DJ OF THE WEEK 10.22.12: IAN FRIDAY

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ian Friday was always surrounded by music and the arts, his family made sure of it. He took piano lessons as a young boy and by the time he was seven years old, he already knew he wanted to be a creative artist. He might not have known what creative avenue he would take exactly, but I’m sure he had even lesser idea he would take so many, and be successful at each one of them.

Ian Friday didn’t take the usual path to becoming a DJ, in fact, some would say he was a late bloomer. Aside from the regular workload that comes naturally with college, Friday also founded and ran a poetry magazine, hosted events, and more. His first experience as a DJ came at his college radio station. It was there that his love for House music really took hold. And the future began to become clear.

Friday took all the lessons he learned in college, both from inside and outside of the classroom and ran with it. He began hosting and DJing parties around Brooklyn and in 1994 founded his own non profits organization called the Brooklyn Tea Party. The Tea Party served as a platform for all the other creative minds Friday kept meeting, creatives who needed an outlet to spit their creative wordplay. New, veteran, and now famous names took to the BTP stage such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Saul Williams, Vernon Reid, and Erykah Badu, taking it to legendary status during its run.

With the beginning of the new century Friday continued growing creatively, turning the Brooklyn Tea Party into a full fledged record label, Tea Party Music in 2006. With this move Friday also took his career to the next level as producer. The first release was ‘Life Starts Toda’ by Byron Moore, followed by acts such as Anto Vitale, Chris Rob, Alex Finkin & Reverend P, Jocelyn Mathieu, and more. Since, they have for obvious reasons, changed the labels name to Global Soul Music, but they continue to churn out quality Deep House with artists such as Manchild Black, Miranda Nicole, Maritri Garrett, Rune, among others.

Friday also took his DJing to the next level. As a DJ, he has now spun records all over the world, and locally he founded and continues to host the Libation party which to this day is firmly established as one of the best parties for Deep House heads.

To get a taste of what he brings to the tables, and why he is so well loved from the streets of Brooklyn to half way around the globe, and why we are so proud to select him as DJ of the Week, just do yourself a favor, sit back, and press play.

Keep up with Ian Friday and Global Soul here:

http://www.weareglobalsoul.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalSoulMusic

https://www.facebook.com/ian.friday.1