If you follow history, you know The Teamsters is a very strong labor union founded in the United States by the well known and respected Jimmy Hoffa. The labor of the Teamsters was hard work and grind, even though the labor union was criticized many times and faced tough struggles, Hoffa kept them close. When you think of a brotherhood the Teamsters defined it at all cost no matter who tried to get in their way.

In the presence of hip-hop you now have an upcoming DJ crew making a presence in the industry and definitely shows a unity just like the original labor union keep together by Hoffa. DJ Paperz one of the original founders of the Teamsterz along with his cousin DJ Shizz is here to show you that the takeover is next.
 
The Teamsterz already have a good number of DJ’s from the east coast all the way to the south. Recently Sixshot.com has featured DJ E-Sudd one of the members from North Carolina, but now we give you DJ Paperz side of the story and where he is coming from.

Hailing from New Jersey, DJ Paperz is in no doubt a party rocker and knows how to shut the club down. On the mixtape of side things he is also building a brand with his new Tales of a Hustler se ries featuring showdowns with the game’s hottest artists. Now if you want to get down with the Teamsterz, Paperz will tell you what they looking for so make sure you can bring something to the team. 

DJ Paperz not too long ago I interviewed one of your boys from the Teamsterz, DJ E-Sudd, in which he told me how he became a member of the Teamsterz. By you and your cousin DJ Shizz being the original founders of the Teamsterz how did it all began from a starting standpoint?
 
In the beginning we was just a squad of DJ’s throwing parties every night and we all came together one day when we was all out eating dinner. We was thinking of a name for the squad so we came up with Teamsterz and it was real tight. Basically everybody knew us, because we stuck together and it was crazy.
 
Before ya’ll finally decided that night that ya’ll was going to be called the Teamsterz how many other names did ya’ll come up with before the final decision?
 
We had a couple names as everybody was putting their input, but my cousin Shizz came up with Teamsterz and just ran with it.
 
So for the people out there tell them what the Teamsterz stand for?
 
Teamsterz is basically sticking together, you got me from Jersey, Shizz and Greg Nitty from Philly, E-Sudd who is definitely holding it down in the south. Were all miles away from each other, but we finding ways to keep it together and rep the squad.
 
Say it’s an upcoming DJ who is looking for a DJ crew to be a part of and the Teamsterz was something of his/her interest how could they get down with ya’ll, also what do ya’ll look for?
 
We got DJ’s that hit us up all the time on MySpace. Basically you just gotta put in that work, put in that time, and your resume gotta be good. It ain’t like no fraternity or nothing, but you gotta know what you doing. You gotta spin, do mixtapes, you got to contribute to what we doing. Everybody with us is DJing in a club, either at a radio station, everybody is doing mixtapes, everybody in our crew is about something. DJ’s that’s tryna get on just show us that you willing to work. It’s nothing too hard and nothing fancy.

Besides the talk on the Teamsterz, let’s get into your early DJ career. Did your cousin DJ Shizz have an influence on you becoming a DJ?
 
Yeah he had a real influence on me. Shizz used to just go in the basement and just mess with the turntables. That’s how he got started and that’s my cousin so I was around him all the time, but I really wasn’t interested at first. When I started going out to the clubs seeing what he was doing and the exposure he was getting when I got to college I realized what I can do. Soon as I got to college it was on and popping and that was the start of DJ Paperz.
 
So how did you come up with the name DJ Paperz what’s the history behind that?
 
It’s funny, it’s real funny. I was in high school and I was always into music and my man Reno Nevada was rapping who I went to high school with.  He was writing a track and they wanted me to do the hook so I was like “Alright I’ll do the hook”, but I was like “What’s gonna be my rap name”? We was just sitting there thinking, thinking, thinking, so my man said “Paperz”. I was like “Paperz? I’m only doing the hook so whatever. It was like senior year in high school so when I got to college and started DJing I was like “What’s gonna be my DJ name”? First I came up with DJ Jersey Dre [laughs], I wasn’t feeling that too much so I just brought out that Paperz and it definitely stuck in people’s heads. It’s Paperz all day and that’s how it is.
 
From the time you started DJing until about now how you feel about the technology of DJing has evolved from Vinyl to Serato’s and all that other crazy stuff ya’ll be dealing with?
 
[Laughs], It has evolved a lot I remember when I first started carrying crates. It wasn’t no Serato out yet, but I think it has helped a lot and is more convenient now. Then again it’s making it a little too easy you know. It’s definitely more convenient you don’t have to carry 8, 9, crates to the club you just gotta pack up your book bag, your laptop, and your hard drive. It definitely evolved a lot and I really appreciate it, but you can’t be too easy with it.
 
