DJ Escape

Early in the 1990s, Jeff Jonas—professionally known as DJ Escape—took up the turntables as a DJ, remixer, and producer, drawn by the surging hip-hop movement. A partnership with DJ Skribble opened the door to his first gigs, yet an encounter with Junior Vasquez at New York’s Palladium steered the newcomer toward house music instead.

Alongside early remix projects such as Junior Vasquez’s “Be Quiet” and Ce Ce Peniston’s “Finally 2000,” the New York-based artist stepped forward as a solo act through the 1998 single “Everybody Get Up.” At age 23, Jonas joined Groovilicious Music as A&R coordinator; the label then issued his debut full-length mix album, Party Time 2002.