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Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg: ‘If You Don’t Have Turntables, You Are Not a DJ’
Mike Tyson with Peter Rosenberg at Hot 97 in New York City. (Facebook)
People have been arguing about the definition of a DJ for years, and yet, the debate never dies down.
The latest person to chime in is Peter Rosenberg, a long-time DJ and personality on legendary New York radio station Hot 97. During a recent interview with DJBooth, Rosenberg gave his opinion on what it means to be a DJ and didn’t hold back.
“[‘DJ’] is a misleading word that’s not used accurately,” Rosenberg said. “There are a lot of producers who get on stage and stand behind turntables and play songs they’ve produced. That is a talent, it should be applauded, it is an amazing skill, [but] it is not DJing.”
He added, “If you don’t have turntables, you are not a DJ. At least [have] CDJs. If someone comes up to me and they’re like ‘Yo, I’m a DJ. I’ve had CDJs for ten years,’ [then] you’re a DJ.”
Watch the full conversation below.
Related: Comedian Russell Peters Talks DJing, Calls Out ‘Fake DJs’
