Truly Legendary NYC Club DJs

It seems that everyone is a self-proclaimed DJ these days. All you really need is access to an iPhone and a Spotify playlist, and voila… you’re a DJ.Well believe it or not, there once was a day when DJs brought their records to the club to spin. Can you imagine?! The act of DJing took time, precision and lots of planning. To many, it was way more of a science back then than it is now.Take a look at some hip hop DJs that have made an impact on NYC music throughout the years and have kept the kids coming back to the New York city exclusive club scene.DJ Funkmaster FlexWhile Funkmaster Flex may be pushing 50, he’s still very much in the hip hop game. Born and raised in the Bronx, Flex began DJing at NYC nightclubs at 16 and scored his first job with a local radio station at 19.In the height of his nightclub career in the 80s, he caught the eye of radio station Hot 97 and started broadcasting his nightclub gigs live on the radio. It was the first pop music station to host a rap program, breaking music barriers.DJ Stretch ArmstrongStretch Armstrong is a New York-based DJ and producer whose career caught fire and rose in the hip-hop ranks in the 90s. He started out playing at exclusive NYC clubs Mars and Nellas, and made it even bigger introducing new hip-hop acts on Columbia University’s hip-hop radio show. Armstrong is known for breaking the careers of Notorious BIG, Jay-Z, Nas and Eminem. He also started the famous Monday night party at the Tribeca Grand Hotel that featured DJs from all over the world.DJ ReachDJ Reach started DJing at the age of 13 for friends throughout high school and college. After college, he started on the nightclub scene and interned for the famed DJ Stretch Armstrong (yup, the one on this list). He first got his big break in 2002 as the DJ on Last Call with Carson Daly. This led to Reach’s residency at night clubs in New York and Las Vegas, including Pink Elephant, TAO, and Marquee, and endless corporate and celebrity events.DJ CassidyBorn in New York City’s Upper East Side, DJ Cassidy took an interest in music at age three, scored his first turntables at age 10, spun at friends’ parties and carnivals in high school, and became a nightclub DJ by the time he was 18. He was discovered by Puff Daddy at the trendy Lotus club and from there, his career has skyrocketed.He has DJed parties for Oprah Winfrey, Anna Wintour and President Obama, spun at the weddings of Beyonce and Kim Kardashian, and opened on tour for both Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z. It’s safe to say this guy has some cred.