SMIRNOFF’s Master of the Mix Episode 10: ‘The Master of Your Mix’ [3 Way DJ Showdown]

Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s that moment you have all been waiting for: the final episode of SMIRNOFF’s Master of the Mix. With 3 contestants remaining in the competition, only one DJ can emerge on top with the $250,000 prize and the glory of being dubbed ‘Master of the Mix’.

It started with thousands of DJ’s across the country but tonight, only 3 remain. We have: “The Battle Champion” aka DJ Chris Karns, “The International Party Rocker” aka DJ Jayceeoh, and finally “The Breakout Star” aka DJ Incrediboi. Throughout the extent of the program, these disc jockeys have proven time and time again that they deserve to be in the final round.

The stage had been set for the final challenge titled The Master of Your Mix. Each contestant was given 10 hours to craft their very own “perfect show” with the ability to pick and choose their set-list, lighting schematics, and set design. The DJ’s were also granted the opportunity to use other instruments outside of their turn tables as a way to win over the crowd’s support. With the help of a few professional art, lighting, and plasma directors, the remaining participants were asked to put on the show of a lifetime.

While creating their set-lists, each DJ left the studio intermittently to meet with the set designers. It was at this moment when the viewer was granted a real glimpse into how experienced each DJ was in putting on their own unique concert. It seemed that Jayceeoh and Chris Karns knew exactly what to do in this situation, mapping out the set design to flow perfectly with the tone and style of the songs they had chosen. The least experienced of the three however, Incrediboi, had chosen to take a minimalist approach to his set. He had claimed the show wasn’t about the bells and whistles that come along with putting on a concert, but that it was just about the music. Would this prove to be a fatal error for DJ Incrediboi? Well, you are about to find out…

To kick of the night’s festivities, one of the show’s judges, DJ Kid Capri, played a live set to show how it should be done. However, in this blogger’s opinion, all three contestants out-shined the experienced DJ and put on one hell of a show.

Chris Karns was the first DJ to thrown down. He opened his set with one of our favorite dubstep anthems ‘Bass Cannon’ by Flux Pavilion. He proceeded to win over the crowd’s support with aptly chosen songs and flawless transitions between genres. A true highlight of his set had to be when he whipped out his drum machine and replicated his very own version of ‘Bulls on Parade’ by Rage Against the Machine. It gave us goosebumps.

Next to the stage was DJ Incrediboi. This latin-vibed, angler of the LP had one of the most unique set-lists of the night. Touching on every genre possible, Incrediboi dropped jams that even the judges had never heard before. Personally, we loved his use of ‘Dont You Worry Child’ by production masterminds Swedish House Mafia. Unfortunately, his decision to forgo the help of the set designers came back to haunt him. The crowd and the judges themselves were quite aware of this. They were rather upset with his decision to take a minimalist approach.

After an intermission that included a set from another one of the show’s judges, DJ Mia Moretti, DJ Jayceeoh was ready to take the stage. This man certainly knows how to put on a show, and he took full advantage of the opportunity to craft his own set. In our opinion, this was the best set of the three. He kept the Flux Pavilion theme going with his incredible use of the song ‘I Can’t Stop’. It was nice to see the DJ’s relying heavily on EDM to get the crowd going. His two handed scratches, song selection, live looping, live sampling and even his smack talking won over the judges support.

After it was all said and done, the judges decided that DJ Jayceeoh had put on the best set. He was now crowned with the title of SMIRNOFF’s Master of the Mix! His prize package included $250,000 in cash, a 1 year contract as Smirnoff’s official DJ, a customized “Pimp My Turntables”, a Rane 62 mixer, and a feature role on the forthcoming album from Just Blaze. It has been a wild ride this year on Smirnoff’s Master of the Mix and we had a fantastic time watching the show and supporting all the DJ’s. Although we were sad to see our girl Tina T go so early, we were truly happy to see a winner that was worthy of his prize.

Congratulations to DJ Jayceeoh. You killed it brother.

SMIRNOFF’s Master Of The Mix Episode 7: ‘Invent Or Get Sent’ – A Final Farewell To Our Girl Tina T [EDM]

In a rather controversial decision, Tina T was given a second chance at life during last night’s episode of SMIRNOFF’s Master of the Mix. According to host Amanda Seales, the judges had an extremely difficult time last week deciding which pair of DJ’s would get the boot. They believe that their final consensus was unfair to Tina because Brian Dawe was actually the one who lost the challenge for the pair. The judges felt as if Tina T was not given a true opportunity to contribute to the group because she was not scratching or spinning on the turn tables herself.

Our favorite female DJ from L.A. was back on the scene, much to the chagrin of the remaining contestants. Since only 6 participants can move onto the elimination challenge, Tina T was forced to battle a fellow combatant for a chance to remain in the mix. Our girl Tina set her sights on DJ Fly Guy. The challenge: each contestant was given 90 seconds to “beat juggle” and scratch the same 5 songs.

