DJ Chuckie Talks to VIBE - The Dirty Dutch Exodus
FROM ARUBA TO AMSTERDAM, DJ-PRODUCER AND PARTY SPARKER CHUCKIE IS TAKING HIS ECLECTIC BASH AROUND THE GLOBE AND BACK
It's the height of October’s Amsterdam Dance Event and Clyde Sergio Narain—aka Chuckie—is prepping for a nine-hour set behind the decks. In one hour, the 34-year-old Dutch DJ will hijack the city’s Ziggo Dome to rattle 15,000 fans as part of his annual Dirty Dutch fest. The arena gathering, set to the backdrop of schizo light productions, welcomes a genre-mashing throng that rages till 8 a.m. With a London event set for December 8 at Brixton Academy, Chuckie breaks down his international club campaign.
VIBE: What makes Dirty Dutch different from other electro exhibitions?
CHUCKIE: It’s totally different. This year, because the Dutch hip-hopscene has gone so well, I wanted to have them onstage with me. I made the crossover between big producers from the States and big producers from [Amsterdam], so I invited Just Blaze, who’s done hits for Jay-Z, to team up with Reverse, one of the biggest producers from Holland. I thought that was a really good best of both worlds.
Your style is very hip-hop-driven electronic. How do you fuse the two?
I started out with hip-hop and took that whole attitude, and then house. I tried to incorporate all the styles I grew up with, even Latin music. Jermaine Dupri was one of the first guys that was into my music. Then Lil Jon called, Missy Elliott. I think because it had a hip-hop background, they could relate to the story. This is why Dirty Dutch is also successful—because we appeal to a bigger crowd.
How will Dirty Dutch expand in the future?
I use the brand as a platform to establish new artists worldwide. I did Dirty Dutch [in Aruba] and had Just Blaze and Akon hanging out with Jasmine Villages. We had 8,000 people, and that’s like 10 percent of the island; that’s a big deal. We’re looking at building studios there, so the kids have a better chance to make it in the music market.
