The Pace Report: "Jump-N-Funk: Fela Style" The DJ Rich Medina Interview

Poet, producer, and world-renowned DJ Rich Medina wears many shoes. His hard work has paid off over the last 20 years. In addition to holding down many residencies from "Lil' Rickey's Rib Shack," "Prop Nights in NYC," and his "Jump-N-Funk" series here in NYC and Philly, Rich continues the rich tradition of spinning and producing funk, hip-hop, jazz, house and Afrobeat music to his many loyal fans.

Rich is celebrating the 10 anniversary of "Jump-N-Funk," his music set featuring Afrobeat, soul music that hails from Africa. He also pays homage to the legendary Nigerian Afrobeat icon Fela Kuti who's seen a tremendous rise of popularity here in the states due to the Tony-nominated musical "Fela" based on his life. Rich began playing Fela's music during the mid-1990's due to his study of and fascination of Fela's music. Fela, often being hailed as Africa's equivalent of the US's James Brown, sang and performed music to the people of his native homeland of Nigeria. Fela is the pioneer of Afrobeat music, a hybrid of West African rhythms and chants fused jazz, funk, and elements of soul music.
In addition to Rich's "Jump-N-Funk" series, he's the producer of The AfroBeatles, a project of him taking the music of The Beatles and Fela Kuti and mixing them together using Afrobeat.

Over his 20 years as a producer/DJ, Rich has collaborated with Femi Kuti, Gil Scott-Heron, The Roots, Roy Ayers, De La Soul, and Erykah Badu. He's also a columnist for Complex Magazine contributing his "On the Road" series. Rich is also an accomplished poet producing his landmark open poetry disc "Connecting the Dots."

To check out Rich's upcoming sets or for find out his club dates, visit him on the web at www.richmedina.com.

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