Afrika Bambaataa Q&A

The track I'll be opening my next DJ set with
Anything by James Brown

Every James Brown cut makes a party get crazy. He's the god of all music. I always play different wild remixes of his songs because people start bugging out when they realise what I'm playing.

The track that currently gets the most rewinds
Aretha Franklin: One Step Ahead (Dr EZ Remix)

I get a lot of requests for this. The way he got Aretha singing over that up-to-date beat is hot as hell.

The track I wish I'd signed to my label
DJ Icey: Low Down Good Girl

He invented a style of electro-funk called Florida Breaks. It's some funky electro-funk. Everywhere I play it, people get crazy on it.

The track that's been unfairly slept on this year
Sa-Roc: I Am The I Am

She's a consciousness rapper who's also very funky. There are a lot of great artists like Sa-Roc but you don't hear them on these no-good radio stations who know jack about real hip-hop.

The track I'd play at my auntie's wedding
DJ Casper: Cha Cha Slide

It's like in the old days when everybody used to do the Bus Stop to the Fatback Band. Now they do the Cha Cha Slide. It's a dance that everybody can do in unison, young and old.

The track that got me out of bed this morning
Sly & The Family Stone: Everyday People

It's a song that just gives you uplift to get up and go and do something.

The ideal festival track
Fatboy Slim: Santa Cruz

That's always a killer. I played it at Love Parade in front of three million people and they all just went crazy.

The best track by my favourite new artist
Immortal Technique: The 3rd World

He's a straight-up conscious, raw rapper who deals with the subject of life.

The track I'd play to show off my eclectic tastes
Fela Kuti: Shakara

We used to play a lot of Fela Kuti in the early days of hip-hop. In my DJ sets I'll jump off into rock, salsa, African. I like to play some crazy stuff and see the vibrations of the people.

The track I want played at my funeral
Sly & The Family Stone: Stand!

Along with I'm Black And I'm Proud by James Brown, it's the song that I've based my whole life on. Stand is a song that speaks for the whole planet.

Afrika Bambaataa plays Sub-Sonic Live At The Garage, N5, Fri