DJ Sneak (AKA Carlos Sosa) doesn't need an introduction if you know house music.
Sneak has been running around bragging that he's a house gangster for a while now. And that's a pretty bold claim.
What is a house gangster though? Isn't that a term more fitting of violence-glorifying rap music? Is there a place for gangsters in a house music scene which has always been about PLUR or Peace Love Unity Respect?
Well it turns out that these days, when a major schism is happening between the underground house music scene and commercial EDM, gangsters might just be what's needed to save dancefloors.
Go catch DJ Sneak at Mansion on Thursday alongside Miami's own Jesse Perez. But first, check the cut for Crossfade's five reasons DJ Sneak is a house gangster.
See also:
-EDM's Five Most Annoying Buzzwords
-Miami's Jesse Perez Talks Booty Music, The Bangbus, and Grinding Chongitas
-Six Best Parties on South Beach This Week
He Represents
DJ Sneak might have been born in Puerto Rico, but he was raised in Chicago, the birthplace of house music. And he continues preaching the gospel of Chicago house to this day with every DJ set he plays and record he releases.
He's O.G.
Sneak came up with the second wave of legendary Chicago house producers like Derrick Carter, Cajmere and Paul Johnson -- the pioneers of that '90s jacking house sound all the kids are rediscovering today, thanks to the sound's global revival. Sneak is an original house gangster.
He Hustles
He might be old enough to have a fathered a lot of the club rats at his gigs these days, but Sneak is still one of the hardest working men in house music, with a hectic international tour schedule, a number of labels under his belt, and a catalog of original releases that never stops growing. In fact, Sneak just dropped his latest record with Riva Starr this week!
He Keeps It Real
DJ Sneak has been in the game for two decades, but he has never sold out. His underground ethos remains intact after all these years, as he continues to release and spin raw jacking house records, while never pandering to commercial tastes and EDM trends.
He's Got Swag
Sneak has turned his whole house gangster swagger into a personal trademark, but not in a douchey commercial way -- more as a way of taking a stand and defending the values of authentic, underground house music. He's also not afraid to call out other DJs when they sell out those values to turn a buck, like he did with Swedish House Mafia, and more recently, Armand Van Helden.
DJ Sneak. With Jesse Perez. Thursday, April 11. Mansion, 1235 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. The party starts at 11 p.m. and tickets cost $15 plus fees via wantickets.com. Ages 21 and up. Call 305-531-5535 or visit mansionmiami.com.
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