Bringing the Beats to the Paris Olympics’ Breaking Competition, DJ Fleg Takes the Art Worldwide.
Until his DJ skills were broadcast worldwide this past August, Stephen Fleg wasn’t much known beyond the U.S.-born culture known as breaking (or, to civilians, breakdancing).
But in that relatively insular world, Fleg had been a longtime somebody, as he’s participated deeply in almost every way – as a B-Boy (i.e., dancer), event promoter, and choice DJ. His profile was raised to a new level a decade ago when he began to spin for the Outbreak 10 and, later, the Red Bull BC One competitions. In fact, he’s spun each Red Bull competition since 2014. Fast-forward from there, and the 2024 Paris Olympics came calling… and with that, a global spotlight was not only for him, but also the culture he loves.
For all breaking competitions, the Olympics included, the DJ’s job is to spin the best tunes available so that the dancers can let loose with their array of intricate moves. Judges evaluate and mark the moves from three categories: toprock (standing moves), downrock (spinning, footwork, drops and transitions) and freeze (a stop in an acrobatic position). Additionally, there are many times when the DJ must create his or her own edits or original music to avoid sticky music-rights issues. Luckily, for The Olympics, the pockets were deeper, so Fleg and his fellow DJ, Plash One, had nearly 400 cleared tunes from which to choose.
As many of you already know, much of the Paris competition gained a degree of infamy due to the inane social-media meme-fest generated by the less-than-sharp performance Australian competitor Rachael Gunn. But for anybody watching the event, which ran Aug. 9-10 at Place de la Concorde, riveting and spectacular efforts were the norm, with Fleg and Plash delivering the classic breakbeats along the way. Although the American breaking culture is more than 50 years old, the competition afforded something new for The Olympics and it took breaking to a new level – plus it made for some terrific television in the dead of summer. And, as always, some busy DJs were keeping the beats flowing.
As soon as the Paris competition concluded, we caught up with the Maryland-born/Brooklyn-based Stephen Fleg, 38, to discuss his Olympic experience, the culture of breaking, and his experiences along the way.
DJ LIFE: Where did you grow up and how did you get interested in music? What were the first musical things that caught your attention and why?
Fleg: I grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore and was always involved with music in as a kid. I played in school jazz bands and orchestras since I was 8. My father is a jazz trumpeter, my grandmother was a concert pianist and my great grandmother was a concert pianist as well. There was music in my house – jazz or hip hop from records, as well as the sound of my brothers practicing scales and tunes on the clarinet or piano. When I got into high school, I started to develop my own taste in music and I went deeper into funk, hip hop and psych rock.
DJ LIFE: In your area, what was the music scene like?
Fleg: In my original area, growing up, there was very little scene for anything. I played music with my high-school bandmates, learned how to break with my buddy Darrem and started to learn how to use a Boss SP-303 sampler in my bedroom. In order to actually experience bigger, more comprehensive scenes, I had to go to Baltimore or D.C. for events. It was during my time living in Baltimore that I really cut my teeth DJing and learned how to play for a crowd.
DJ LIFE: I read that you really began as a B-Boy. Did you have any heroes in that regard?
Fleg: Yes, I had tons of heroes in breaking: Bboy K-Mel, Ken Swift, Remind, Rawbzilla, Ruen, and many others were killing it in the late ’90s early 2000s, and they were some of my favorites. Note: We call it breaking, not breakdancing, as that term was given to us after the boom in the ’80s, but was not ours per se.
DJ LIFE: When did you start going to clubs and parties? What were they like?
Fleg: I first started going to parties in 2004 or so. I didn’t go out that much, but would find myself in the legendary Paradox club in Baltimore. Later, in 2009, I began my own monthly party, 4 Hours of Funk, which lasted for 10 years. The Paradox always hosted different styles of parties – from raves to vogue balls to house-music nights featuring Baltimore’s many legendary house artists like the Basement Boys, Karizma, Crystal Waters, etc. From going out to the clubs and playing with my good friend Graham Hatke at 4 Hours of Funk, I learned about the Baltimore “sound” and that impacted my style to huge degree. Some that sound I had already been aware of, as I often listened to radio mixes on 92 Q and V103 as a kid.
DJ LIFE: So, when did the DJing begin?
Fleg: I first got turntables in 2001 with the sole idea that I would learn how to scratch. I DJed my first breaking jam in 2005, but I didn’t really begin DJing a lot until 2008. I started to play more breaking events locally around 2008 and, in 2009, I played at my party every month.
DJ LIFE: What DJ gear did you learn on? What was your biggest challenge?
Fleg: I learned on Numark TT-1520 turntables, which were not that great to learn on, as the platter wasn’t steady. In 2003, I got my first pair of Technics, which I still use today! Given that I was playing all-vinyl, it was important for me to have a really solid turntable and mixer to properly cut. I had a Vestax PMC-05Pro mixer, which helped me to do scratches better since the crossfader cut better than the Numark mixer I started out on.
