Erick Jay: Brazilian DJ Wins Dual World Championships in 2016

Erick Jay, born Erick Garcia, made history in 2016 by becoming the first Latin American and Brazilian to win both the DMC World and IDA World Technical Category DJ championships in the same year. Now 35, he represents Brazil in global competitions, including a recent event in Auckland, New Zealand. He serves as the official DJ for the TV Cultura program Manos e Minas, a 25-year-old show dedicated to hip-hop, rap, funk, reggae, and samba culture, directed by Marcelo Costa. Jay is also part of the Laboratório Fantasma collective, which produces clothing and promotes hip-hop and urban-peripheral artists, collaborating with figures like Kamau since 2008. His career began in 1991 at age 11, influenced by his father's music collection and DJ team, and he started performing at friends' parties after developing an interest in DJing at the Projeto Radial in 1996. He joined Manos e Minas in 2008 after an invitation from Rappin Hood following DJ Primo's death, considering it an honor to be part of what he calls the only program dedicated to Hip Hop culture in South America. Jay has faced racism, including an incident in Poland in 2012, but uses prejudice as motivation. He distinguishes DJs, who perform and often produce music, from producers who only create tracks.