Red Bull brought its Thre3style competition back to Chicago. The Red Bull Thre3style Midwest Qualifier was held at Reggie’s Rock Club and hosted by the lively Hollywood Holt. Five DJs competed for the title of the Midwest’s Red Bull Thre3style champion, and the opportunity to continue the DJ battle against the best of the best for a chance to advance to the Red Bull Thre3style World Finals.
For those of you unfamiliar with Red Bull Thre3Style, it is an innovative concept that gives highly skilled DJs a global platform to showcase their skills, battle and gain notoriety by rockin’ the dance floor. Red Bull Thre3style has a creative and original format that seeks to find a DJ that has perfected the true art of rockin’ the party. Competing DJs are given 15 minutes and the challenge to play three different genres of music while keeping the crowd rockin’ on the dance floor. A panel of music industry judges will select the winners based on track selection, creativity, mixing skills, stage presence and crowd reaction.
Red Bull and Reggie’s Rock Club packed the house with people ready for the excitement and music of the Red Bull Thre3style competition. Once the competition kicked off, the dancing and the energy did not end. Each DJ competed with all of their heart and soul, and the crowd went crazy for each one of the DJs sets. Check out the event’s highlights below.
Competitors: Boi Jeanius, MaddJazz, PHNM, Slugo, Trentino
Judges: Big Once, Four Color Zack, Pumpin Pete
PHNM
@PHNM
Kicking off the competition, PHNM went straight for the musical kill. Showcasing his insane skills for making the party rock, PHNM mixed sounds ranging from Black Betty, Perculator, to Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness”, and even the infamous Quad City DJ’s “Ride the Train.”
http://youtu.be/_qQ9Rv0D7as
MaddJazz
@MaddJazz
Up next, hailing from Chicago’s own, Ghetto Division, MaddJazz kept the energy in the crowd going. MaddJazz not only showed us broad taste in music ranging from Three Six Mafia, to Britney Spears, house, and even juke music to some Marilyn Manson. MaddJazz also brought his scratching and beat making skills to the competition. His flawless transition from making beats to Kanye’s “Runaway” into Pharcyde’s “Running Away” was genius. MaddJazz started strong, maintained the energy, and finished strong. His set kept the crowd dancing and going for the entire 15 minutes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHNvFDUFhHs
Slugo
@DJSlugoMusic
Straight up juke-a-thon: that was Slugo’s set. Ladies and gents, that is a good thing considering the crowd fed off his musical energy. Slugo made the crowd dance, not just bounce and scream. By sampling Queen, Erykah Badu, Lenny Kravitz, Trey Songz, Reggaeton, and even some N.W.A., Dr. Dre and DMX, Slugo mixed a wide selection of jams to keep the ladies dancing, and the men bouncing. Slugo ended his set by cleverly mixing in Mic Terror’s “Juke them Hoes” which instantly drove the crowd insane! Every head in that crowd was vibing and feeling his set’s grand finale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcczG5SpkDA
Boi Jeanius
@boijeanius
Boi Jeanius was the youngest competitor, but displayed the skill and style of a much wiser DJ. In his early twenties and representing Chicago’s very own, Treated Crew, Boi Jeanius had one of the more diverse musical selections in his set. In addition to his smooth mixing, Boi Jeanius showed his scratching and beat making skills. Mixing in Kid Cudi’s “Day N Nite” with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” into the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Heads Will Roll” was a fun play. However, Boi Jeanius threw the crowd for a loop when he gave a smooth shout out to Mexico by repeating Jay-Z’s soundbite of “Viva Mexico!” and then going in on some Spanish music, namely cumbias. Hats off to Boi Jeanius because as young as he is, he has a bright and successful future ahead of him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy1r2y61SGY
After five 15-minute sets and a plethora of 2Chainz and Tyga sound snippets, it was time for the judges to reconvene and deliberate on each set. Each of the DJs gave it their all, but only three DJs were placed.
The results:
3rd Place: Boi Jeanius
2nd Place: MaddJazz
…and the winner was…TRENTINO. Undeniably, Trentino’s set was the best of the best and his skills transcend musical genres and styles. Congratulations!
Thank you to Red Bull Thre3style and Reggie’s Rock Club for hosting such an entertaining event. Chicago loves you.
