DJ Goonrock – He's SEXY AND HE KNOWS IT

“Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO is the most favorited video of all time on Youtube, with close 450 Million hits and counting. The video averages a million hits a day. It’s also rated one of the most “liked” videos of all time on Youtube.  DJ Goonrock, who co-wrote  and stars in LMFAO music videos  “Party Rock Anthem” and  “Sexy And I Know It” is an undeniable  influence on the rise.  AMFM managed to catch him between his work on various projects with J Lo, Ice Cube, and Flo Rida to ask a few questions.  Watch for a new video, J Lo’s collaboration with Flo Rida video “Goin’ In” will be out later this week and DJ Goonrock co-wrote and produced it.

AMFM: TELL US ABOUT YOUR BEGINNINGS IN MUSIC

DJ GOONROCK: One of the things I’d like people to know is that we didn’t just start doing this yesterday, it’s been a long grind and we take it serious.  The band is about having fun but we take the craft seriously.

Red Foo (LMFAO) and I went to school together starting in Junior High, and when we were in school there was a guy named Amad who had a hit song “Back In the Day.”  Red Foo actually recorded his demo in high school.  I was around and close friends with the group.  Red Foo is also the son of Berry Gordy and being around that was an influence.

AMFM: TELL ME ABOUT THE AWARDS



DJ GOONROCK: I received two ASCAP awards, which was amazing, a dream come true to get called up on the stage in front of your peers.  I remember when I first signed to ASCAP and I didn’t have any songs out.  I felt very small in a big world of accomplished writers.  It felt good to be amongst my peers and respected by them.  It was a big deal, a big accomplishment.  I accepted it with Red Foo. and some other friends of mine that worked on the album.  It was cool.
       

AMFM: SO IT WAS SURREAL

DJ GOONROCK: Yes, I would say that word exactly.  Red Foo and I do a lot of visualization.  This is one of the things that I visualized, so yes it was definitely surreal.  We don’t necessarily do it together, we just talk about our goals together and how we want to make it.  I don’t know about him, but this ASCAP award was something I actually visualized.
 

 AMFM: TELL ME HOW THE SONG CAME TOGETHER CREATIVELY

DJ: GOONROCK: I had the feeling this was special, I didn’t know it would be global.  The goal was for it to change radio.  At the time the song came out there was nothing like it on the radio, and the label wasn’t even excited about it. But we believed in it so much we moved on it.After the label saw people’s reaction, they jumped on board.  This goes back to the visualization thing.  The exact thing we said was “We’re gonna change the world with this song.”  That might be a little bit much for what the song is, but that is the passion we went into it with.  We tried to pour as much energy and good feeling into the song as possible, we had a goal.  The song was a very long time coming.  It started off with another artist, and then went through a big metamorphosis before it got to the point where it is now.

AMFM: YOU CO-WROTE IT, RIGHT?

DJ GOONROCK: Yes, I wrote the chorus, and the music with Red Foo and sang the chorus.

AMFM: WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION?

DJ GOONROCK: I can’t pinpoint one place where it came from, but we definitely were in the clubs all the time, we were obviously heavily influenced by the House scene and the Electro scene. We wanted to make it about having a good time, we wanted it to be hard, but we wanted to make it authentic.  That song is a representative of us and the energy we have amongst each other.

AMFM: I’VE HEARD THAT SONG IS GETTING A MILLION HITS A DAY ON YOUTUBE.  THAT’S UNFATHOMABLE.

DJ GOONROCK: Yeah, that’s crazy

 AMFM: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUTUBE FLAGGING THE VIDEO “SEXY AND I KNOW IT” FOR CONTENT?

DJ GOONROCK: To be perfectly honest I have a daughter who’s four, and I love the video it’s hilarious, I didn’t do it, there’s a lot of shimmying and whatever, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for young kids.

AMFM: WHO’S IDEA WAS ALL THAT SHIMMYING?

DJ GOONROCK: Red Foo.  He put the wiggle wiggle wiggle in it right before we finished it.  He called a staff meeting,  and played it, and when the “wiggle wiggle wiggle” part came on he did the little dance that goes with it, he had it all planned out.  Everything you see even though it’s tongue in cheek, it’s really him.  He lives it, he wears those clothes 24/7, it’s him 100%.  

AMFM: HE MUST BE A FUN GUY TO WORK WITH.

DJ GOONROCK: Yeah, he’s a character.

AMFM: WHAT HAVE YOU GOT COMING UP?

DJ GOONROCK: I’m working with Ice Cube.  I did two songs with J LO that I’m pretty excited about especially since she performed “Goin In” on the finale of American Idol.  The single is being released in a couple of weeks.  I’m in the studio with an Indian artist named Priyanka Chopra, she’s a huge Indian Bollywood star.  She’s signed over to Interscope and I’ve been working with her. I also have a song with Flo Rida called “Run” that’s coming out soon.

AMFM: SO NOW THAT YOUR SONGS ARE GETTING BIGGER, WHERE DO YOU HOPE THAT ALL OF THIS TAKES YOU?

DJ: GOONROCK: That’s a question I’ve been asking myself.  I wanted to enable myself to do this time and time again.  I wanted to let people know  people I’m here, I exist in the business and I want to take this opportunity to give the world my take on music.  I’m DJing as well and I really enjoy doing live shows.

AMFM: WHO WOULD YOU JUST DIE TO WORK WITH?

DJ GOONROCK: Michael Jackson.  He’s been one of he biggest influences in my life, and I think Red Foo’s too.  When we were little, we’d dress like him.  He’s a super icon, he’s influenced music to such a degree.  I still feel that way even though he’s not here.

AMFM: HE DEFINITELY CHANGED MUSIC FOR ALL OF US.  IS THERE ANYONE LIVING YOU’D LIKE TO WORK WITH?

DJ GOONROCK: The Smiths, and I’ve always loveD Morrisey and his voice.  I don’t know if what I do and what he does meshes, how that would sound.  But I would love to work with him.  I respect him, I’m a fan.  

AMFM: WHO ELSE DID YOU LISTEN TO GROWING UP?   WHO INFLUENCED YOU, THAT YOU CAN HEAR ECHOES OF IN YOUR MUSIC?DJ GOONROCK: I came up like a lot of kids my age on rap music, Ice Cube, a lot of early Beastie Boys, Run DMC.  But I was also a big fan of General Public, English Beat, and Prince too. I’m still influenced to this day by them.

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