Fresh LP (DJSA)

DJSA's Vinyl Collection (rip)

Was going through old pictures and found a few shots from the last time I'd had the chance to really connect with a friend of mine before he passed away. I had the chance to write about his life when I was in college in New Mexico for a short story class. On some of my cassette tapes, I have conversations of us discussing his past, his record collection, family life, living in Montana picking beets, and his life as a radio dj in the borderlands. He'd amassed a collection of records we'd share from time to time when record pools were mailing promo to college radio stations. Through our connection to the station and on his own, DJ SA receive music straight to his crib that I'd have the chance to learn about and borrow. Through him I learned of the Dakah Hip Hop Orchestra, of Skratch Bastid, and his connection with members of the Pharcyde who were putting out these real cool pieces around the mid 2000s. I tried remembering the name, I know it was connected to something Humboldt. Around the time, I'm not sure if it was Serato, but they even hooked DJ SA up with the program. It was cool to watch DJ SA figure out this new technology I couldn't even wrap my head around. He'd have that PC breathin' heavy as he joyfully played with the turntables and recorded his sessions on CD for me to check out on the way home. One of my favorite discoveries through the big homie was the Y Society album Travel at Your Own Pace. He let me borrow it, and I remember thinking man, maybe I could hold this one!  

I think it was a few months before he passed away that he gave me a call and told me he'd finally had the chance to retrieve his collection of records from back home. Records he was separated from for years. Just a dope archive of his past life, prior to the trauma of a car accident that left him with the need to get around in a wheel chair. We talked about that too, a story I've played back in my imagination like a movie you wish never happened, over and over again. When I arrived to his crib, I remember his old collection of records were all over the place. All around the house, just boxes and boxes of lps, some with damage, but just all kinds of work. Bro wasn't doing too well and wasn't able to get around to show me what he had, so I took a moment to look through the boxes of recs. We confided in each other that we'd have time to go through it together when he got better. I took a moment to pull a few pieces to the side and take pictures. I was happy that my brother had finally had the chance to get his stash back and hopeful for the day we could hang out and listen to him pick through his story of recs. It pained me to learn time wouldn't be on our side. I'll always think about his record collection and what it meant to him. Especially what it meant to share with those he was close with. 

Thinking about brother...always, Still Alive, Spanish Aztec.

Hope I get time to share more notes, songs and audios I got tucked away in the lab that are connected to the big homie. May DJSA's memory be available to Hip Hop through those that remember him. Til' the next...