DJ Neil Armstrong / Courtesy of Laila Bahman
By Jon Dunbar
U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon in 1969. And now, over 50 years later, DJ Neil Armstrong is ready to land in Korea.
Born almost 50 years ago as Thomas Neil Rodriguez, he took on the name of the famous astronaut when he started his hip-hop DJ career in the 1990s.
“Back then many hip-hop DJs had very interesting monikers, that often were unrecognizable from their real names,” he explained. “At the time, however, I was still living with my parents, in an age before cell phones. So, I didn’t want my friends calling the house and asking for like… ‘Hey is DJ Super Flash’ there? And my parents hanging up on them.”
So he chose the name Neil Armstrong, “who as it turns out was who I was named after by my parents,” he added.
If the name sounds familiar, maybe it’s not because you’re thinking of Buzz Aldrin’s crewmate, but possibly because you’ve heard it connected with superstar rapper JAY-Z. Or you might have heard about the time a Filipino-American DJ performed for the inauguration of President Barack Obama in January 2009.
“To be in a space like that back in 2009 was just a bit surreal,” he said. “Hip-hop has generally been written off as a fad, and has often been criticized for not being a real music form. As a DJ, it wasn’t a job that most parents ― especially Asian parents ― had hoped for me. Still, my parents hoped for me to be a doctor or a lawyer, etc. etc. But it was DJing that brought me to a situation where I was tasked to provide a service for the inauguration of a U.S. president. To be able to do my craft at such a massive world event is still quite unbelievable … but it absolutely happened. I have been able to live a dream life because of DJing.”
It was a long climb to get where he is today. Armstrong made a name for himself originally with his mixtape projects, and also made it as a turntablist, founding the 5th Platoon hip-hop DJ crew in 1996 and taking part in turntable battles in the late 1990s and mid-2000s.
“You need to have the technical skills of mixing and using DJ software and equipment,” he said of what it takes to master his talents. “These days, with YouTube and DJ classes, it’s easier than ever to be able to learn how to DJ. What makes a DJ good, though, is their knowledge and grasp of music, and knowing how to play for a crowd, or organize your music for a mixtape. These are some things that can’t easily be taught in a classroom, but come with experience and time.”
Born and raised in New York, he shared stages with well-known stars including De La Soul, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes and Wyclef Jean. He also taught at the first-ever DJ school, Scratch DJ Academy founded by Jam Master Jay of Run DMC. And then he became the tour DJ for JAY-Z from 2008 to 2010. He has also collaborated with global brands such as Adidas, Undefeated, NBA, BMW and VH1.
“These days, I think DJs have found themselves as artists and stars themselves, which wasn’t quite the case yet back in 2008/2010 when I was JAY-Z’s tour DJ,” he said. “Today is definitely a very different time, and I think there are many a kid in this age of TikTok and social media that aspire to be DJs.”
DJ Neil Armstrong / Courtesy of DJ Neil Armstrong
He has expressed his pride in his Filipino heritage, adding that Filipino Americans have been trailblazers in the turntablist community. He mentioned that Asian American visibility is increasing in pop culture.
“It would be a fair generalization to say that ‘Asians’ weren’t cool during my youth in America,” he said. “We were the geeks, the friend … our representation in movies was as a sidekick, or as a comedic element. That’s not the case anymore.”
As to how things have changed, he wasn’t shy about acknowledging the role of K-pop. “Absolutely, the crossover of K-pop to American audiences and the world has definitely been a factor in changing the perception of Asians in the American zeitgeist,” he said.
DJ Neil Armstrong / Courtesy of DJ Neil Armstrong
He has yet to collaborate with any musicians in Korea, but he mentioned he has worked with various ethnic Koreans in the U.S. “One of the members of my DJ crew the 5th Platoon was Korean American, and I have had the opportunity to do my dinner/music series with several Korean American chefs like Roy Choi, and Chris Cho,” he said. “Also, the crossover of the DJ world with streetwear and street culture, there are many Korean American visual artists like Sophia Chang who I have worked with on projects.”
Astronaut Neil Armstrong only ever visited the moon once, but DJ Neil Armstrong has been to Korea multiple times, including a 2012 visit for a Red Bull DJ battle.
As for what he looks forward to the most outside his performance schedule, he didn’t hesitate to answer. “Oh, that’s easy ― eating a lot of Korean food!”
The doors open at 8 p.m. this Saturday, and the party starts at 10 p.m. Entry is only 10,000 won, and limited VIP table reservations are available.
Visit djneilarmstrong.com for more information about the artist, or go to planethustle.com for reservations and venue information.
