DJ Zinc

DJ Zinc earned his strongest recognition through the 1995 release “Super Sharp Shooter,” an intense and vigorous fusion of hip-hop and jungle that had turned into the standard example of an overplayed club record by the close of that year. His work behind the decks and in the studio reaches considerably earlier, mapping the gradual shift of hardcore away from its house and rave foundations, onward through ragga and hip-hop-flavored hardstep, and into later forms. Across the years he supplied material to an assortment of imprints both established and obscure, among them Back 2 Basics, Congo Natty, Droppin’ Science, 2000AD, Brain, and Ganja, logged hours on pirate radio, and held residencies at several of London’s leading underground venues.

His earliest production credits appeared in the eight-volume Swift and Zinc series, issued on Bizzy B’s Brain imprint through Dream Team/Joker Records in the early 1990s. The partnership dissolved in 1994 once DJ Swift elected to pursue garage and house, although the two continue to share studio facilities. “Super Sharp Shooter” therefore served as Zinc’s first solo outing; while later tracks enjoyed popularity, none reached the same level of impact. He now appears alongside DJ Hype, Pascal, and Rude Bwoy Monty in the Ganja Kru, releasing on the MCA sublabel Parousia, and also contributes to Hype’s True Playaz label under the names DJ Zinc and Dope Skillz. He maintains a steady schedule of DJ appearances and became one of the earliest drum’n’bass artists to register in the R&B-oriented 2-step market with the 1999 single “138 Trek.”