Man, who the hell isn't a DJ in the Bay Area these days? Every other person you bump into is on the tip. And just being a DJ isn't good enough anymore. It has to be, "I'm an intelligent downtempo booty rock electroclash mash-up glitch-IDM DJ. Oh, and I also play Duran Duran." When was it decided that any jerk with 10 records (or 100 MP3s and Serato) is a DJ, and when was it decided that just being a good old-fashioned hip-hop DJ is passé?

DJ Platurn is way beyond all that. He's a real-deal Hip-Hop DJ who rocks the party the original way: nothing but top-notch selection and skills to back it up. Give the man two turntables and a mixer and stand back because you're going to witness some classic DJing. He'll not only serve the crowd what they're hungry for, he'll keep 'em dancing with all kinds of tunes they didn't even know they wanted to hear. Cutting up breakbeats, doing blends live and on the fly, scratching, mixing…the guy's got the full skill set to be a fully-rounded DJ, and he's good at everything. Not only is that increasingly rare in today's "instant DJ–just add water!" world, it's a strong and important tie to the Hip-Hop tradition Platurn comes from: In order to get on and really do a good job as a DJ, you have to be well-rounded.

Being good at everything and being well-rounded also means being a top-notch selector, by the way, and Platurn ain't fakin' the funk when it comes to his record collection and what he plays for the crowd. Well-known cuts, obscurities, remixes, hip-hop, funk, rock, disco, soul, pop…it all gets woven together expertly. You want B-boy breaks? He's got you covered. Slow jams? Awwww yeeeeaaaah. Old-school hip-hop? Break out the Cazals, fool! Wherever the party needs to go, he is prepared to take it there.

And word certainly spreads quickly. Besides having been voted Oakland's best DJ by the East Bay Express and winning Scions' "Free Up Your Mix" competition along with fellow Oakland Fader DJ Spair, Platurn has devastated crowds from coast to coast and internationally, and in doing so, he's shared the stage with folks like Z-Trip, Krs-One, Mixmaster Mike, The Beat Junkies, DJ Premier, Slick Rick, Maseo (De La Soul), ZionI, Jazzy Jay, Quest-Love(The Roots), M.F. Doom, A-Trak, Afrika Bambaata, Pete Rock, and a whole bunch more. Not too bad for that tall skinny white guy from Iceland.

There’s not too many of ‘em left. It’s a different game nowadays, and standards have left the building. DJ Enki is not one to buckle either. There’s something to be said for standing your ground and leaving the arena with your reputation intact. With that something being said, let’s welcome to the stage…

The man has been DJing for almost 15 years. He’s shared the stage with the likes of Z-Trip, J-Rocc, Melo-D, Kid Koala, Rob Swift, Shortkut, Apollo, Jazzy Jay, Peanut Butter Wolf, Lyrics Born, Brother J (X-Clan), Zeph, Romanowski, Doc Fu and a host of others. He was the main resident for the infamous Money$hot weekly in San Francisco for two and a half years, during which it got named one of the top 5 Hip-Hop weeklies in the country by URB Magazine. How’s that for starters?

Born and raised on the East Coast, Enki grew up listening to DJ Red Alert’s show. Like most DJ’s who started their obsession with the turntables in the late ’80s to mid 90s, the local hip-hop show was church, hence the religious practice of sitting down and listening intently as soon as the clock struck. He attended college in North Carolina, where he connected with long time friends and music cohorts Faust & Shortee, with whom he now shares membership with as part of the renowned Citizenz collective.

But it’s not just about playing shows, it’s about what’s in your musical arsenal, too. These days, the digging is more serious than ever, putting Enki in the big leagues when it comes to the elusive un-used breakbeat, especially with him being all about the sampling when it comes to producing — a take on the art form that is slowly heading toward nonexistence in the synth-heavy rap music world. Guess you just have to dig a little deeper. No problem. Enki’s debut cut, “Kung Fu Kwaku,” went pretty deep. And there’s more where that came from.

Enki moved to Northern California, the Bay Area to be exact, 10 years ago. He’s lasted more than 2. That makes him official. The fact that he’s the newest member of the Oakland Faders doesn’t hurt either. Catch him rockin’ the party these days like a true master, making you nod to that joint that you had no idea was about to be your favorite. It’s likely to be self-produced.