Meet Kingspy, The DJ and Creator Behind the Rhythm Nation Party

Long before he was moving dance floors across the city, Kingspy was Malik Robinson — a Girard College student discovering the magic of filmmaking through a MiniDV camcorder and an after-school scriptwriting program. What started as a love for directing music videos for artists like Feese and Paris Artelli eventually evolved into something bigger: a shift from behind the camera to behind the DJ booth. Inspired by the colorful visuals of Little X and Hype Williams, and later the genre-blurring sounds of Soulection, Kaytranada, and Sango, Kingspy found his voice in house music and global dance rhythms. Now, six months into his growing party series Rhythm Nation — taking place this Friday February 20 at Margolis — he’s curating more than just a night out. It’s a space rooted in Black dance music, liberation, and community.

Abdur Rahman: You started as a videographer directed videos like 4 Wings by Feese, What’s Wrong With That by Paris Artelli, CARPHONE by Triple Rich. Was your first camera a MiniDV camcorder?

Kingspy: It was! That was a while ago, when I was in high school. I went to boarding school (Girard College), and they had an after school program for scriptwriting, and after you wrote a script, they had you shoot a movie over the summer. So we shot the movie and we went over the process of color-correcting and editing it. And all of a sudden it hit me, ‘I can go to school for this and make money off it,’ and I was like I want to do that. I had the most fun in my life learning about the process of making a movie.

AR: As a music fan, what are some of your favorite music videos or music video directors? 

Kingspy: Definitely Little X and Hype Williams. Me and my brother used to make music video mix VHS tapes. I can’t count how many videos that I was watching all day.

AR: I met you at Temple because you were roommates with one of my best friends, Myles. He and DJ Damage also went to Girard and went on to Temple. There you also linked with Taaj, Sylo, and even Bobby Flowers. What were some of your favorite parties or music events that you’ve attended during your time on 19th & Diamond?

Kingspy: Drippin Like Water at Patterson Palace was definitely a good time. Block parties were lit — especially Mad Decent when it was at The Piazza around 2011 or 2012.

AR: Mad Decent was so fire!! So after spending a majority of your college days as a videographer, you started DJing in 2016. What made you want to step more into the limelight?

Kingspy: I was working with Paris, and we kind of went our separate ways after working together for a couple of years. I had to get my creative energy out somehow and I have always been a fan of music, so I looked at DJing as a different way to get my creative energy out.

AR: Was that nerve-wracking, for you to be in the limelight or was that something you never had a problem with?

Kingspy: I mean yeah, because I was always like a behind the scenes guy. So yeah, it was but I feel like it was way more of the music for me. I just liked playing music because it was something I always did even when I was younger. 

AR: And your first mix was Supreme Sounds Vol. 1.

Kingspy: Yeah damn! You doing ya research! (Laughs) That jawn still up there! I always keep it up there. My one homie who went to Girard, Sabir, did the art work, that’s my dog. It’s crazy because what I had on there had hints of stuff that I’m doing now.

AR: I agree. One thing that jawn showed was that you had a love for house music and I don’t know if that was around the time house music started to become more popular.

Kingspy: That was the time when Kaytranada came out. I was into Soulection and they would play all of these various types of music like house edits and Kaytranada was just getting big. One of the reasons I started DJing was Kaytranada and Sango. I was really into that sound.

AR: What is it about that sound that got you interested?

Kingspy: I don’t know, it’s kind of interesting how they remixed songs. I had never heard anything like that, like missing and R&B songs but make it dancier.

AR: Not to cut you off but I feel that’s the same way I feel about mashups. I told Myles that creating mashups with my DEJAY app is the most fun I have had in creating since writing poetry, because I can find different ways to listen to a song that I like and I think I hear that same thing when it comes to the mixes I have heard from you. For instance on Episode 1 of Eclectic Selection Radio that mix of “Kiss It Better” is fire!

Kingspy: Yeah! Now that you say that yeah. I wouldn’t say that I never thought about it but that’s a good way to put it.

