The Road Less Travelled

Dubai-based beats ‘vagabond’ Zajazza on his new album.

- Stu Todd

Turntablist Zajazza has plenty to smile about this week with the release of Vagabond Road, his collaborative album with MC Illspokinn. It’s been a long time coming and will be backed by a European tour. But before the affable Frenchman hits the road, we asked him for the full skinny…

How did you and MC Illspokinn meet?

We first met in 2008 in New York. Illspokinn had – and still has – a party called Freestyle Monday, in a spot called Sin Sin. It hosts one of the most challenging and entertaining rap battles in the city, the Freestyle Gameshow Competition. I was there every single Monday at the bar listening to the best New York MCs going against each other. Then I gave a couple of beat tapes to the artists I liked and this is how I made my first collaborations in New York.

Are you both based in Dubai now?

Illspokinn is based in Brooklyn. He’s active in New York as an MC and as a DJ; he recently DJed at the Superbowl.

I’m living here. I came from France to Dubai for a new challenge in order to develop new music projects, like producing tracks and participating in DJ battles – I won the Pioneer Middle East DJ Championship in 2014 – DJing in some clubs and at events, and finally to teach DJs on turntables.

I travel a lot from here for touring or recording sessions. I was recently in New York to finish the last details on the album. Illspokinn and I are constantly in touch through the internet, and we meet regularly in New York, Europe or Dubai to work on our musical projects and to perform.

Tell us about your musical background?