Ronald K. Keys Jr. aka DJ Swamp is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 hip hop

Hip hop

Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...

 DJ/turntablist and hip hop producer. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

, USA. In 1996, he took the title of US DMC Champion, his first year entering the tournament. Swamp toured with Beck

Beck

Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...

 for four years and later broke away into a solo career with "Never is Now" in 2001. He is known for his roguish antics which differentiate his DJ sets from others' by incorporating record smashing, body mutilation and fire breathing

Fire breathing

Fire breathing is the act of creating a fireball by breathing a fine mist of fuel over an open flame. Proper technique and the correct fuel create the illusion of danger to enhance the novelty of fire breathing, while reducing the risk to health and safety...

.

DJ Swamp has produced several DJ tools that are considered standards including his infamous "skip-proof" records which have the same sample repeated over and over so that if the needle is bumped it will land in the same sample.

1996 US DMC tournament

In 1996, as a first time entry, he won the US DMC Championships. He showed up dressed in all black with a beanie cap and long hair. His set ended with Swamp using a technique called a needle drop to play Deep Purple

Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...

's "Smoke on the Water

Smoke on the Water

"Smoke on the Water" is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It was first released on their 1972 album Machine Head. In 2004, the song was ranked number 426 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, and in March 2005, Q magazine placed "Smoke on the Water"...

", followed by him smashing his records.

Career with Beck

After winning the 1996 US DMC

Disco Mix Club

Disco Mix Club is a DJ remix service founded by Tony Prince which began as a radio show in 1981 on Radio Luxembourg in the UK. Prince helped popularise a new style of DJ mixes using the turntable as an instrument. DMC started operating as a remix service in 1983. They started producing remix...

 Championships, Swamp found himself still driving a street sweeper

Street sweeper

A street sweeper or street cleaner can refer to a person's occupation or a machine that cleans streets, usually in an urban area.-History of street sweeping in the United States:...

 for a living in Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. He was making calls looking for gigs and a chance to break into the music scene full time when he heard Beck

Beck

Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...

 was going to be in town. He formulated a plan to pose as a reporter and slip in a demo of him mixing

DJ mix

A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track. When a DJ mix or DJ mixset is recorded onto some medium, it is often referred to as a mix tape...

 and scratching

Scratching

Scratching is a DJ or turntablist technique used to produce distinctive sounds by moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable while optionally manipulating the crossfader on a DJ mixer. While scratching is most commonly associated with hip hop music, since the late 1980s, it has been used...

 Beck

Beck

Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...

's tracks. He waited for Beck all day but never got to meet him. He did however give his demo tape to Beck's publicist

Publicist

A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...

. A few weeks later Beck called Swamp and he joined the tour as Beck's DJ. The two toured together for four years.

Solo career

In the fall of 2000 Swamp began work on his first solo album Never is Now. After the Midnite Vultures

Midnite Vultures

Midnite Vultures is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock artist Beck, released in November 1999 by Geffen Records...

tour, Swamp decided that he wanted to explore his own creative ambition. In 2001 he released his first album, Never is Now, which was supported by the successful single "Worship the Robots." The song featured Simple Text voice Fred as the rapper. The text application vocals were chopped up and manipulated to make it more like rap than just spoken test. Also on the album was "Disintegrator" which was featured in the Orgazmo

Orgazmo

Orgazmo is a 1997 comedy film written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of the animated series South Park, and directed by Parker.-Plot:...

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Motion Picture Soundtrack

This article is about Motion Picture Soundtrack, the UK alt-rock band. For film soundtracks see Soundtrack. For the track by Radiohead see Kid A.Motion Picture Soundtrack are a British alternative rock quartet from Canterbury, Kent...

.

Swamp has built a loyal following around the world appearing in festivals, rock shows, hip-hop shows and even raves. His stage performance consists of him DJing, rapping, lighting things on fire, breaking records, and fire-breathing. Crowds that are often overwhelmed by his stage presence and raw sound usually warm up to him because of his crowd interaction and give-a-ways.

Swamp formed Decadent Records in 1998, which allowed him to distribute his scratch tools. His "skip-proof" records are a staple in many turntablist sets.

DJ Swamp has appeared on songs by The Crystal Method

The Crystal Method

The Crystal Method is an American electronic music duo that was created in Los Angeles, California by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. The Crystal Method's music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video games, and advertisements. The most prominent is the US television...

, Katy Perry

Katy Perry

Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...

, Supreme Beings of Leisure

Supreme Beings of Leisure

Supreme Beings of Leisure are an electronic/trip-hop band from Los Angeles, California. Current members of SBL are Singer/Songwriter Geri Soriano-Lightwood and Multi-Instrumentalist/Programmer Ramin Sakurai...

