Champion Talk: DJ Asaphandswell on Crazy Hood Day & DJ Culture on Grump OG's | Drink Champs Network

TL;DR

DJ ASAP Hanswell, winner of the Crazy Hood Day DJ battle, discusses his 28-year career, DMC finals history, and move to Miami.

Key Points

• 1.ASAP Hanswell won the DJ battle at Crazy Hood Day. He defeated competitor Plat One in a format that differed from standard DMC battle structure, with rounds of five minutes instead of the typical 90-second routine.
• 2.He has 28 years of DJing experience, starting around age 16-17. He turns 45 the day of the interview, meaning he began around 1996-1997, inspired by his father and a family friend called Uncle Joe in Germany.
• 3.Hanswell is a three-time DMC finalist and 2017 Supremacy runner-up. He lost that year to a younger DJ named Dwells, who went on to compete at the world level, calling it his highest career achievement.
• 4.His real name is Tai Hanswell; the 'ASAP' prefix started as a pandemic-era Twitter joke. He kept changing his handle and 'ASAP Hanswell' stuck, so he officially adopted it while still being known as Tai to longtime fans.
• 5.He is a military brat who grew up across California, Germany, and the DMV area. He lived in the DMV for roughly 25 years before recently relocating to Miami from Wilmington, Delaware.
• 6.Hanswell only had decks to practice on for three to four days before the Crazy Hood Day battle. DJ K-Razer and a group of supporters rallied to get him equipment; he used that limited practice to build his final-round routine.
• 7.His two signature YouTube routines are 'Choice Is Yours' and 'Look at Me Now.' He performed these in his strongest second round, confident no competitor could match those sets.
• 8.He secured his first Miami residency at Blackbird Ordinary, arranged by DJ K-Razer. He plays hip-hop, dancehall, and Latin music, and plans to use the battle win to build his profile in the Miami market.
• 9.The hosts discussed how Miami and Atlanta strip clubs historically served as key music-breaking venues. Hanswell mentioned a past swinger-party DJ residency in Philadelphia and one DC strip club gig, contrasting the club culture between DMV and Miami.
• 10.The conversation touched on internet culture homogenizing regional music and fashion scenes. The hosts argued the West Coast still maintains a distinct sound via artists like YG, while New York increasingly sounds Southern due to internet influence.