Colin Smith Staff Writer
DJ Benzi started his career during high school. Every day, he traveled down to Record Time, a record store in Detroit, and spent many nights observing DJ Horse Shoes on the job. Benzi bought enough records and learned enough tricks from the professionals. As a result, in his senior year of high school, he was the DJ for his prom.
This year, he served as the DJ for Kalamazoo College’s homecoming dance.
Benzi’s rise to disc jockey fame partially began in Kalamazoo, Mich. DJ Benzi entered college playing sets for fraternities. He graduated from Western Michigan University in 2006.
The DJ Benzi said is ahead of him, DJ White Shadow, produced Lady Gaga’s latest album. Benzi began collaborating with popular DJ and remixer Diplo in 2004. DJ Benzi and Diplo are currently producing RiFF RAFF’s upcoming album.
In 2008 DJ Benzi remixed Kanye West’s album as “Sky High,” and subsequently toured Australia. Afterwards Benzi worked with Mike Posner, released the single “Cooler Than Me,” toured with him and played a show on Sirius Satellite together.
Through the tour with Posner, Benzi became Big Sean’s DJ. Last year DJ Benzi started his own record label, Get Rights Records. He hosted a show to promote his label at CMJ in New York City and he said he saw Katy Perry and John Mayer there.
DJ Benzi says he performs, on average, four times per week, but this week he’s playing six times. After the homecoming dance in Anderson, he performed at 1 a.m. at The Underground in Chicago.
His new single, “This Is Paradise,” comes out on Tuesday.
Sweet!