DJ LIFE: Your studio work is both artistic and purpose-driven. How long have you been making music?
Fleg: I’ve been seriously producing since 2009, with little attempts at it since 2002. I do a lot of edits and original tracks. For me, there are two modes I have: Making edits/remixes for club/breaking event use and making original tracks that often contain zero samples, but that aim to replicate that “vintage sound.” Those original tracks can be heard in my album True Colors by the East Coast Affair, my band. I wrote, arranged and played on all of those tracks and also had key help from folks like J-Zone, Ivan Khatchoyan, Carrtoonz, Homer Steinweiss, King Los, Sam Koff and many others.
DJ LIFE: What’s your principal gear in the studio you use?
Fleg: My studio gear varies depending on the project. Sometimes I have to outsource to get the type of drum sound I’m looking for, and sometimes I can handle it in-house. I love using upright pianos, Fender Rhodes pianos, Moog synths, Hammond organs, Clavinets and basically any keys used in ’70s recordings. I produce using Logic Pro 9 and 10 with Kali monitors. I pretty much use all stock plug-ins.
DJ LIFE: When and where did you begin to spin breaking competitions?
Fleg: I began spinning breaking competitions consistently in 2009. It started with local events and then it moved to DJing regional and then national events.
DJ LIFE: What special qualities must a DJ have for these kinds of competitions? What must the DJ understand? What prep goes into it?
Fleg: I think that spending a lot of time in our scene and really understanding what moves us is the most important thing! Usually, that involved being a dancer, as most non-dancers can only stand our scene for so much time. As you watch how dancers respond to certain known songs, you can then branch off into finding and introducing tracks that are new, but work for breaking. The prep involves understanding the scene and dancers and doing tons of digging to get the best possible music for the dancers.
DJ LIFE: Tell me about the Red Bull BC One and Outbreak competitions – how do those competitions differ?
Fleg: The Red Bull BC One competitions have been a big part of my DJ career and I’ve been DJing them since 2014. Red Bull has been one of the major sponsors of the breaking scene since the early 2000s and the BC One event is considered one of the biggest, if not the biggest 1v1 competition in our scene. Outbreak, started by the late Mex One, is a different kind of event with its roots in the cypher culture and a pure hip-hop vibe. Outbreak 10 is one of the best jams I’ve ever been to and Mex’s commitment to the culture and to helping absolutely everybody is a legacy that continues to reverberate.
DJ LIFE: How did that event help your profile as a DJ?
Fleg: Outbreak 10 was where I got “noticed,” and it led to me getting flown to Europe for the first time in 2014. In all of these competitions, my job is to DJ and provide the best possible music to the dancers, sometimes with no restrictions and sometimes necessitating the creation of tons of original tracks, as broadcast rights are notoriously tricky.
DJ LIFE: Why do you think breaking became an Olympic competition? To me, it makes for great TV.
Fleg: I think that breaking being an Olympic competition makes sense, as it’s no different than the existing “stage” battles that we have in our scene. The Olympic stage just happens to be quite a bit bigger, with way more reach. I also think it makes great TV. When people get away from the preconceived notions of breaking and just watch it, the talent level is undeniable, and it’s a sight to behold.
DJ LIFE: But the competition won’t be included in the 2028 Olympic games in Los Angeles…
Fleg: We’ve historically had this issue… Without getting too deep, I think that America’s relationship with Black-created art forms has always been fraught with negativity, which might explain why breaking made its debut in Paris, but will not be included in the 2028 LA Olympics. Somehow, as a society, we can’t help belittling this objectively cool-looking dance and the result is a lack of support for our dance, which explains why we’ve maintained a heavy underground presence since the ’80s boom and will likely return there after all of this is said and done.
DJ LIFE: It’s a rare event that puts the DJ front and center on global TV. With that much attention, what was that like for you and DJ Plash working the event? How did you two work together?
Fleg: That was definitely a wild experience, especially since we’re doing cuts and rocking doubles. Even with Serato, there still are a bunch of potential mistakes that can be made and making said mistakes in front of millions watching is a heavy thought. I thought DJ Plash and I did a great job of staying true to the culture stylistically and that we really made the competition feel – in a good way – just like any competition we would play on a local level. We split up the battle duties, which also made it a bit less work. Having only one DJ would have been an incredibly large amount of work and pressure, so I’m glad we were able to split things up.
DJ LIFE: How did you prep for the Olympics? Compared to other competitions, what was different about this event for the DJs?
Fleg: The prep for the Olympics was very involved, as we had a set list of songs, plus our own songs, that we could use, but there was no ability to play songs outside of that list. That meant I had to play my “style,” based on my original tracks and based on my choices within the song list.
DJ LIFE: How do you know what songs you’re going to play for each dancer?
