DJ Rap

Long before securing a major-label deal in 1997 that lifted her out of the drum'n'bass underground, Charissa Saverio—known professionally as DJ Rap—had already earned recognition as one of the scene’s most skilled mixers and one of jungle’s most quietly effective producers. Born in Singapore, she grew up across a succession of far-flung destinations while her stepfather managed luxury hotels, then moved to Southampton, England, during her teenage years. While training as a solicitor, she immersed herself in the British rave circuit and quickly transitioned from dedicated attendee to active producer and mixer. One of her earliest releases was the 1990 breakbeat favorite “The Adored,” credited to Ambience and recorded with Jeff B. for Raw Bass Records. She honed her mixing skills while promoting a record on the East London pirate station Rave FM, then solidified her standing by filling an unexpected last-minute slot for Fabio at the Astoria. Throughout the early ’90s she kept releasing music, among them the hardcore/jungle staple “Spiritual Aura” by Engineers Without Fears, a collaboration with Aston Harvey (later of the Sol Brothers and Freestylers). She founded her own mixing agency, which later evolved into the Proper Talent label. After signing with Sony’s Higher Ground imprint in 1997, she issued her debut album, Learning Curve, in 1999. The co-headlining mix set Brave New World with Kenny Ken arrived in 2000, followed in 2001 by the hybrid collection Propa Classics. Subsequent releases included the double-disc Touching Bass on Surge and Chemistry on Armani Music Exchange. In 2005 she returned with Bulletproof, another mix album containing six new productions. Five years afterward came Synthesis on Ministry of Sound, an album that largely abandoned drum’n’bass in favor of a trip-hop-to-dance-pop range.