[Si] TV

DJ Camilo is a globetrotting phenomenon who's constantly getting fiestas started. Aside from performing for partygoers in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, the International Club King hosts two weekly radio shows ("The Heavy Hitter Hour," "Lights Out!") on New York City's Hot 97FM. The Queens, N.Y.-native has positioned himself as the party DJ in the Big Apple . . . perhaps even the world.

Si Ent.: How is DJing overseas different than in the States?
DJ Camilo: Extremely different. People really appreciate the art of hip-hop out there. For example, Mos Def has his fans in the States but across the water this dude is king. He's 10 times bigger.

Si Ent.: Many artists don't go back to their barrios. Do you feel secure in your old neighborhood?
Camilo: All day man. People show love when they see me. It's crazy ‘cause if I want Colombian, Dominican, or Ecuadorian food I can get it all out there. There's always haters but you brush them off.

Si Ent.: Aside from yourself, are there any other Colombian DJs spinning hip-hop on your level?
Camilo: Not really man. The only one I could say is Rob Swift of the X-Men. He's Colombian but nobody knows that. He used to live five blocks away from me. Swift is a legend in the game when it comes to turntablism.

Si Ent: You pulled off a big move in getting a reggaeton show ["Lights Out!"] on Hot 97. Were you nervous about approaching them about the program and were you surprised when they granted your wish?
Camilo: I was always played two to three reggaeton joints on my regular show. It made such an impact that they approached me about the show. I was the man for the job at the station because I pushed it heavy. [DJ] Enuff and others didn't back it 100 percent.

Si Ent.: Do you think reggaeton will last?
Camilo: I think it's a great movement. It gave Latinos another wave of music. In ‘99, you had Pun, J. Lo, etc. This gave us a new brand of music. I honestly don't know how long it will last. If it doesn't evolve, it will go away. The production has been the same since the s**t started. It's just like freestyle music. It needs to grow.

Si Ent.: How did your parents react to you being a DJ?
Camilo: They hated it! They didn't understand it. School was most important to them. They come from a different country and generation. They had no idea what this whole DJing stuff was about. But once they saw my commitment and saw I wasn't [hanging out] on the corner, they began respecting it.

Si Ent.: How many times a week do you perform?
Camilo: Six nights a week from the thugged out crowd to the bourgeois crowd. Strata and BLVD are one of my favorites to spin at [as well as] Club Sol. I'm heavy in [New] Jersey too at Club Abyss and Deco amongst others.

Si Ent.: Do you think the art of DJ has gone forward or backward?
Camilo: It's progressed. It's funny you ask that because close to 90 percent of DJs use Serato. DJs just use their laptops. No more lugging records around. But at the same time, DJs get stuck playing the same routine.

Si Ent.: Tell me about what you got in store for the future?
Camilo: I got this kid named Juganot who I'm looking to make Baby Pun. What [DJ] Clue made Fabolous is what I plan on making him.