Eddie B Swift
Eddie B. Swift grew up in the Bronx River area of New York, the official birthplace of Hip-Hop. EBS began his DJ career in the early 80’s playing at local house parties and block parties. In ’89 , he became a bigger part of the cultural landscape in when he participated in the world famous DMC battles. Upon his return he was given the opportunity to spin at the Original Copa and then went on to play at other popular NYC venues such as Palladium , Home Base , Rhythm Factory , Red Zone , Sound Factory , Village Gate , Roseland , Studio 54 , Latin Quarters , The Arena , Phillie Club , Octagon , Mars among others.
After his success in the club scene, EBS made his move to the air waves. An early attempt landed him as a finalist for a spot at Hot 97, which eventually went to Funkmaster Flex. He became a guest DJ on the Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR and also hosted and DJ for Raps New Generation on WCWP. In 1996 he saw an opportunity to pave a new lane in radio, as one of the first DJs to stream live via the web, on internet radio station www.simplyradio.com.
EBS’s popularity on the internet grew rapidly, as he continued to develop cutting edge radio show concepts. He co-created:
· Lunch Breaks with veteran B-boy Crazy Legs. The webcast combining a DJ set and live cooking was described by the New York Times as, “Think of Wayne’s World meets the Food Network — with a funky beat.”
· Cut Café with DJ MellStarr, which showcased DJ’s from all over the world to broadcast on one channel throughout the week.
His syndicated show, The EBS Mindtrip (formerly known as Eddie B. Swift Radio Show) held the #1 spot on De La Soul’s Dugout on Ustream. He most recently secured a featured spot on www.breal.tv , an internet TV station owned and operated by Cypress Hill member B Real , where he continues to play everything and anything and is also one of the most interactive shows which utilizes the viewers in the chat room and makes them a part of the show. Guests have included often Grandwizard Theodore, Tedsmooth, Break Beat Lou, Incrediboi , DJ Dummy , DJ React, DJ JS-1, to name a few.
With over 20 years of experience, EBS puts his veteran status to good use by serving as a mentor to younger DJs. He is a firm believer that all DJs should learn beyond the DJ aesthetic and embrace the culture. After realizing the break beat art form was slowly being forgotten among DJs; he recently encouraged childhood friend, Break Beat Lou, co-creator of Ultimate Breaks and Beats (UBB), out of a 20 year hiatus. He often uses EBS Mindtrip, as a teaching tool, giving newer DJs the opportunity to rub noses with his fellow DJ vets, “To see someone else succeed behind your direction and guidance is just as rewarding as your own success.”
Outside of his radio successes, EBS continues to DJ events across the country. He has expanded his brand to include marketing, management and event production. He is responsible for organizing monthly DJ showcases at popular DJ Equipment store, idjNOW.