned his name), Sake1 grew up with hip-hop culture. As hiphop’s sampled sound sources opened Sake’s eyes to jazz, funk, soul, and numerous other musical idioms, the seeds were planted for the first “post hip-hop” sound on the West Coast. As hip-hop has become not only sonically staid but has increasingly become the vehicle of choice for consumer capitalism, Sake1 has mined the ore of hip-hop’s Golden Era – when conscious rhymes, innovative musical production, and grassroots cultural movements came to life – to bring life back to the dance floor.

For any DJ who doesn’t live in New York or Los Angeles to receive the level of attention that Sake1 has garnered indicates the force of his sound. Having spun in New York City, London, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles, and numerous other cities, the movement of bodies and minds in a positive direction has gained followers across the globe. Frustrated with the market dominance of commercial rap music, Sake1 cemented his position as the defender of The Real with the creation of FEELGOOD, a weekly party held in San Francisco. Just ask Tomas Palermo, Editorin- Chief of XLR8R Magazine: "Tuesdays are the new Fridays at FeelGood -- only rather than the bling 'n' bullshit of a weekend blowout, you get underground family vibes, a deep cultural experience and soul by the pound, courtesy of DJ Sake1. Enter FeelGood and you'll be on the dance floor in under a minute." The Movement has begun…

Alongside hundreds of club gigs in 2004, Sake1 has continued to produce the “Soul Deluxxe” Mix CD series. Currently in its third volume, “Soul Deluxxe” captures the sound of new soul, mixed seamlessly with the voices of political and cultural struggle. Through the ambitious Soul Deluxxe brand, Sake has made the argument that Devin the Dude and Angela Davis belong on the same CD with one another. Dialogue between progressive musical ideas and progressive sociopolitical ideas frames Sake’s studio mix work, and is a consistent feature of his live sets.

The essence of hip-hop culture – in its most potent form – was its ability to create a medium of communication for marginalized people, dispersed across time and space. The idea of music as a means of uniting diaspora around meaningful ideas – the sacred nature of prayer song and all folk music – is Sake1’s inspiration to continue playing music for people to dance to, which he views as a great honor.

The great Algerian psychiatrist and radical theorist Franz Fanon observed that "A community will evolve only when the people control their means of communication." In the modern world of the corporate music industry, this comment rings prophetic. Sake1 has come to liberate dance floors and minds, using two turntables and a mic.