(as told to Soyla)

by Mark Blake “The Snake”

Born in NYC
Raised in The BX
Moved to Long Island where I started DJing in 1975 at house parties and “Battle of the DJ’s” at local VFW’s with my original DJ crew “The Madhatters”.

I then moved on to College parties at Old Westbury, C.W. Post, and NCC before landing a gig at the Native New Yorker in Hempstead.

In 1979, I moved to DC and for the next 1-1/2 years I played in clubs and learned to mix what we called “Club Music”

Here comes the 80’s…and back to the Native New Yorker. Then in 1981, I took a leap and opened my own club, “The Clubhouse” 599 Jerusalem Avenue. (Home of Top Secret) which gave me total music freedom and a passion for my craft.

By 1985 I stopped playing music altogether, moved to DC in 87’ where I started my family in 88’. For the next decade, nada…nothing, no djing until 1996, when I bought some turntables and started doing “recovery parties” (as a result of my earlier “Party” days) and small clubs around the DC area.

By the early 2000’s I was back doing private parties in NY, then paid parties, then Clubs, then park events.

From Smith Street Park Reunions est. 2011, to House at The Park LI est. 2013, that led me here to The Rockaway Beach House Music Festival. Providing a community service of “music harmony” for my fellow Househeads.

From The Bronx to Hempstead to Virginia to Georgia to Nicaragua to Tanzania to Mexico to Grenada to Jamaica to Brazil.

From that very skinny, introverted kid, DJing in the crowd from a safe distance, to the vegan “Veggieman” wellness coach, I am ready for the next chapter of my musical journey and open to where ever that road may take me.