Applejac joined the Universal Zulu Nation Atlanta chapter in 1992, where he would hone his skills playing in front of crowds. It was during a Freaknik party in ‘92 that he would make his mark playing ‘crate joints’.
He would go on the following year to spin alongside DJs like (long time friend) Jaycee (DJ for Ludacris), Lil’ Jon (King of Crunk), and Emperor Searcy (107.9 FM Atlanta) at hot spots like The Warehouse, Club Velvet, Ethiopian Vibrations, and Club Soho. In 1995 he would also join Jaycee , DJs Dose and M3 as regulars on college radio mainstay WRAS FM mix-show ‘The Bomb’ to form the DJ super group The Unknown Soldiers. At this time he began to do exclusive remixes for WRAS’s Sunday night hip-hop show, ‘Rhythm and Vibes’, to showcase his production skills. He also helped develop a segment called ‘Sample Clearance’ where original songs of hip-hop tunes were played and the listeners had to figure out who the original artist was. We know who won.
In 1997, alongside his cousin Big Dippa, Applejac formed the group Showtyime. They released a CD in 1998 called ‘Feature Presentation’ where he handled all the production on the 15 track project. They would go on to record two singles for Rent Money Recordings with well known underground rap group Lone Catalysts. In 2002 Applejac produced four tracks on the Atlanta Underground album ‘First Breath’ from fellow Decatur native Jawz Of Life, and later that year joined Atlanta underground Hip-Hop juggernaut Massinfluence as their DJ.
Having maintained a monthly residency at Atlanta’s MJQ from 2005-2007 alongside DJ Jaycee and also as a resident of the legendary Godfather party, Applejac has played across the US alongside the likes of Nicolay, Daz-I-Kue, DJ Spinna, J Rocc and Ge-Olog.
The future finds him on the cusp of some pretty major things. Now as a part of the esteemed Domecracker! Universal with DJ Spinna and Joc Max, he has remixed for many leading artists: Eric Roberson, Darien Brockington, Rogiers, W. Ellington Felton, Stacy Epps, Negro Rican Groove, Frank McComb, Vel Ben and Jesse Boykins III. His most recent outings have found him crossing paths with Carlitta Durand (Foreign Exchange, Little Brother) as well as remix EPs for D.C. songstress Green Tea, and Joy Jones. On the horizon are collaborations with Bilal Salaam, Iman Williams, Carmen Rodgers, and for his own pet project, ‘Playin’ Favorites’, where he will be doing soulful covers of some of his favorite artists in his own inimitable way.
If you don’t believe us, here’s what some other folk have had to say…
“Applejac is one of the funkiest, most soulful DJ’s I know. Whether he’s puttin it down at one of his legendary James Brown sets at Winter Music Conference, or spinning at one of his many gigs in ATL, I can always count on him to bring the heat and get some asses to wigglin. Nothing but the utmost love and respect for that brother right there….” -Phonte (Little Brother, Foreign Exchange)
“Applejac is the most underrated bad bwoy Producer/DJs in the US, and I made it my duty to let the world know about him.” -Daz-I-Kue (DJ/Producer, Bugz In The Attic, Godfather)