, Ben Folds

Ben Folds

Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...

, Belinda

Belinda

The name Belinda is a common female first name of unknown etymology. It may have been coined from Italian bella "beautiful". Some scholars have speculated that Belinda derives from the Germanic given name Betlindis, or possibly a contracted form of Old High German Betlinde, meaning "bright serpent"...

, Beck

Beck

Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...

, Oblivion Dust

Oblivion Dust

Oblivion Dust is a Japanese post-grunge/alternative rock band very influenced by early 90’s American rock bands, but with a trademark sonority that makes the band unique...

, Kid Rock

Kid Rock

Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...

, Hanson

Hanson (band)

Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations...

, The Bloodhound Gang

The Bloodhound Gang

The Bloodhound Gang may be a reference to:*The Bloodhound Gang , a segment on the program 3-2-1 Contact*The Bloodhound Gang, a band that took its name from the TV show segment...

, Morcheeba

Morcheeba

Morcheeba are a British band, mixing influences from trip hop, rock, R&B, and pop.They have produced 7 albums since 1995, two of which reached the UK top ten.-Biography:...

, The Dandy Warhols

The Dandy Warhols

The Dandy Warhols are an American alternative rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994. The band was founded by singer-guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor and guitarist Peter Holmström, with keyboardist Zia McCabe and drummer Eric Hedford later joining. Hedford left in 1998 and was replaced by...

, R.L. Burnside, Faithless

Faithless

Faithless were a British electronica band consisting of Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo. The group is best known for their dance songs . Faithless recorded six albums. During their career they sold over 15 million records worldwide...

, OPM

OPM (band)

OPM is a Southern California based ska punk band. OPM has a distinctive sound, combining hip hop, rock music, and pop with laid-back reggae.-Band history:...

, DEVO

Devo

Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...

, Save Ferris

Save Ferris

Save Ferris was a ska punk band formed circa 1995 in Orange County, California. Their name is a reference to the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.-History:...

, Say Anything

Say Anything

Say Anything... is a 1989 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe. It was Crowe's directorial debut. In 2002, Entertainment Weekly ranked Say Anything... as the greatest modern movie romance, and it was ranked number 11 on Entertainment Weeklys list of the 50 best...

, Dust Brothers

Dust Brothers

The Dust Brothers are the Los Angeles, California based, Grammy Award winning producers, E.Z. Mike and King Gizmo , famous for their sample-based music in the 1980s and 1990s, and specifically for their work on the albums Paul's Boutique by the Beastie Boys, Odelay by Beck, and the soundtrack to...

, Kool Keith

Kool Keith

Keith Matthew Thornton, better known by his stage name Kool Keith, is an American rapper from The Bronx, New York. A founding member of Ultramagnetic MCs, Kool Keith has recorded prolifically both as a solo artist and in group collaborations. Kool Keith is the self-proclaimed inventor of...

, Sticky Fingaz, Better than Ezra

Better Than Ezra

Better Than Ezra is an American alternative rock trio based in New Orleans, Louisiana.-Formation and early success:Better Than Ezra was formed in 1988 by its four original members - vocalist and guitarist Kevin Griffin; Joel Rundell, the lead guitarist; bassist Tom Drummond; and drummer, Cary...

 and Vanilla Ice

Vanilla Ice

Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...

.

Swamp's television appearances: ABC In Concert

ABC In Concert

In Concert is a late-night television series created by Don Kirshner. Hosted by Don E. Branker, the series was a showcase for bands of the era to be taped "in concert" and then broadcast on ABC on Friday nights.-In Concert:...

, The Grammy Awards, American Music Awards

American Music Awards

-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...

, Jools Holland

Jools Holland

Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...

, Jay Leno

Jay Leno

James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...

, David Letterman

David Letterman

David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...

, Conan O'Brien

Conan O'Brien

Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....

, Much Music, Farmclub.com, MTV Awards, TFI Friday

TFI Friday

TFI Friday is an entertainment show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2000. The show produced by Ginger Productions, written by Danny Baker and hosted by Chris Evans, for the first 5 series. The final series was hosted by a number of Guest Presenters. It was broadcast on...

, ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

's Summer

Summer

Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...

 X Games

X Games

The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....

 2000, ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

 /ABC

American Broadcasting Company

The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

 Winter

Winter

Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...

 X Games

X Games

The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....

 2001, and Top of the Pops

Top of the Pops

Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...

.

He has been featured in Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

, Spin

Spin (magazine)

Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...

, Subculture, Ray Gun

Ray Gun (magazine)

Ray Gun was an American alternative rock-and-roll magazine, first published in 1992 in Santa Monica, California. Led by founding art director David Carson, Ray Gun explored experimental magazine typographic design. The result was a chaotic, abstract style, not always readable, but distinctive in...