I talk to a lot of DJ’s and a lot of them come in different categories. You got club DJ’s, turn tablelist, mixtape DJ’s, so how would you describe yourself?
 
I would say I’m a little bit of all three. As a club DJ I can definitely shut the club down and shout out to North Carolina A&T, Philly, I can definitely shut the club down. As far as turntables that’s a part where you know it takes practice. Being an upcoming DJ you have to practice a lot, but I definitely see myself as a turntablelist. Mixtape DJ man I don’t know what it is, but I get calls everyday for mixtapes. Mixtapes is definitely another aspect of DJing, but I like rocking the club man [laughs]. I would say I’m the most requested party rocker on the east coast. You gotta have all three to be the best.
 
Being a DJ some of the skills that’s required and scratching and blending. So with that being said are those two things really hard to do?
 
Yeah definitely [laughs]. A lot of people think DJing is easy they be like “I can do that”, you just can’t jump on the turntables one day and be nice it definitely takes practice. Scratching is definitely hard, you can throw a whole party without scratching that’s what I learned. Shout out to DJ Doc B of Power 99 (Philly radio station) [laughs], he be doing whole parties without scratching. Blending and scratching is hard you just have to practice. 

 
Today I was on the radio talking to a couple DJ’s and we had a discussion on how artists should approach them when it comes to playing their music. If an independent artist wants DJ Paperz to play their music in a club or whatever how should they approach because some are just clueless?
 
I would say approach a DJ in a respectable manner don’t approach me 1 o’clock in the morning and the club is over at 2. Show that you care by being there early and being consistent. You have to be persistent about it it’s just like finding a job, you get the number, you call, and you got an interview. Definitely be respectable about it, because DJ’s make what these new artists are.
 
But I know it has to be crazy when they filling up your inbox with a bunch of wack music. Is it really that much of a headache?
 
[Laughs], yeah it really is. I get emails everyday for music and it’s hard. It’s hard to sit there and listen to everything. If you see somebody being persistent that’s hitting you up you don’t have no choice, but to check they track out. You can’t listen to everybody song, but if you see somebody that’s hitting you up constantly you gonna take your time and listen to it. We get so many songs everyday.

I know it has to be crazy, coming from a journalist perspective I get so many requests for interviews so I know it has to be crazy for you on the music tip!
 
Oh yeah I mean you just gotta deal with people that want to take that extra step.
 
Your from New Jersey, and Jersey has a pretty solid hip-hop scene with Redman, Joe Budden, Ransom. Is there anybody else in the state you feeling as a DJ that you feel is about to make some moves?
 
It’s a lot of underground people out here that’s nice. Shout out to my man Ak Millz that’s nice he’s getting ready to drop a mixtape. A lot of Jersey artists been hitting me up but I’ve been dealing with a lot of Philly artists lately. I gotta say my man Renz Steel, Big C, Jay O, Stizzy Raw they definitely been putting in work. I love Jersey and shout-out to all the artist and DJ’s doing they thing, but me personally I just been dealing with a lot of Philly artist. Shout out to Renz Steel, Doughboy, and Brasco.
 
Let’s talk about the mixtapes what you have coming out next?
 
Oh yeah I did the Tales of a Hustler out now with Cassidy V.S. Lil Wayne. Now I got Tales of a Hustler 2 and that’s Young Jeezy V.S. Rick Ross. That’s definitely a hot mixtape so check out for that. Me and DJ E-Sudd we doing Teamsterz radio Vol. 1 and that’s definitely gonna be hot. I got a lot of stuff in the making man. I want to see what’s up with that Trel Mack and DJ Paperz mixtape coming out. I want to definitely see what’s good with that and get it popping. The Teamsterz is a family and we definitely look out for each other. We gonna kill the mixtape game and the club scene we got it on lock man.
 
So basically it’s from one step to the next?
 
One step at a time man, it’s definitely one step at a time.
 
DJ Paperz appreciate the love for Sixshot.com, shout out to you and the rest of the Teamsterz crew. Throw out that myspace, give your shout-outs, and how fans can reach you.
 
You already know it’s DJ Paperz Jersey’s Finest, Teamsterz Music Group, and catch me on www.myspace.com/djpaperz. Shout out to DJ Shizz, DJ Casper, DJ Greg Nitty, DJ E-Sudd, my man G-Nice the writers of all writers. Holla at me it’s a wrap baby.

This interview was written and conducted by Quinton Hatfield for Sixshot.com.