View source for DJ Cheese

{{short description|American DJ and record producer}}
{{use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{use mdy|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = DJ Cheese
| image             = 
| caption           = DJ Cheese at 1986 DMC World Finals
| image_size        = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels -->
| birth_name        = Robert Cheese
| birth_date        = 
| birth_place       = [[Oak Hill, West Virginia]], U.S.
| alias             = 
| instrument        = [[Turntablism|Turntable]], [[Sampler (musical instrument)|Sampler]]
| genre             = [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]
| occupation        = [[DJ]], [[record producer]]
| years_active      = 
| label             = 
| associated_acts   = 
| website           = 
}}
'''DJ Cheese''' (born '''Robert Cheese''') is an American disc jockey and record producer who won the 1986 [[DMC World DJ Championships|DMC World]] Final in [[London]], showcasing the art of [[scratching]] in [[turntablism]] for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|title=World DJ Championships History |url=http://www.dmcdjchamps.com/history.asp |work=www.dmcdjchamps.com |publisher=[[Disco Mix Club]] |accessdate=February 14, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110212053952/http://www.dmcdjchamps.com/history.asp |archivedate=February 12, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-10-26|title=DJ Cheese|url=http://www.dmcworld.net/uncategorized/dj-cheese/|access-date=2022-02-08|website=DMC World Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref> He also appeared in the 1986 [[United Kingdom|UK]] tour with [[Run-DMC]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=DJ Cheese|url=https://waxpoeticsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/59758737896/kenyatta-dj-cheese-born-plainfield-new/amp|access-date=2022-02-08|website=Wax Poetics}}</ref> 

==Early life==
Cheese was born in [[Oak Hill, West Virginia]]. He was raised in [[Edison, New Jersey]] and later moved to [[Plainfield, New Jersey|Plainfield]] in 1977. In 1980, he was influenced by [[Grandmaster Flash]] and began developing an interest in [[hip hop music|hip hop]]. At this point, he began purchasing DJ equipment.<ref>{{cite web|author=JayQuan|title=King Kut – The Adventures Of Robert DJ Cheese|url=http://thafoundation.com/cheese.html|work=thafoundation.com|accessdate=February 14, 2011}}</ref>

==Career==
{{Update section|date=July 2023}}
In 1984, DJ Cheese won the DJ Battle for World Supremacy at the [[New Music Seminar]], becoming the first non-NYC DJ to win the title.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rocque|first=Starr Rhett|date=2020-09-16|title=The Story of New York Rap Can't Be Told Without New Jersey|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/new-jersey-rap-guide.html|access-date=2022-02-09|website=Vulture|language=en-us}}</ref> At the seminar, Cheese met and joined [[Tony Prince]] in competition, and was later invited by Prince to appear in the inaugural DMC DJ World Championship. Cheese's portion of the competition incorporated [[scratching]], which initiated a different approach to deejay battling.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-19|title=Master Of The Dmc- Tony Prince Talks|url=https://www.theransomnote.com/music/interviews/master-of-the-dmc-tony-prince-talks/|access-date=2022-02-09|website=Ransom Note|language=en}}</ref>