, Mean

Mean

In statistics, mean has two related meanings:* the arithmetic mean .* the expected value of a random variable, which is also called the population mean....

, DJ Times

DJ Times

DJ Times is a monthly publication based out of Port Washington, New York that club and mobile DJs turn to as a source for products, technologies and reviews, news, information and DJ interviews...

, Keyboard

Keyboard Magazine

Keyboard Magazine is a magazine that originally covered electronic keyboard instruments and keyboardists, though with the advent of computer based recording and audio technology, they have added digital music technology to their regular coverage, including those not strictly pertaining to the...

, Mixer, The LA Times, and URB.

Releases

• Swamp Breaks DJ Battle Tool (2x12") Decadent Records 1998
• The Skip-Proof Scratch Tool Volume 1 (2x12") Decadent Records 1998
• Waxcraft (2x12") Decadent Records 1998
• The Neverending Breakbeats (2x12") Decadent Records 1999
• Never Is Now ? (2 versions) Lakeshore Records 2001
• Scratch Tools On CD (CDr) Decadent Records 2005
• Skip-Proof Scratch Tool Volume 5 (2x12") Decadent Records 2005
• Never Ending Drum & Bass Loops Vol. 2 (2x12") Decadent Records 2006
• Feed The Hands That Bite You/Challenger Incident (12")Universal Mastering Studios
• Infinite House Loops Vol. 1 (2x12") Decadent Records
• Never Ending Drum & Bass Loops Vol. 1 (2x12") Decadent Records
• The Neverending Breakbeats Volume II (2xLP) Decadent Records
• The Neverending Breakbeats Volume III (2xLP) Decadent Records
• The Neverending Breakbeats Volume IV (2xLP) Decadent Records
• The Skip-Proof Battle Tool Volume 2 (2x12") Decadent Records
• The Skip-Proof Scratch Tool Volume 3 (2x12") Decadent Records
• The Skip-Proof Scratch Tool Volume 4 (2x12") Decadent Records
• Tons Of Tones (12") Decadent Records

Remixes

• Shoulder Holster (Maxi) ? (3 versions) Shoulder Holster (DJ S... China Records ... 1997
• M International Standard (Maxi) ? (2 versions) You Must Learn All Nig... Emperor Norton 1999
• Mighty Mouse (7", Promo, Ltd, Tra) Mighty Mouse Remix Warner Bros. Records 1999
• Space Baby Blast Off (CD, Promo) You Must Learn All Nig... Emperor Norton 1999
• For You (12") For You (Swamp Remix),... 75 Ark 2000
• Future Resident (10") Because (DJ Swamp Remix) Tricatel 2000
• Mope (CD, Promo, Single) Mope (The Swamp Remix) Geffen Records, Republic Records, Jimmy * Franks Recording Company 2000
• Les Plus (CD) You Must Learn All Nig... Nippon Columbia 2001
• Lyn (Maxi) ? (2 versions) Feel Me (DJ Swamp Remi... Motor Music 2001
• Naan Commercial Hits (CD) You Must Learn (DJ Swa... Revolution Magazine 2002
• Work It (The Remixes) (CD2) (Maxi) ? (2 versions) Work It (DJ Swamp Remix) Universal Records 2002
• Storm The Studio R.M.X.S. (CD, Comp, Dig) Storm The Studio Tino Corp. 2003
• Yellow Car (12") Yellow Car (DJ Swamp R... Lewis Recordings 2004
• SwampDweller (CD, Dig) Circular Data (DJ Swamp Remix) Swampdweller 2007

