On your own terms

RIP the Chemo Kid:
A sad note: The Sacramento region lost one of its most inspirational emcees this past week. Giovanni Goodman, a.k.a. the Chemo Kid, passed away at the age of 26 after more than five years of battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The Vacaville rapper was diagnosed with the disease just days before his 21st birthday and given a slim chance of survival, but he used his lyrics to channel his fear, anger and pain into a beacon of inspiration for those that are suffering (I wrote a story about the Chemo Kid a couple of years back, “The Chemo Kid”; SN&R Arts&Culture; December 4, 2008). Goodman opted to spend his last weeks with his family, living life the way he always has: on his own terms. (Derek Nielsen)

His name is DJ Wanted:
I was introduced to DJ Wanted for the first time a couple of months ago. There was a language barrier, given that he is from Gifu, Japan, and I am only fluent in California slang. When we met, a drunk was yelling at him about Japanese whaling practices while the deejay was trying to pack up his equipment up. In a diplomatic effort, I struck up a conversation, hoping to show that Americans weren’t all just Pabst-powered racist whale-huggers. After a few rounds of difficult back and forth, Wanted pulled out a camera and asked if I just wanted to see some of his DMC footage.

DMC is the acronym for Disco Mixing Championships, which is the premier deejay competition in the world of hip-hop. This, explained DJ Wanted, whose real name is Sinya Fukuta, is his destiny. So what is he doing in Sacramento?

Wanted explained that he moved here this past summer to further his DMC quest. When asked, “But really, why Sacramento?” Wanted responded, “I want to create something like you guys are doing. You guys have a lot to teach about this music and culture. I don’t like the Japanese deejay style.”

Wanted, who has been in the deejay game since 2005, left the ranks of Japan’s top nightclub deejays to pursue DMC fame for the first time in Tokai in 2007. He competed again in 2009 and 2010, advancing to the Kansai regionals this past year.

“Losing in the game has been good for me in a lot of ways,” Wanted reflected on his three DMC missions thus far. It is this dedication and motivation that compels him to practice deejaying five to 10 hours a day in his Sacramento home, working alongside locals Kodak Visualz, DJ Rated R and DJ Admant.

A regular at events like Fight Club (often held at UnitedState boutique in Midtown) and Skratchpad (at Sol Collective), Wanted said, “There’s great turntablism out here. And I’m here training, so it’s great surroundings.”

The ever-vigilant veteran may not speak perfect English, but has managed to introduce himself to the city with his hands, quickly his way to sharing stages with headliners such as Murs and Z-Man while preparing for this summer’s 2011 DMCs, where he will undoubtedly be representing his hometown of Gifu—but will also be repping a piece of Sacramento hip-hop.

DJ Wanted performs with DJ Rated R, DJ Nocturnal, DJ Mr. Vibe and Kwes the Bess this Thursday, January 6, at Skratchpad, a turntablist and deejay night every first Thursday of the month at Sol Collective, 2574 21st Street; all ages; no cover. (Andrew Bell)