The Melodic Legacy of DJ BusyFingers: How He Transformed Musicians and Left a Lasting Impact

After an incredibly difficult year, I write this in loving memory of one of the closest people to me, my best-friend and brother Chris, DJ BusyFingers.

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Busy was an awesome person, so full of joy, so full of passion and so full of heart - His energy would light up the room and everyone in it. It was rare to find someone so open and positive about most things - sure, he would have times where he would doubt his path but shortly after, he would spring back up and be on the go again!

His personality really came through in all of his projects. His concepts were always entertaining and about bringing people together, he was never thinking of what he could gain from it financially or socially, but always thought of how it can benefit the people that were involved.

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The Genesis

Busy was a huge lover and collector of music. Heavily influenced by the sounds of soul and reggae that his mother would play, he also discovered a love for Hip-hop, listening mostly to the Westcoast's G-funk - a rap spinoff from 70's funk.

Along with a multitude of talents, he was also an undercover dancer specialising in "popping" which he had mimicked from Funk video's and Michael Jackson. It was a rare treat to get a glimpse of his moves, his musicality and agility was an insight to the close relationship he had with music.

He first started DJ'ing in his parents shed, where he had miraculously wired up some equipment that he once advised me he had "borrowed" from his parents along with the help of his childhood friend and hype man, Tubby.

Busy was a resident DJ at many spots but his first paid gig was at Dubstep and Metal haven, Black Sheep Bar in Croydon where he would play Hip-hop and breakbeats alongside DJ X-Cutz on a weekly basis for all the local dancers and B-Boys to cypher too. Moving on from that he had a residential spot in the heart of Oxford Street, full of nostalgic, sweat-dripping nights "Joints & Jams" was the place to be on a Saturday night.

His biggest debut was headlining Outlook festival in 2017, throwing down mix after mix of bassy mashups to ignite the constant mosh-pitting and gun solutes serenaded by fellow ravers. I found that from that experience, he saw that only the sky was the limit.

But just a bit before that, he launched his ever-so-popular producer only event "Beat Meet" and had fellow friend and DJ D'vo hosting alongside with him, gaining the attention and following of bedroom beatmakers. From this very intimate event based in Brixton's Ritzy, many artists built up the confidence to battle each other to earn the title of "King/Queen Of The Hill" and have their music played at the next event, not to forget - the recognition and stage they deserved as many DJ's and producers from across the world came down to play. Since the launch, Busy had been invited to play in a few different countries and was even invited to a experimental Hip-hop night (via zoom) in LA.

Brainchild and a few other major events had been blessed by the creativity of Busy's fingers switching and blending of records, but his baby and ultimate pride and joy was the exhilarating "Beats & Liquor" that he put together with partner and animator Alex. With a similar look to DJ platform 'Boiler Room', but with the fun and captivating concept of a boozy gameshow.

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Beats & Liquor

I remember the day he came forward to me with this idea, I believe I had the honour of being maybe the 2nd or 3rd person he had spoken to about it and I couldn't stop saying yes. It was a brilliant idea, crazy but fantastic - and to see it in the flesh gave me goosebumps. It was one of the liveliest events I had been too and all stemmed from a boiler room session that happened in 2019.

Busy was invited along with other disc jockeys to Boiler Room HQ in East London to just play and exchange beats, then the shots of liquor came out... He had a "lightbulb moment" and the idea was officially born. He had made his first few episodes at Boiler Room head office in a cosy, backroom studio with way too many people inside, 2-stepping and skankin' in front of a green screen.

And then Lockdown happened. Busy had picked up some hobbies during this time, selling fried chicken and moulding sphere-shaped, marble chocolates - but never stopped planning and networking for this event. It was electrifying because you'd get an invitation only to the cellar of a VR hub in Croydon, just opposite of where Black Sheep used to stand and quickly enter through the side door like some shady, Chicago jazz club.

Little did we know or realise how far he'd come from the days of downing £2 snakebites in Black Sheep, to DJ's signing up to his very own show which was streamed and viewed by thousands on YouTube.

Not only did he create this safe space for the "underdogs" to network and showcase their talent, he also gave them a voice to be heard and a place to be seen. Producers and DJ's are very much overlooked in the music industry and he put himself out there to find these people, get everyone to network and lead from a place that may have felt vulnerable, but very familiar to him - A place where he wanted to say "look, these people exist too alright."

He was by far one of the hardest working people I'd ever known and I admired his ethics dearly. Speaking to people that have evolved from the platforms that he'd created has been nothing but a blessing and truly shows that hard work and sacrifice can pay off. A lot of people, from the snowy grounds of Sweden, to the vibrant streets of Brooklyn are paying there tributes to the amazing contribution he has done for underground artists.

It was truly a pleasure to call him, friend.