No one can rock a party like DJ Fuze, one of the few Bay Area legends
who still sustains himself primarily through hip-hop. Born on the East
Coast, Fuze moved to the Bay in time to attend Berkeley High School. He
learned his craft as a teen while prep-cooking at froufrou restaurants,
and ultimately produced for Digital Underground and the late Tupac
Shakur. Fuze even toured with Oakland mobb group the Luniz during its
heyday. After decades of hanging with celebrities, witnessing the
dissolute hip-hop lifestyle, and still managing to keep his head on his
shoulders, Fuze decided to expand his musical taste by getting into
African and Caribbean music. Thus began his international parties at
Club Oasis, a popular West African restaurant and nightclub in downtown
Oakland. Fuze held court there for several years, spinning everything
from soukous to bhangra to Afrobeat, mixing songs that you’ll only hear
overseas with slumper beats from home, and throwing in some commercial
fare when the party really gets going. His monthly party, called Extra
Stout Dancehall, also features Kenyan DJ Impenzi and Senegalese DJ
Omar. For three years it’s been one of the most vibrant club nights in
Oakland, and one of the few that draws a genuinely mixed crowd. Not to
mention that the music — unlike that of most DJ dance parties
— is fascinating and inspiring. Club Oasis is temporary closed
for remodeling, so Fuze might be looking to take his Extra Stout party
elsewhere. In the meantime, he spins every third Friday at the nearby
dancehall venue Karibbean City, and occasionally graces Levende East in
Old Oakland.
TRENDING:
.Stoutest Dancehall DJ with International Flavor
DJ Fuze