(1888PressRelease)
March 06, 2008 - At the 2008 Stylus DJ Awards nominee assembly, the Stylus group announced this year’s Hall of Fame inductees Spec II, DJ Carl Allen and TKO. The celebrated DJs will be honored at the DJ Stylus Awards in Toronto on Monday, June 2nd, from the Sound Academy.
“Spec II, DJ Carl Allen and TKO are some of the most progressive Canadian DJs, who have left and continue to leave a great legacy. They’ve influenced the taste and style of music with great distinction,” says Mike Zafiris, founder of Stylus Group. “We are very proud to recognize them in the Stylus Hall of Fame.”
Former Spec II DJs Keith Lewis, Karen Lewis, Patrick Moses, Everton Greene, Winston Murray to name a few, were dedicated to using hip hop to weave Montreal’s diverse social fabric together. Keeping past efforts alive by opening big-name shows to hosting renowned street parties, Spec II’s resourcefulness as DJ’s, MC’s, and entertainers has influenced Montreal’s music scene since 1978. It takes innovation and constant drive to liberate music different from what the city’s used to. Spec II succeeded by influencing Montreal’s music style and played a big role in building the city’s urban music landscape.
Founders Barry Boothe and Brian Bailey brought an idea to real sensation when they created the TKO sound crew. Their first public debut is the legendary TKO tape played by the Fantastic Voyage program. Their fan base rapidly grew in Toronto based Universities and colleges. Their presence became high in demand in the club scene. In 1989, Barry took the backbone of their success and evolved TKO sound crew to TKO the Sound and formed a sound rental company. From their humble beginnings to their grand success, TKO has created over 30 A list DJs in the city.
DJ Carl Allen was a celebrity since the making of Ebony Sounds Unlimited with his father. Venturing out on his own, Carl was immediately picked up by major Toronto clubs and has also become the longest running live-to-air DJ on Energy 108. Carl’s accomplishments stretch beyond DJing. He’s been recognized from being the first DJ to bring out an R&B float in Toronto’s Caribana festivals, inspiring a renowned soca song, a demanded concert promoter and organizer to owning his club.
The Stylus Hall of Fame was established in 2006 by Stylus Group to honor individuals or groups who have made an extraordinary contribution toward the recognition of Canadian DJs and music. Last year’s inductee to the Stylus Hall of Fame was Killowatt Productions, and Dr. Soul “Len P”. Previous inductees include Butcher T., and Sunshine Crew.
Sponsors of the 2008 Stylus DJ Awards include Pioneer, Warner Music, Universal Music, Koch Entertainment, Red Entertainment and blupearl media.
About Stylus Group:
Stylus Group is an organization of taste makers committed to recognize, develop and represent the urban DJs of Canada. Their mission is to assist in the growth of the industry by focusing on the influence that DJ culture has on lifestyle trends such as music, fashion, food, and technologies.
About Stylus DJ Awards:
Stylus DJ Awards is an annual celebration created to recognize the achievements of urban DJs, emcees, musicians and record labels. The goal is to raise awareness of the dynamic urban music scene in Canada.
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