Featured Scratching On

• Get Higher (Maxi) ? (3 versions) Get Higher (Rollo And ... Radioactive 1997
• Big Calm (CD, Album) Big Calm Indochina 1998
• Hard To Swallow (CD, Album) Universal Records 1998
• Orgazmo (Motion Picture Soundtrack) (CD) More Nickelbag Records 1998
• Sunday 8PM (Album) ? (15 versions) Postcards, Hem Of His ... Cheeky Records ... 1998
• Midnite Vultures (Album) ? (2 versions) Nicotine & Gravy, Milk... Geffen Records 1999
• Sunday 8PM / Saturday 3AM (Album) ? (3 versions) Postcards, Hem Of His ... Cheeky Records ... 1999
• Menace To Sobriety (CD, Album) Atlantic 2000
• Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia (Album) ? (2 versions) Shakin' Capitol Records 2000
• Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down (Album) ? (3 versions) Got Messed Up, Miss Ma... Fat Possum Records ... 2000
• Braided Hair (Single, Maxi) ? (4 versions) Palm Pictures ... 2001
• El Capitan (CD, Single) El Capitan (SoulChild ... Warner Music (Australia) 2001
• Name Of The Game (CD, Maxi, Promo) Outpost Recordings 2001
• Tweekend (Album) ? (5 versions) Name Of The Game, Name... Outpost Recordings ... 2001
• Community Service (2xLP) Name Of The Game (Hybr... Ultra Records 2002
• Divine Operating System (CD, Album) Ghetto, Catch Me, Get ... Palm Pictures 2002
• Get Away (CD, Maxi) Get Away (Album Version) Palm Pictures 2002
• Resident Evil - Music From And Inspired By The Original Motion Picture (CD, Comp) Name Of The Game (Clea... Roadrunner Records 2002
• Tweekend Album Sampler (2x12") Name Of The Game (Albu... Tiny E Music 2002
• Emotional Technology (Maxi, Album) ? (2 versions) Knowledge Of Self, Dar... Avex Asia Ltd. ... 2003
• Legion Of Boom (Album) ? (4 versions) The American Way V2 Records ... 2003
• Poodle Hat (Album) ? (3 versions) Wanna B Ur Lovr Volcano (2) ... 2003
• Black Magic (12") Black Magic (Clean) Battle Axe Records 2006
• Black Magic (Album) ? (3 versions) Black Magic Battle Axe Records ... 2006
• Afterbirth (CD, Album, Dig) Speakers To The Sneakers 2.99 2007
• Only Death Can Kill You (12", Maxi) Side Road Records 2007
• Reverence / Sunday 8PM (2xCD, Album, RE, Dis) Postcards, Hem Of His ... Sony BMG Music Entertainment (UK) Ltd. 2007
• 11i (CD, Album) Swallow Rykodisc 2008
• The Spirit Of Apollo (Album) ? (3 versions) N.A.S.A. Music Anti- 2009

Production

• Mope (Single) ? (2 versions) Mope (The Swamp Remix) Geffen Records ... 2000
• Peppermint (CD, Album) 240 Mango & Sweet Rice 2000

Appears on

• Bastard Eyes
  Bastard Eyes
  Bastard Eyes is a remix album from the band Zilch. The tracks on this album are remixes, done by numerous different bands and artists, of the songs from their debut album, 3.2.1....
  
  by Zilch
  Zilch (band)
  Zilch is an alternative/industrial rock band formed in 1996 by Hideto "hide" Matsumoto , Ray McVeigh , Paul Raven , Joey Castillo and I.N.A...
  
  , "Scratch Your Number (DJ Swamp Remix)" and "Sleasy Jesus (DJ Swamp, Ray McVeigh & Ryder Remix)" 1999
• Kerosene (CD, Maxi) Something To Do Slipdisc Records 1999
• Mope (CD, Maxi, Enh) Mope (The Swamp Remix) Geffen Records 2000
• 1 Giant Leap (CD, Album, Plu) Braided Hair, Passion Festival Mushroom Records 2001
• Brand New History (Album) ? (3 versions) Restless Records ... 2001
• Rockin' The Suburbs (Album) ? (4 versions) Rockin' The Suburbs Epic 2001
• The Attraction To All Things Uncertain (Album) ? (2 versions) Six Degrees Records ... 2001
• United States Of Consciousness Six Year Anniversary (CD) Crowd Control Consciousness Records 2002
• Legion Of Boom (Album) ? (2 versions) The American Way V2 Records ... 2004
• Mr. Anonymous (CD, Album) Not On Label 2005
• Attention Cherie (12") Out Hear Audio 2009
• The Spirit Of Apollo (CDr, Album, Promo) N.A.S.A Music Anti- 2009
• Remixes Vol. 1 (File, MP3, 160) N.A.S.A. Music (LA Rio... Not On Label (LA Riots Self-Released)
• Project 11 Volume 1 (CD, Maxi) Spiraling (Original), ... Hot Sauce Records 2005

Other media appearances

• Orgazmo (Motion Picture Soundtrack) ? (2 versions) Disintegrator Nickelbag Records 1998
• Orgazmo (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (CD, Smplr) Disintegrator Nickelbag Records 1998
• Anarchy In The USA (CD) Disintegrator DMC Publishing 1999
• Wrong Turn (CD, Comp) He's A Killer Lakeshore Records 2003
• Instructions How To Draw Godzilla (CDr) Locked Groove Not On Label 2004
• Live @ 2939 (CDr, Mixed, Comp) Never Ending Drum & Ba... Addict Records 2004
• Baseck vs. SDR (CDr) Locked Groove Not On Label 2005
• Some Bizzare Double Album (2xCD, Comp) Worship The Robots Some Bizzare 2008