FFNY QUICK TAKES WITH DJ MAX GLAZER
We’re back with our FFNY Quicktakes — where we shine a light on the creative community keeping New York lit and legendary. This week: DJ Max Glazer, the heartbeat of the city’s dancehall scene.
A Note from FFNY
Before Max and I knew each other through dance floors —
I actually met Max Glazer on a helicopter.
Almost twenty years ago, we were both assigned to work with a then 18-year-old Rihanna.
I was on assignment for Trace Magazine, shooting a “day in the life” piece. Max was DJing and riding shotgun through the whirlwind.
It was a surreal day — An amusement park performance in Jersey, a radio station stop, backseats of me shooting her in the passenger seat, her changing in the car, she was literally living out of her suitcases at the time.
No stylist. No big entourage. Just hustle, youth and talent!
Our last stop that evening was a mad dash to Shea Stadium where she was set to sing the national anthem at a Mets game.
But the thunderclouds rolled in, the skies were blackish.
We were stuck, flight delayed, maybe canceled.
I remember thinking: Damn, I’m not about to crash in a helicopter with some singer I barely know.
But they made the call: we were going. We had to get her there.
Her manager in tears — she might’ve even puked in-flight was freaking out scared, and there is Rihanna, calm as a cucumber, singing softly to us her little crew on board, trying to keep us all chill and feeling good.
She knew — this was only the beginning, of wilder rides to come for her.
We made it to Shea. We walked her onto the field.
She sang her heart out.
I didn’t see Max again for almost two decades — until our mutual friend Ariel Palitz said, “Let’s stop by and see Max. You should get him to DJ your next FFNY party” And just like that, full circle. Max Glazer — the same cool-ass guy from the helicopter rides still doing his thing.
You never forget people you’ve lived through a chaotic moment with.
And we both know we’re always bringing up that story if helicopter rides get talked about in conversation.
So here’s our FFNY Quicktakes with Max Glazer — an icon of the NYC DJ scene and one of the city’s deepest Dancehall lifers.
I found my Trace cover, and some home footage from youtube of Rhianna singing at Shea Stadium that day.
I see me come out to shoot her singing, and you can definitely see those heavy, dark, skies not what anybody is suppose to fly through.
What a memory!
Enjoy FFNY Quicktakes with Max Glazer, who also blessed us with a Soundtrack to the City Playlist — take a listen HERE
and find it on our site alongside some fresh FFNY goodies.
We live at: www.FriendsFromNewYork.com — go take a look, take a listen, and take something home.
What's your go-to spot in NYC when you need a little hit of inspiration— or when you want to feel like you’re somewhere else entirely?
My go to spots for inspiration are all really related to great memories of New York.
The first place I lived in NYC was on Bank Street between Greenwich and Washington - 123 Bank Street, which is still an original cobblestone block that makes me feel at home, even though I haven't lived there for well over 30 years.
Walking down the stairs to Wo Hop at 17 Mott always makes me feel at home, which is really where the inspiration comes from- great memories of great people, places and times.
Not so much a specific place, but anywhere I get to hear a great DJ, that's probably the most inspiring thing for me.
It's not so much about the place, but I love the fact that it could be anywhere, from a huge club, to a parking lot in Flatbush and someone super famous or completely unknown.
Good music is good music, and that's always inspiring.
What’s the last picture you took of New York on your phone?
The last picture I took of New York shows a very different side of the city, but one that I am absolutely in love with.
I live deep deep in Brooklyn and as soon as it gets warm enough, we are out in the park as much as possible.
Wildest thing you’ve seen or heard on the NYC streets lately?
I just went to see Vybz Kartel both nights at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, and even in the rain, the streets were absolutely wild.
It was definitely like Labor Day in April out there.
Can you tell us how you first really got into Jamaican music and culture?
(Was there a person, a moment, or a record that set you off on the path?)
I always listened to and played reggae, because it was one of the things my father listened to from when I was very young.
As I started DJing around 15, that was just a natural part of what I was doing, and over the years I just fell more and more in love with it and it was the music that I enjoyed the most, so at a certain point I just decided to focus on Reggae, Dancehall and Caribbean music, in general.
There are a few people who were crucial in that evolution, following the introduction from my dad... Leith Rogavin first introduced me to sound system cassettes.
Paul Labrusciano aka Pauly Roots introduced me to the Jamaican record stores of Brooklyn and really just guided me way deeper into the genre.
He saw that I loved it and was interested, and took an interest in really helping me understand it. Jacquie Juceam introduced me to people in the Jamaican music business and that really changed the trajectory of my life, as well.
The DJs that helped spark my love of reggae are Red Alert, Stretch Armstrong, Bobby Konders and Sting International. I can't overstate how important New York radio has been to my journey in music.
How did Federation Sound come together — and for those who might not know, how would you describe what it’s all about?
Federation Sound formed in 1999 around a shared love of Reggae music. Kenny Meez, Cipha Sounds and myself had all been DJing for years at that point, but we wanted to have an entity focused on Reggae and Dancehall so we could voice dubplates and dig deeper into the sound.
Prior to that, Federation was the name we were using for our extended crew, so when Kenny came to me and said we should form a "Sound", Federation was a natural choice for the name.
Federation Sound is all about sharing our love of Jamaican music
If you had to take a friend visiting NYC to one restaurant to show them what this city’s about, where are you taking them?
Blue Ribbon. Blue Ribbon feels like the most quintessentially New York spot, but you have to go late night.
If Wo Hop were still open 24 hours, I would also have to say Wo Hop at 4 am after the club.
The amount of my life that I spent there as the sun came up is absurd. That's just so many personal memories.
What's your favorite public space — park, garden, rooftop, or hidden corner — to hang out and catch a little peace in the city?
Give me a good bench anywhere, and I am set. I like the bench in Kimlau Square in Chinatown, right around the corner from Wo Hop (big surprise).
What’s the song that feels like your New York?
Brooklyn by Vybz Kartel. It's an ode to the boro, produced by Brooklyn's very own Ricky Blaze.
Who’s an up-and-coming artist, DJ, or creative we should know about — someone on the rise you think deserves more shine?
Lila Ike is an artist out of Jamaica who is an incredibly talented woman who is already touring the world but definitely deserves more shine.
Any exciting projects, collaborations, or parties you’re working on that we should keep an eye out for?
Every Sunday at Miss Lily's I do an all vinyl brunch called Sunday Dish, focused on classic reggae and a bit of old school dancehall.
Miss Lily’s 109 Avenue A & East 7th Street.