Unfortunately Tina T’s second coming was in vain. The judge for this mini competition, Ben Maddahi, said that Tina lost points due to the fact that she only used 1 of the 5 songs available during the ninety seconds. DJ Fly Guy did manage to use all 5 songs however, his set was a lot more sloppy than Tina’s. In the end, our girl Tina T was sent home permanently and eliminated from SMIRNOFF’s Master of the Mix.

The remaining participants were now set to dive head first into the elimination challenge for the evening, titled ‘Invent Or Get Sent.’ The goal of the competition was to show the judges how inventive each DJ could be with the turn tables, using any and all possible DJ tools. This could come in the form of using Serato cue points to make a new piece of music, scratch drumming, or other inventive DJ tricks. When it all boiled down, the judges wanted to see who could truly transform their turn tables into a live instrument.

The judges indeed had a fun time with this last elimination challenge. They were smiling, standing and dancing during many of the sets. One DJ that did not make them groove however, was DJ Fly Guy, the least experienced in turntablism and cue point techniques. He, much like our girl Tina T, was forced to leave the competition this week due to elimination.

Both Chris Karns and DJ Dynamix shined during this weeks set. We here at Rager nearly jumped out of our seats when DJ Dynamix dropped one of our favorite EDM jams, ‘Rattle’, by the Bingo Players. With each DJ in the mix stepping up their game, we are excited to see the remainder of these turn table showdowns.

Tune in next Monday at 12:00 AM EST on VH1 for the next episode.

Smirnoff’s Master of the Mix: Episode 5 Recap, And The DJ That Stole Our Hearts

Welcome to America’s premier DJ challenge.

SMIRNOFF’s Master of the Mix is where the turntable’s top dogs compete for a grand prize of $250,000. And in case you miss an episode, Rager Onions will have an exclusive spin every Tuesday…for the rest of the season. From harnessing hip-hop to telling their life story through music, this season of SMIRNOFF’s Master of the Mix has been nothing short of a melodic rush.

In last night’s episode, guest judge DJ Irie took the contestants on a deep-roots tour of the show’s host city, Miami. Along with the routine judges, Kid Capri, DJ Mia Moretti, and Ben Maddahi, DJ Irie encouraged the contestants to incorporate what they learned as the inspiration for their three-minute set. And with just nine DJ’s remaining, the competition was bound to get heated in episode five. Chicago’s very own DJ Dimepiece was scratched from the pool, and now only eight DJ’s remain. Because 9 – 1 = 8.

Who are we rooting for?

The only babe that’s left, of course.

Born and raised in Seattle, DJ Tina T was voted Las Vegas’ best female DJ in 2010, 2011, 2012. She’s currently locking down her Friday night residency at one of Las Vegas’ premier clubs, Marquee Nightclub.

“I started playing the violin in 5th grade. After discovering turntables in high school, I was captivated by the art and started practicing every day. When I went to college, I decided to quit the violin and spend all of my practice time on the turntables.”

Her versatile taste and open format style brings pure mayhem to any crowd she spins for – mixing together top-40, hip hop, 80’s rock, and electro. When I talked to her last week, she told me that she never goes in with a hard plan. Like all naturally gifted spin-masters, DJ Tina T can read the energy of a crowd. And that’s a pretty clutch skill to have when your success depends on the mood of your audience.

“I don’t like to be predictable. I consider every crowd a new puzzle to figure out and as an open format DJ, I will go in several different directions throughout the night. I like to take people on a journey through different styles and eras of music. My versatility, diverse music selection and turntabelist background make my style unique.”

Here’s a little more insight into the life of the rockstar herself.

Artists/DJs you look up to: DJ Craze, Cut Chemist, DJ AM, DJ Riz, Q Bert, Mix Master Mike, DJ Vice.
Who are your favorite artists to spin: Mostly artists who make club bangers, dance tracks, people like: Lil Jon, Rihanna, Pit Bull, Britney Spears, Too $hort, LMFAO and EDM producers like: DJ Chuckie, Skrillex, Calvin Harris, Afrojack, Jump Smokers.
Favorite Smirnoff cocktail: Lemon Smirnoff and soda water
If I won: I would continue to tour the world doing what I love, and give back to the community that has allowed me to get where I am today.What will you do when you’re done deejaying? I can’t imagine myself ever being completely done DJing. It’s in my blood! I do hope to have kids and start a family one day, but I will always be involved in DJing one way or another. 

Smirnoff’s Master of the Mix airs every Monday at 12am EST on Vh1, and you can listen to all of the sets from last night’s episode right here.

As a little bonus, here’s a recent mix from Rager Onions’ favorite Master of the Mix: DJ Tina T.