Situated on a dark street corner, partially blacked out windows
conceal glowing elliptical lanterns and a vibrant crowd. The Indigo
District nightclub throbs with music and the small crowd outside laugh as
their glowing cigarette butts light up the night.
      Scantily clad young women adorning mini skirts and vibrant shirts
slink into the pulsing club. Men, carefully groomed and dressed in their
finest club garb, strut up to the door and pause only for a second to show
their ID. Inside, the club is lined with women and men wielding drinks. The
intimate light and pulsing music grow more vibrant as you near the back of
the club. The dance floor pulses with life and movement. DJ food stamp
engrosses the swarming crowd with his original musical mixes.
      DJ food stamp, also known as Andre Sirois, is a Ph.D. student at the
University of Oregon, studying communications. Sirois considers himself a
"hip- hop journalist." As an undergraduate, he was the editor of his school
newspaper, and he now writes online, about upcoming hip- hop artists.
Sirois aspires to teach the art of being an original DJ, and about the
importance musical knowledge has in DJing.
      The tall and blond DJ emanates confidence, as he overflows with
passion when speaking about reviving the dying art of being an original and
creative DJ. For Sirois DJing is much more than just a hobby, being a DJ is
a way of life. DJing allows Sirois to escape from society's fast pace, to
relax. "DJing, for me, just gets me through the everyday grind. It's my
Prozac, my heroin, my escape," says Sirois.
      Sirois has been a DJ for nearly 10 years, and considers practicing the
art a lifelong venture. He recalls his second grade talent show in Wells,
Maine, where he and his friends brought "Strawberry Shortcake records and
pretended to DJ for the class." However, it wasn't until college that he
became serious about developing his skills as a DJ.
      Since undergraduate school at Central Connecticut State University,
Sirois has evolved as a DJ. He has realized the importance of musical
originality while mixing tracks, and his individuality as a DJ developed.
He also successfully stumbled on a fitting stage name. After experimenting
with other stage names such as "Dr. Bombay after Bombay rum, Edward Needle
Hands, and DJ Scratch and Sniff." Sirois finally settled on DJ food stamp
as his "brand," because of his experience with an excessive record
addiction, which consumed all of his income, and forced him to apply for
food stamps.
      Sirois is a passionate connoisseur and critic of the art of DJing. He
argues that a true DJ makes a commitment to buying records and
understanding rhythms and beat counts in similar songs. A true DJ
understands the art of mixing music, not just "button pushing." The sub-
culture and manipulation of record breaks takes work and skill that doesn't
come naturally. Sirois has cultivated his skill as a DJ for 10 years, yet
he is the first to admit that his talent is still evolving and maturing.
      Unfortunately, according to Sirois, a new breed of DJ is invading the
market. "Every crafty has its posers, its sucker, its toys, its amateurs.
That's a way of life." Because of advancement in technology un-skilled,
"posers," who have no knowledge of "record manipulation and mixing," are
able to do work that before could only be accomplished by DJ's who had
invested their life in the trade. The young un-educated DJ's usually
perform for much less money, because they have invested much less in the
craft, and are usually interested in DJing for the wrong reasons.
      "New technology is 'democratizing' the form, and digitization has
given way to some dope DJs who would never had a shot a few years back.
Problem is, new digital DJ gear is making more sucker DJs than dope ones."
New un-educated DJs pose a threat to DJs like Sirois who have made a large
investment in becoming a DJ. Until now, "Access to music and technology has
always been a huge barrier to becoming a DJ."  Many old school DJs spend
countless hours on skill perfection and excessive amounts of money on
records, that make DJing an expensive endeavor.
      Even though Sirois has invested countless hours and large amounts of
money into becoming a DJ, he doesn't see his work as a DJ as his specific
career path. "It can be a lucrative career if you're willing to put the
time and energy into it." However, Sirois is much more interested in
educating students involved with the craft, about the technicality and
cultural history of the trade. In doing so, Sirois hopes the industry will
have fewer uneducated DJs who are "divorced from the culture that made
their technology possible."
      It is inevitable that Sirois brims with love and enthusiasm for the
art of DJing; however, there are rough patches that all DJs must endure.
Sirois recalls a night at a busy club when a girl stumbled to his DJ
station, hitting the needles on his turntable, breaking them off, and
ruining his expensive equipment. Other nightmare stories include men and
women scratching his records and pouring drinks on him for not playing the
songs they wanted.  "People don't really know It, but I double as a
bouncer," Sirois laughs as he recalls head-butting, twisting fingers, and
escorting people away from his DJ station. "Bars are usually pretty
controlled." However Sirois has encountered some awful customers at the
Indigo District, where he currently DJs on Tuesday and Friday nights.
      Sirois despises playing "top 40" mixes, and he doesn't consider
himself "a straight up commercial DJ." He would rather play music that he
enjoys, but unfortunately he finds himself accommodating his audience to
avoid controversy. "Sometimes you just have to cater to your crowd," he
shrugs.
            Today, Sirois cherishes his records from the 1980's and 1990's,
and he loves to expose his audience to "underground hip-hop" and his
favorite classics like, Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid In Full" and Common's
"Resurrection." He also finds great pleasure in working on his skills alone
at home where his work becomes a meditative practice. "I don't want to be
the 50 year old in the club" Sirois jokes, although his love for the craft
is perpetual, Sirois's long- term career goal is to become a professor.
       Regardless of what DJ food stamp decides to do with his life, he
will always have a connection with the music and DJ industry. Sirois is
currently an employee of _undergroundhiphop.com_, the world's largest
distributor of independent music online. He also has produced 70 CDs in the
last few years, selling 5,000 to 10,000 copies per CD. He also has a
monthly mixed radio show "Welfare Radio" on the local KWVA station.
Sirois's dedication to something for which he cares so deeply is
inspirational. Sirois serves as an example for all young people who have
passion and desire for something in which they believe in. Sirois's drive
to keep the sacred art of DJing alive, and his devout love for the craft,
is the most powerful force of inspiration.