If you don’t know how Southpaw does house music, then be prepared for a brand of house that hits hard with soulful vocals, funk influences, and layers of bass lines and dropping beats. He knows music, and he’s serious when he brings it to the dance floor.
In his own words, his sound is “bangin’, slammin’, electro, but all house”—an incredibly accurate description as Southpaw’s sound brings together many influences of various musical genres. He incorporates it all, from great funk sounds like the Gap band to R&B legends like Luther Vandross and Patti LaBelle. To this he’ll add the soulful vocals of vocal house and the jazzy elements of deep house.

The musical journey through so many different types of sounds is a direct result of his early introduction to music as a child. Southpaw was introduced to hip hop at the age of 6, under the spell of artists such as Run DMC, Salt n’ Pepa, and JJ Fad. Years later his older brother, A.K.A. Supreme Threat, shared DJ Pierre and Nighttripper’s “Global House Culture 1” CD with him and he instantly gained interest in the electronic music scene. Southpaw recalls, “I still feel this is one of the best house CDs I’ve ever heard!”

Each genre opened his eyes to more varieties of electronic music, eventually drawing him to drum and bass after listening to DJ Dara’s “Full Circle.” It was not until he came across Bad Boy Bill’s “Bangin’ the Box 4” CD where the musical journey finally reached its long-awaited destination. House music was where Southpaw wanted to go. Upon his very first time touching the decks, he was able to match beats, impressing all those who witnessed it. He played his first party, Feel Those Vibes 2001, a mere 6 months after this initiation and eventually earned a reputation of being one of the premier house music DJs in the clubs.

Southpaw’s unparalleled style boasts an equally impressive resume. The list seems endless for shows played in 2008, with major events such as the celebrated Electric Daisy Carnival with Uberzone and Donald Glaude, Dance Evolution, Elements, and Illuminati topping the list. Club spots to date include The Church, Club Mystery, SODO, and Beta, where he opened up for Deadmau5.

Southpaw is an incredibly well rounded and multi-faceted DJ who never excludes a style or sound if it enhances his own. We see the display of his full range as an artist with tracks such as “Feel My Soul,” and wonder where to place this slower tempo track in the grand scheme of his sound. Yet the song fits perfectly.

The most striking feature of his sets is that in addition to offering a progression of sounds, Southpaw hits the crowd with a multi-genre beat and then stays there inside the music. His famous “NeedleGrind Sampler” is an example of what most house music is intended to be—pounding yet soulful beats, rhythm and vocals that call back R&B, soul, funk, AND hard, edgy classic house elements.