From 1985-1986, under the label [[Profile Records]], Cheese released two [[Phonograph record|vinyl]] 12" singles with the group Word Of Mouth entitled ''Coast to Coast''<ref>{{Citation|title=Word Of Mouth Featuring DJ Cheese - Coast To Coast|date=1986 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/828861-Word-Of-Mouth-2-Featuring-DJ-Cheese-Coast-To-Coast|language=en|access-date=2022-02-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Leland |first=John |date=December 1986 |title=Singles - review |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FL-rqqrDxb8C&pg=PA46 |journal=[[Spin (magazine)|SPIN]] |volume=2 |issue=9 |pages=46–7 |via=Google Books}}</ref> and ''King Kut''.<ref>{{Citation|title=Word Of Mouth featuring D.J. Cheese - King Kut|date=1985 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/776040-Word-Of-Mouth-2-featuring-DJ-Cheese-King-Kut|language=en|access-date=2022-02-09}}</ref> ''King Kut'' was used{{by who?|date=May 2025}} in the coming years as a way of "basing songs around how great your deejay is."{{huh?|date=May 2025}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Word of Mouth Featuring DJ Cheese Biography|publisher=OldSchoolHipHop.Com|url=http://www.oldschoolhiphop.com/artists/emcees/wordofmouth.htm|access-date=2022-02-09|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1986, Cheese [[Headliner (performances)|headlined]] the afternoon and evening performances at [[London]]’s "[[United Kingdom|UK]] Fresh ’86" show at the [[Wembley Arena]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=UK Fresh 86 – Old To The New – Ryan Proctor's Beats, Rhymes & Hip-Hop Nostalgia|url=https://oldtothenew.wordpress.com/tag/uk-fresh-86/|access-date=2022-02-09|website=Old To The New - Ryan Proctor's Beats, Rhymes & Hip-Hop Nostalgia|language=en}}</ref> He performed alongside KMC and MC Original G from Word of Mouth.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|author=<!--staff writer-->|date=2018-01-04|title=UK FRESH 19 JULY 1986 – Live from Wembley Arena [FULL/ REMASTERED]|url=https://randomrapradio.com/2018/01/04/uk-fresh-19-july-1986-live-from-wembley-arena-featuring-word-of-mouth-dj-cheese-steady-b-captain-rock-sir-mix-a-lot-dr-jeckyll-mr-hyde-lovebug-starski-with-brucie-b-grandmaster-flash-j/|access-date=2022-02-09|website=RANDOM RAP RADIO|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-12-06|title=Fat Cap magazine: Blast from the past 6; UK Fresh 86|url=https://fatcapmagazine.blogspot.com/2010/12/blast-from-past-uk-fresh-86.html|access-date=2022-02-09|website=Fat Cap magazine}}</ref> Later that year Cheese collaborated with [[Fats Comet]] on the song "Eat The Beat".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fats Comet DJ Cheese - King Of The Beat|website=MusicRW.com|url=https://musicrw.com/5042985-fats-cometdj-cheese-kingofthebeat.html|access-date=2022-02-09}}</ref>

After this, Cheese distanced himself from Word of Mouth due to a financial dispute with Profile Records.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Proctor |first=Ryan |date=24 March 2013 |title=Old To The New Q&A – DJ Cheese (Part One) |url=https://oldtothenew.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/old-to-the-new-qa-dj-cheese-part-one/ |access-date=15 May 2024 |website=Old To The New – Ryan Proctor’s Beats, Rhymes & Hip-Hop Nostalgia}}</ref> Since then, he has spent periods of involvement in music, performing with [[Doug E. Fresh]], [[Slick Rick]], [[Big Daddy Kane]], and [[50 Cent]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Proctor |first=Ryan |date=31 March 2013 |title=Old To The New Q&A – DJ Cheese (Part Two) |url=https://oldtothenew.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/old-to-the-new-qa-dj-cheese-part-two/ |access-date=15 May 2024 |website=Old To The New – Ryan Proctor’s Beats, Rhymes & Hip-Hop Nostalgia}}</ref> In 2013, he reconnected with Word of Mouth to record the single "Life Without Hip Hop".<ref>{{Citation |title=Word Of Mouth Feat: Dj Cheese - "Life Without Hip Hop" |url=https://soundcloud.com/djcheese-muzic-hd/word-of-mouth-feat-dj-cheese |access-date=2024-05-15 |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|http://kingkutdjcheese.com/}}
*{{Discogs artist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheese, DJ}}
[[Category:American hip-hop DJs]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from West Virginia]]
[[Category:Musicians from Edison, New Jersey]]
[[Category:People from Oak Hill, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Musicians from Plainfield, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]


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