Bio
Domingo went off to college in Michigan to get a degree, but books weren't the only thing on his mind. Using money from his work on campus, he bought DJ equipment. That same day he spun his first party, "jumped right into it, made a lot of mistakes!" It was rough, but he had years of anticipation for that moment. Not satisfied with just spinning, he decided to partner up with a classmate and began hosting events. They were looking to promote hip hop from an Asian-American perspective as well as showcase area talent. Eminem and the Mountain Brothers were among the many Domingo showcased at these seminal events. For a time, Domingo became a battle DJ. Still, Domingo found himself and his partner to be considered "different" by the close-minded. "Folks thought we were trying to be black. Folks who listen to New Order aren't trying to be white, so why are we trying to be black?!"
It didn't matter. By this time, Domingo had gained an understanding of what he liked and what he was trying to do. "I've always been different, I'm used to being different. The mainstream was cool, but... I want more, and now it's more of a conscious thing." He began going back, taking hip hop to its Jamaican dancehall origins, he began reaching into his family's past, checking out Latin and Chinese music, in his words, "exploring the links." This led him to experiment with techno and jungle as well as house. The result is a style that is familiar, yet very different at the same time. Already solid in understanding music's power, Domingo is determined to not bend to others' conceptions, but to open people up to his world. A world where people listen to music not based on race or place, but what is good, what moves them. Domingo is emphatic, "I'm trying to bring the world to my party, to attract different types of people. It can be done, I've done it." And it goes beyond that. Domingo aims to use music as a tool for greater things. "Music by itself won't change things, but it's an entry point. A DJ can open people's minds to music, therefore to each other. That's what a lot of it is."
Domingo doesn't play music simply for pleasure. He is a man on a mission. He aims to please the crowd, not by feeding them the same thing they've heard a million times before in the same way. He does it by incorporating the familiar with the unfamiliar in a way that makes you think you've heard a song before even though it's the first time. It makes you think you're hearing a new jam before you suddenly realize, I know that!? And while there was a time when it might've bothered him, calling Domingo different is not only a compliment, but probably one of the best ways to describe him.
Bio is used courtesy of Urban Slang Records, Detroit, MI
