DJ Kool Q & A
December 17, 2025
“Let Me Clear My Throat” is an iconic party anthem. What was the inspiration behind that track, and how did you anticipate its massive impact on hip-hop and party culture?
Let me say it was just something that happened in a club in Richmond, VA that I decided to record and the rest is God’s blessing and history. Also, I didn’t anticipate anything! It just happened, haha!
Your use of call-and-response and crowd participation has been highly influential. How did you develop that style, and what role do you believe it plays in hip-hop’s evolution?
I come from Washington D.C and we have a style of music called Go-Go music which was created by Mr. Chuck Brown. Call-and-response is a very important musical element in Go-Go music so that’s where I got that element from. If you notice my style of music is a hybrid style of music using HipHop and Go-Go. I think the role my music plays in Hip Hop’s evolution is just being able to combine two different styles of music and making them sound like one while bringing that live party vibe and just creating very high vibrational music. I’m here to make people feel good at the end of the day.
Beyond “Let Me Clear My Throat” what are some of your other favorite tracks or moments from your career that you’d like to highlight, and why are they meaningful to you?
Some of my other favorite tracks of mine are my first single called “The Music Ain’t Loud Enuff “ (1986). It was my first single and first song to land on the Billboard Charts.
- “Whut Da Hell U Come In Here For” (1987)
- “20 Minute Workout” (1994) – Which is the beginning of my live recordings.
- “I Got That Feelin” (1995)
- “Let Me Clear My Throat” (1996) – Obviously, it is my first Platinum Award.
- “It Takes 2” Feat. My brother Fatman Scoop (2003) – It was the only song that we recorded together before he passed. It was also on the Billboard Charts.
What are you looking forward to on The 90s Cruise?
Other than having an amazing time, I’m looking forward to the networking opportunities as well performing.
The 90s were such an amazing period of musical expansion, fashion, and technology explosion! What’s one thing you wish would come back and one thing you’re glad we left behind?
One thing I wish would come back is being able to buy physical copies of music. I don’t know what I’m glad we left behind in the 90s. I love the 90s!