Hot Peas & Butta: Dj Amir

Digging for beats the better part of his life, Amirs Abdullah’s story is one that charts the history of funk, disco, dance and hip-hop music across miles paved in vinyl grooves. From a young age, Amir immersed himself in the deconstruction of his favorite music, unearthing the stories and making connections between the producers and artists both past and contemporary. Beginning in the early ’90s, Amir took his panoramic knowledge of music professional, hitting turntable deks across the world as both a solo artist and as half of the renowned beat-digging DJ duo Kon & Amir. Including the infamous On Track mix disc series, Kon and Amir have released 8 albums. After signing to 5-record deal with BBE records, the duo produced two volumes of Off Track collections with a forthcoming third entry slated for release in March 2010. Beyond his resident nights in New York, Amir has played shows and festivals with the likes of Louie Vega, Norman Jay, Tony Humphries, Benji B, Giles Peterson, Moodyman, Jazzanova, Mark Ronson, Rhymefest, Brand Nubian, Little Brother, Leela James, and the venerable Q-Tip.

More than just an established party rocker, DJ Amir is of a rare breed that understands what it takes to survive ad thrive on the business side of music. Since joining the sales team of Fat Beats Inc. in 1997, Amir has achieved noted success in marketing departments, A&R Administration, and record distribution across several companies including ABB Records and Rapster/K7 Records in Germany. As Fat Beats head of distribution for 6 of his 8 years with the company, he worked as a project manager on Atmosphere’s debut album, brokered distribution deals with Stones Throw records. His client list includes some of the most respected artists in hip-hop like Dilated Peoples, Big L, Pete Rock, Jay Dee, Peanut Butter Wolf, Madlib, and Common, as well as music legends Lyman Woodard, Mandrill, the Mizell Brothers, and Dennis Coffey. Equipped with both business savvy and creative talent, Amir currently works as an account executive and label manager of Wax Poetics Records in Brooklyn, New York, which recently secured exclusive distribution rights to the soundtrack and score of the major motion picture Black Dynamite.