Framed and hanging on the wall of DJ Excel’s studio is his 2008 “Song of the Year” award from the Baltimore City Paper—for his Obama-sampling club jam “That’s What a Pimp Does”—and his first 12-inch single, the 1995 Club classic “This DJ/Kaptain Jack”, released on the legendary label, Unruly Records.
These examples of Excel’s success however, only introduce his storied career. Between the most recent accolade and his first Club hit is the tale of a Baltimore legend precariously balancing the role of “Bmore Club O.G” with persistent innovator.
But let’s go back to 1995 or so…DJ Excel begins to dabble in his city’s music, flipping his hip-hop skills honed from house parties and local production into his first Club single. From there, he works closely with early Club legends like DJ Scottie B, Big Red, and Kool Breez before, in the late 90s, pressing pause on his musical growth to raise his daughter and develop a lucrative career in the mortgage industry.
Excel though, couldn’t keep away from music for too long and returned in 2004 to form Bmore Original Records. Fully aware the days of the 4-track tape and Gemini 24-second sampler he’d crafted his early hits with were over, Excel went digital, moving his operation to the web, creating a website that offered downloadable albums, streaming mixes, and the city’s first online radio station Bmore Original Radio—covered extensively in last year’s City Paper “Big Music Thing” edition.
All the while, Excel reminded everyone of his DJ skills with 2006’s Live from Yesterday, a sixty-track mixtape of old-school bliss and refined his Baltimore Club brilliance with the proto-viral “Borat Comes to Bmore” —a track now viewed as the precursor to “That’s What a Pimp Does”.
2007 brought an official Club remix of Definitive Jux artist Hangar 18’s “Baking Soda” as well as Club releases later in the ear: The Friday Night Bounce LP with the Mobb Deep flipping “Alive” and the Soundcheck EP which featured the tongue-in-cheek remix of Pastor Manning’s slanderous Barack Obama attacks, “That’s What a Pimp Does”. Excel’s Obama track burned through the blogs and clubs all the same and even found itself on MSNBC and the Howard Stern Show, and ultimately, ended up as 2008 “Song of the Year” in Baltimore’s City Paper.
In mid summer of 2009, Excel joined forces with the elite "Bumsquad DJ's". With new singles developing daily and finding thier way unto mixshows across the globe, Excel is exactly where he wants to be....In a mode of constant creation.
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DJ's have been looking for another baltimore club record to play after 'I'm The Ish.' This is that record. This record works for any crowd, in any market." - DJ Chris Styles (Sirius XM "The Heat" & HOT 99.5 FM)
Baltimore's own DJ Excel doing it again with a nice Baltimore spin on this Britney Spears cut. The Bmore Refixes are gonna make some noize in the industry! KW Griff (92Q FM)
I really dig your stuff man - DJ Z-Trip
Album Press:
Excel drops this tack-sharp and plenty odd/progressive collection, Singles and Remixes. (All are released digital-only on Excel's own label and online radio hub Bmore Originals.) -City Paper
Excel's blueprint is the boom-bap you expect from a crew called the Lyricists, but one of Baltimore's most ubiquitous beat makers grabs some of club music's energy and avant production for the EP, too. -City Paper
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“You don’t see much political savvy in Baltimore club music; hacking up a goofy or catchy sample doesn't leave much room for narrative. You also don't see much politically savvy music that's as fun as club. Then DJ Excel slipped this cut into our mailbox last spring. It's, well, genius: nothing but splices from one of Pastor James David Manning's early-2008 inflammatory anti-Barack Obama speeches--he's too white, remember?--pieced into a club track that is, remarkably, almost all vocal with the basic club track building blocks. The result subverts the speech's intention in a way that would make Jon Stewart drool.” -Baltimore City Paper, Awarding “That’s What a Pimp Does” 2008 Song of the Year:
Transmittin Live! is a solid listen... enough depth to satisfy and to suggest that interesting things will come from The Lyricists in the future. -Okay Player
“With Excel subtly stretching the boom-bap rap form to its limits, the Lyricists actively eschew the grotesque cliches of stubborn traditionalist hip-hop.”-Baltimore City Paper on The Lyricists & DJ Excel’s ‘Transmittin Live EP:
“The DJ Excel song that earned the most web hits and awards this year was the funny novelty track "That's What A Pimp Does." But I thought the producer's best recent work showed up on his Friday Nite Bounce album, particularly the strangely mellow, hypnotic "All Nite Long."-Baltimore City Paper on “All Nite Long”:
Recent DJ Excel's Bmore Club remixes have charted in USA as well as in the UK, on both Pop and Urban charts.
Recent Magazines:
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