Photos By Harry P.

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For those who joined us to celebrate Maxamus Entertainment’s Official “Starting From Scratch” Birthday Soiree at the Solarium inside the Sound Academy, well allyah real good yah know ... cause it was soooh COOOOOOLD no rarse!! It was crazy. But one thing though, with the diversity of Canadian Caribbean plus folks living here now .... when you are here long enough, yuh “does” conform ... and if de fete sweet enough... “all ah allyah does reach” ... and if again, for a special someone. And that someone special and sweet for days is our own Canadian born & bread Montrealer, Mark G aka DJ Starting from Scratch.

Scratch is a very familiar name to Canadian and American music lovers. He’s been entertaining the crowds & moving the masses of the party & club goers alike. Scratch, perhaps known best for his top-rated mix show on Flow93.5, is also a perennial nominee and multiple winner of Can Club DJ/Year, and has been featured in Source magazine as one of the most influential urban music icons in Canada. Vibe’s 100 influential in the music industry. Canada’s favourite #1 party DJ received a Lifetime achievement award from the Toronto Record Industry but we all know his work’s not even close to being done. Because Scratch is one of the, if not the most sought after deejays in the industry to date ... and he’s only just beginning the journey of a DJ’s lifetime.

So on Saturday November 8th 2008 at 2.7degrees temperature that night, TJJ TV dropped by the Solarium (ice) block... (steups.. I must be kill some priest to come out meh house in this weather like a blasted Eskimo). I digressed for a sec ... Pardon me ... so, Taj & Ian secured the city’s movers & the shakers on their guest list. Alongside all the prettiest (some almost naked in a sexy kind of away) ladies of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) who arrived dressed to the nines and in full effect (from the exit flow of the Guvernment Kool Haus’s, Usher’s exclusively for the ladies only evening event, no doubt). That is where most witnessed Scratch performing as the Official DJ for Usher’s One Night Stand tour for the month of November. These gentlewomen were freezing in their fashionably short coats & high high heels and were now catching up with their gentlemen to finish their night. With the dudes all dappered up themselves, wondering if Usher singled out and serenaded to their girl that night. If any digits were fleetingly possibly exchanged in the moment ... ah men, can’t live with them can’t ...... multiple answers here. So that night we saw the who’s who of the music & the party social club & events industry, coming together to celebrate & congratulate the man of the hour, the man of the year, the man of the DJ decade, our pal, Starting from Scratch.

You know, Toronto really is a pretty town when its peoples turn out in full party mode.

Now with the roster we have here in Canada, especially in Toronto of Top DJ talent, word on the street then later confirmed is as it is. Video director (Hype William’s protégée) Lil X of Trinidadian descent (Faddah Trini, Muddah Swiss, take it from me .... apple doh fall far from dat family tree) got hitched in Toronto. Now we all remember Usher’s Grammy award winning video “Oh Yeah” shot by X. Well they’ve been tighter than tight ever since. So Usher attended Lil X’s wedding where Scratch was playing. Usher liked ... no ... loved what he heard and immediately approached Scratch for a tour date with him ... and the rest as we say .... is HIS-STORY ... Scratch’s!

Kid Kut & RG MC'd the night as Jester, D’Bandit, Payce, Spex & Little Thunder all welcomed Scratch to his extra special birthday night, greeting him from their turntables. What a nice birthday present for my brother from another mother, who came crawling up the stairwell tired and fully birthday juiced up, fresh off his Usher tour gig from the Kool Haus. Because Scratch and I, we go way back. We can start from “scratch” by saying that, in the beginning, with what we know as his own home grown success story ..... even back to the EC (Electric Circus, Much Music) days when Scratch would hit that little dance show I hosted, spinning the biggest tunes that rocked the EC dance floor, for our viewing masses and for those who wanted to catch my boy up close & personal for that special televised episode featuring Scratch in his zone. How proud are we and how proud is TORONTO/Canada and are the Caribbean Canucks who adopted this pseudo island brother, who led the most happening Caribana parties & calypso fan based frenzies to the Toronto Island for years. Last time I caught up with Scratch he was doing damage on Trinidad’s only NBA player, who has been moonlighting as a Caribana/Carnival Band leader, Jamaal Magloire‘s all white snazzy Caribana boat cruise this summer with Roy Cape All Stars in tow.

DJ Starting from Scratch’s AMPLE ACHIEVEMENTS, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, and ACCOLADES & AWARDS as CANADA’s #1 DJ continues to this day. I know there must be a shrine of sorts at home with all he’s gotten so far, as this mix show magician, who has been pleasing club crowds and creating music mayhem across the country & doing it like no other, for about 15 years, proving that he has to be the most passionate turntablist around. SCRATCH brings this same vibe to the people overseas from Greece, Antigua, Grenada, Barbados, Cancun, Acapulco, Germany, Cuba, St.Kitts & much, much more. Facing attitudes & images & working in the studio with the star powers in the music game from John Legend to Ginuwine, Beenie Man to Doug E Fresh from Fat Joe to the Fugees and the list goes on ... it’s been a long journey, cause these days up & coming DJs can only sometimes dream of getting that distinguished spot on the decks in the hottest clubs in any town.

STARTING FROM SCRATCH has the reputation of finding the best new music, bringing it to the people, pleasing the crowds, filling the dance floors & is constantly in demand ... if only we could clone this guy!!!

Happy Birthday Mark .... You Da Man!!!

We now await your arrival to grace some of the turntables of the twin REPUBLIC of TRINIDAD & TOBAGO & the rest of the CARIBBEAN.

-- Nadine for the TJJ fam