drew g. montalvo
drew g. montalvo
DJ Drew G was destined to spin. His father once tried his hand at being a DJ before putting the hobby aside and his mother enjoyed frequenting Studio 54 and Paradise Garage. It’s safe to say, Drew G literally had the beat in his blood.
Playing an astounding 10 instruments, Drew’s musical ability was first recognized while rocking out on guitar in various death metal bands during his adolescence. By the time he turned 18, he had already released five albums and had produced several others for local bands.
As the last millennium came to a close, Drew's attention became focused on the New York City House scene. He began to record and mix house tracks that showcased his admirable guitar work and continued recording, playing and admiring the DJ masters before deciding to embark on the City's club scene.
Drew first cut his teeth spinning a combo of Disco, Hip-Hop and Rock music at his first New York City gig, Friday Nights at Stonewall. He was also the resident at Gypsy Tea After-Hours on Saturday nights, which helped him hone his craft to become equally comfortable spinning peak hour high energy/circuit and deep dark hard tribal sounds
It didn't take long for Drew to go directly to the top, to Roxy to hear Peter Rauhofer spin. Thanks to his trademark "Can Do" attitude, Drew was first offered an internship at Rauhofer's imprint, Star 69, and within months, became the retail marketing rep for the label.
If you ask any of his fans, Drew's sound really defies any sort of label. Classically trained in classical composition and big band arrangement, his ear is honed beyond the beats. His sound is a cornucopia of current chart-topping hits, classics, rare imports and several of his own unreleased mixes. And, like any good DJ, it all depends on the energy in the room and the vibe of the crowd.
Drew is right on the cutting edge and is intensely aware of where the industry is headed. Because of this, Drew has accepted residencies at everywhere from posh nightlife venues as New York’s G and HK Lounge to testosterone-filled dive bars like GYM Sportsbar and The Eagle. To boot, he is also the youngest DJ to ever play the famed Black Party and The Roxy, and has thrown major parties on Fire Island, as well as around New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Miami.
The popular session guitarist and nightlife promoter recently even parlayed his vast experience in the industry into forming Montalvo Marketing & Media, his own marketing company that manages several major liquor brands, and started his own studio out of his current home of Brooklyn, N. Y.
As his prominence in the entertainment and nightlife industries only grows by leaps and bounds, the Long Island, N. Y., native has gone on to work with such mega music stars as Ashanti, for who he crafted two official hit remixes for, as well as remixing the likes of Whitney Houston, David Archuletta, Britney Spears, P!nk, Mario Vasquez, Deborah Cox, Chaka Khan, Mary J. Blige, Good Charlotte, NBC news anchor Sue Simmons, Brian Kent, drag diva Peppermint Gummybear, and even Kermit the Frog (all jokes aside).
One may ask where DJ Drew G will go after this. The only answer is up.
Drew has recently been privileged enough to be chosen from a long list of DJs to spin at the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Dance for Barack Obama.
The one & only : dj / producer