Mu$a

Mu$a is a master of aural kung fu. Two full decades behind the decks tend to facilitate that kind of skill level. Fittingly, Bruce Lee is one of his biggest influences. Lee once advised “Be like water making its way through cracks”; Mu$a follows Lee’s counsel to a tee, perpetually filling the specific needs of each dance floor he encounters. Versatility enables him to play everything from hip-hop to dubstep, but also makes him difficult to pigeonhole.

“I exist everywhere; I refuse to specialize. Burning Man feels just as at home to me as a sweaty, all-black hip hop party. That’s been a problem, to a certain degree. Sometimes society or business tries to push you into a box. Right now, I’m a marketer’s nightmare. At the same time, I’m starting to see that flexibility as my greatest strength.”

There’s a good chance it is his greatest, but it’s certainly not his sole strength. Mu$a knows his way around a mixing console too, thanks to NY’s Institute of Audio Research–not to mention a stint in slam poet Saul Williams’ band.

“I went from cleaning studio toilets to being on first-class planes to Paris. For two years, we toured–Europe, The Chris Rock Show, all types of crazy sh!+. Then we recorded Amethyst Rock Star. After that, [producer] Rick Rubin flew me to LA, ’cause I had notes on everything. I really understood how cerebral and detailed you have to be.”

“I’ve been blessed to have an amazing experience outside of here. I’m gonna use my resources, my little pseudo-celebrity to push this scene and this city because I love this place but, more importantly, I don’t want to spend my life searching. I want to be the one who brings it here.”

Mu$a will amuse dancing shoes tonight at Gallery 22 (821 22nd Street) with uber-special guest Grand Wizard Theodore.