DJ Ready D

Born in District Six and raised on the Cape Flats, DJ Ready D (aka DJ X-plode) is the undisputed king of South African turntablists. He is the four-time winner of the South African DMC Championships and the DJ of the Decade award. He competed twice in the world DJ championships and finished in the top ten both times. As part of the legendary hip-hop group Prophets Of Da City, he toured Europe for six years, performing alongside groups like Public Enemy, the Fugees and Ice-T, among others. He enjoys star status all over South Africa and is one of the country's most exciting DJs in terms of live performance.

Apart from performing in clubs, Ready D has taken the art of hip-hop DJing into many areas where it was unknown. In 2008 he received the Hype Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award and was the support DJ for touring stars Akon, Fat Joe, Black Violin and Sean Kingston. Besides his albums with POC and another pioneering crew, Brasse Vannie Kaap, he has released solo albums such as 'Not For Tha Faint Hearted' (2004). His other projects include Beat Bangaz, Drift Squad and the Scratch Lab DJ school. In 2010 he was given the prestigious international title of Grandmaster, reserved for the most skilled turntablists in the world. He currently hosts a weekday radio show on regional radio station Good Hope FM while still DJing regularly around the country.