AR: Nah that’s real. Also as a person with family from Newark, New Jersey, your love for house music is similar to theirs. You can be the biggest OG with battle scars, but once house music comes I have seen the toughest dudes moving and grooving on the dance floor. 

Kingspy: Yeah they got a whole house scene up there! I did this one black wedding like in central Jersey near Newark, and they were playing house music the whole night and were going crazy. That was my favorite wedding I have been too, I am standing near the DJ Shazamming all these songs! *laughs*

AR: I say that to ask, do you think house music has become popular or is there still more room for it to grow?

Kingspy: I think it’s the most popular genre in the world. It’s universal, you can’t play hip hop everywhere but you can play house music. 

AR: That’s real. It also makes me believe that house music is the parent genre of club music.

Kingspy: Well, club music came out from house music. For example, Chicago house music, right after that came ghetto house and juke music. Juke music is like the same shit for club music over here. 

AR: Oh wow that’s right I forgot all about juke music! Question, was the first party you spun at Controlla?

Kingspy: So that was my first residency. That was the first place I was DJing every month.I used to open up for Sylo a lot. He used to play at The Dolphin and The Saint all the time and I would open up for him for the first hour and get my practice in front of people. Sylo is a master at the equipment and the room, to me he’s like a composer who knows how to orchestrate and work the room so well.

AR: So if Controlla was the first residency, was the Neptune Sounds your first party you created?

Kingspy: Yes it was.

AR: I notice that Pharrell and Kid Cudi are the most inspirational artists to you. Have they had any influences on you when you’re creating a mix?

Kingspy: Hmm, I wouldn’t say so — because they don’t necessarily make music. I love them, especially Pharrell because they were examples of how you could be from an urban area and be yourself and wear what you wanted. It’s like if you don’t like what I am wearing, fuck you.

AR: Which is hilarious because they actually became trendsetters.

Kingspy: Exactly!

AR: You created Eclectic Selection Radio 3 years ago to tap into a different audience. What were you looking for around that time of creating ESR?

Kingspy: During that time I didn’t throw any of my own parties and I was in a gig circuit. Catering to other people playing these bars getting paid good and whatever but I wasn’t playing music that I wanted to play. So ESR was an outlet for me to play what I wanted to play and to have a music portfolio to show people what I can do. And all in all it prepped me for Rhythm Nation to be honest.

AR: I agree because like Supreme Vol 1 it showed your love for house, ESR showed your love for world music. When did you start exploring music from other countries? 

Kingspy: Definitely gotta say it came from Soulection. They would play a lot of deep Afrobeats and Baile funk, which I never heard of until Soulection. That music man is awesome! They have a South African electronic music scene that is changing the world yo.

AR: I do see that you travel a lot and at times have DJed in different cities and countries. What place gave you the best reaction?

Kingspy: Mexico City was fun. They have a huge dance community there and I had all the dancers in a circle dancing the way they do back home.

AR: It reminds me of something Bobby Flowers said a while ago about music fans who are overseas appreciate the music more than we do.

Kingspy: They do! They definitely do appreciate it more! Nobody is worried about being cool; they just literally come there to have a good time.

AR: What’s the difference to you between a dance floor of house and world music than hip hop and R&B? Is that difference what led to Rhythm Nation?

Kingspy: I like it more because it’s unpredictable. When you play a Top 40 record, you know what’s going to happen, it’s the same shit. I feel like DJing with house music is more of a challenge and I like the way it feels because people are dancing and connecting with the music more. With the top 40s you’re not really dancing you’re just shouting the lyrics! Like again with that you know what you’re gonna hear but to me with house music you’re setting a scene. 

AR: So 6 months of Rhythm Nation, how has the reception been?

Kingspy: The parties have been getting bigger every month. Last month was the most profitable one.

AR: That was a good jawn! Me and the homies had a good time.

Kingspy: This upcoming one has the most pre-sales than any other ones.

AR: For someone who’s never been to Rhythm Nation, but got a presale ticket, what can they expect to experience?

Kingspy: You’re coming there with an open mind and if you enjoy dance music you’re going to love it. Black dance music from Chicago and Detroit, and I think this upcoming one will be like an educational experience and liberation.