Fleg: When I did my prep, I was looking for two or three songs – depending on the amount of rounds in the battle –that flowed well from one to the next, but I planned them having no idea which dancers I would be playing for. So once again, I just had to pick the songs, the transitions, etc., that would be good for any dancer. This is where knowing not just to play a classic, but knowing how to play a classic is important. Some songs can be played through from the beginning, some are only played for the drum break, just depends on the track.
DJ LIFE: How was the music chosen for the competition? What was that licensing process? I read that you ended up with a list of nearly 400 tunes…
Fleg: The music was chosen by DJ One Up, who was a part of the organizing committee in Paris. He and those he worked with know about the exact licensing process, but I had no part in that side of things. He selected a list of many tracks that were/are classics in the scene, as well as some deeper cuts as well.
DJ LIFE: What is your DJ-gear setup at the Olympics?
Fleg: The DJ setup was Serato DJ Pro software, two Technics SL-1200 turntables, and a Pioneer DJ DJM-S11 mixer.
DJ LIFE: Did you have any hairy moments or did things mostly go smoothly?
Fleg: I actually did have a hairy moment, as did the other DJ, Plash. Sometimes the needle doesn’t work properly on the Serato record if too much dust builds up, which can cause the track to warble and possibly even completely cut off. Luckily, he saved it and all was good for the battle, but these types of issues are very serious when you’re DJing for millions! I also had a crisis moment when I accidentally turned off my microphone tab on my computer, which unbeknownst to me, also cuts off the Serato signal. Given that I didn’t have any idea what was going on as I troubleshooted the typical issues, I had to put my songs on a USB stick and use Plash’s computer. Massive shout out to him for helping me in that moment!
DJ LIFE: Why do you think the breaking competition in Paris created so much talk? The TV ratings were great.
Fleg: I think there is the obvious reason, which was the B-Girl who dominated coverage based on her not-great performance. But I think, as I mentioned previously, that this is an objectively incredible dance form. It’s not a sport! It’s a dance. Dances are often athletic, but it does not make them a sport. Humans are not typically spinning on their heads, defying gravity, doing creative movements that involve incredible strength like holding oneself on one hand. Therefore, when people see it, they instinctually look at it with intrigue. I am confident in saying that my friends who are the top breakers of the world have a level of physical genius that any other top athlete has. They know where their body is at all times, even while upside down or in motion, and this allows them to pull off spectacular moves.
DJ LIFE: What does it say for DJing and hip-hop culture that the world got to see a competition that’s usually done in clubs, school cafeterias and street corners?
Fleg: I think this was a huge moment for hip-hop culture, and I was super-happy to see bigger-name rap artists come out in support of it. The whole “From-The-Bronx-to-the-Olympics” is an incredible narrative that unfortunately got overshadowed by people on all sides. It’s odd how a penchant for negativity on the internet made us miss the most beautiful message that was embedded in this whole thing. Also, I think it’s amazing that people internationally, from Morocco, China, etc., that didn’t even have the clubs or school-cafeteria experience are also included in this competition because they’re some of the best dancers in the world. The sheer international participation in this scene was – and is – not fully understood by the American viewership.
DJ LIFE: Now that it’s just ended, what were your top memories of your Olympic experience in Paris?
Fleg: My most memorable moment in the Olympics was playing “The Mexican” by Babe Ruth for the last song of the final. I didn’t used to love that song that much, but it is a stone-cold breaking classic. The song has a ton of emotion in it and my good friend Phil Wizard really brought it out in a beautiful last-round moment. The cherry on top was having Alan Shacklock from Babe Ruth DM me, saying he appreciated me playing the tune. My other best moment was being done with the event and hanging out with my American homies afterwards, including [U.S. B-Boy] Victor [Montalvo], who brought home the bronze medal.
DJ LIFE: When you play non-competition gigs, what’s your musical repertoire? What kinds of events do you play?
Fleg: I love to play funk, disco, Brazilian music from the ’70s and ’80s and house music. I have really been enjoying playing all-vinyl gigs, as it limits me and makes me make very deliberate choices for a gig. I also have fun jumping around to different genres while keeping a “dancyness” to all of it.
DJ LIFE: Has your Olympic experience opened any opportunities for you? What’s next?
Fleg: What’s funny is that I had a packed schedule for the year, so there wasn’t much that came in the way of gigs – not yet anyway – but I might have some collaboration opportunities coming up in the future that I wouldn’t have otherwise had – so, that’s cool.
Fleg’s Top 5 Olympic Breakbeats
“Make The World” by Lee Fields & The Expressions (2016)
“Wendo” by M’Bamina (1973)
“America in 2020” by DJ Fleg & The East Coast Affair (2020)
“Rock” by DJ Spinna (1999)
“Give It Up or Turnit a Loose” by James Brown (1969)
Top DJs: Fleg’s Faves
Karizma. “Insane mixing style and huge Baltimore inspiration.”
DJ Spinna. “Full package when it comes to production and an absolutely killer DJ as far as taste and skill go.”
DJ Premier. “Hip-hop producer royalty and also utilizes the mic to properly guide a party and potentially give you the chills in the meantime.”
