For the first time, the Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) in Stony Brook inducted DJs as it celebrates a well-known trio in the hip-hop world at a ceremony that was held on Saturday, August 24th.
A highlight of the night was performances by the inductees as well as DJ Johnny Juice, also known as Public Enemy.
“These DJs are all now hip-hop legendary type guys that come from Long Island and Brooklyn and Queens,” LIMEHOF General Manager Barry Fisch said of the inductees. “For instance, DJ Hurricane has worked with The Beastie Boys for the most part and back in the day comes from Hollis, Queens.”
Since the Hall of Fame launched in 2004, more than 120 artists have been inducted with the first gala held in 2006, according to Fisch. Despite this long history, and though their contributions to hip hop are many, Fisch notes this is the first time LIMEHOF has inducted DJs.
“The rap artists and hip-hop artists themselves would be the first to agree they’re important to this genre,” he said.
Those chosen to be immortalized in the Hall of Fame have made their mark on hip hop music. They are Davy DMX, DJ Hurricane and DJ Jazzy Jay. Davy DMX, aka David Franklin Reeves Jr., has worked with Run-DMC, Kurtis Blow and The Fat Boys, in addition to putting out his solo album, “Davy’s Ride.”
Known for his work with The Beastie Boys, DJ Hurricane also has solo albums, and these include collaborations with top names like Public Enemy and Kool G Rap. Lastly, DJ Jazzy Jay helped shape hip hop as one of the creators of Def Jam Recordings and his own label, Strong City Records, among other contributions.
“He’s had quite the impact on hip-hop,” Fisch said, citing his role as a producer of artists like A Tribe Called Quest.
In addition to an evening of performances, folks will have the chance to experience the Hall of Fame in its roughly 2-year-old home, known for its special exhibits like the popular tribute to Bronx-native, Billy Joel.
The Hall of Fame is committed to recognizing Long Island area musicians and performers, because geographically, their contribution is great, Fisch said.
"It was realized that the amount of talent that has come from this area alone by the pound was enormous. I mean so many musicians and so much talent or even people in the industry itself, from promoters to executives to musicians to big-time stars and everyone in between, coming from Long island or Brooklyn or Queens needed to be recognized and with that we established the Long Island Music Hall of Fame," he said, describing LIMEHOF as a government-sanctioned nonprofit.
For more information visit the Hall of Fame website: LIMusicHallOfFame.org