Erick Morillo (March 26, 1971 â€" September 1, 2020) was an American
disc jockey, music producer, and record label owner. Having produced
under a number of pseudonyms, including Ministers de la Funk, The
Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, Deep Soul, Club Ultimate, and Li'l Mo
Ying Yang, Morillo was best known for his international work in house
music, in particular for the label Strictly Rhythm, and the 1993 hit
"I Like to Move It", which he produced under the pseudonym Reel 2
Real, and which was featured in commercials, movies, and ringtones.
His label Subliminal Records produced the number-one Billboard Hot
Dance Music/Club Play hit "Fun" by Da Mob, and won the Muzik magazine
"Remixer of the Year" award in 1999. Subliminal also brought attention
to artists like Eddie Thoneick, Carl Kennedy, and DJ DLG. He was a
three-time winner of DJ Awards "Best House DJ" in 1998, 2001, and 2003
and a three-time winner of "Best International DJ" in 2002, 2006, and
2009 receiving a total of 15 nominations in all from 1998 to
2010.Erick Morillo was born in 1971 in New York. He spent most of his
pre-teen years in Cartagena, Colombia, where he lived with his family,
and grew accustomed to salsa and merengue music. He moved back to the
United States at age 11, living with his mother, Elisa, and sister,
Sheila, in an apartment at 1406 Bergenline Avenue in Union City, New
Jersey. Influenced by other genres such as reggae, and hip hop, it was
also at age 11 that he began DJing weddings for friends and family. He
attended grammar school at Saint Joseph and Michael's School, a
private Catholic school, graduating in 1985. He graduated from Emerson
High School in Union City in 1989.Morillo took a studio engineering
course at the New York City's Center for the Media Arts, and began
DJing at local clubs, in places like the Love Sexy music lounge on
Hudson Street in Hoboken. While working at a club in nearby Weehawken,
Morillo met Latin reggae star El General, whom he befriended. The two
collaborated in 1991 on the single, "Muevelo", a mixture of reggae,
house music, and a sample of T99's techno single "Anasthasia" that
became a surprise hit, and went platinum.
disc jockey, music producer, and record label owner. Having produced
under a number of pseudonyms, including Ministers de la Funk, The
Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, Deep Soul, Club Ultimate, and Li'l Mo
Ying Yang, Morillo was best known for his international work in house
music, in particular for the label Strictly Rhythm, and the 1993 hit
"I Like to Move It", which he produced under the pseudonym Reel 2
Real, and which was featured in commercials, movies, and ringtones.
His label Subliminal Records produced the number-one Billboard Hot
Dance Music/Club Play hit "Fun" by Da Mob, and won the Muzik magazine
"Remixer of the Year" award in 1999. Subliminal also brought attention
to artists like Eddie Thoneick, Carl Kennedy, and DJ DLG. He was a
three-time winner of DJ Awards "Best House DJ" in 1998, 2001, and 2003
and a three-time winner of "Best International DJ" in 2002, 2006, and
2009 receiving a total of 15 nominations in all from 1998 to
2010.Erick Morillo was born in 1971 in New York. He spent most of his
pre-teen years in Cartagena, Colombia, where he lived with his family,
and grew accustomed to salsa and merengue music. He moved back to the
United States at age 11, living with his mother, Elisa, and sister,
Sheila, in an apartment at 1406 Bergenline Avenue in Union City, New
Jersey. Influenced by other genres such as reggae, and hip hop, it was
also at age 11 that he began DJing weddings for friends and family. He
attended grammar school at Saint Joseph and Michael's School, a
private Catholic school, graduating in 1985. He graduated from Emerson
High School in Union City in 1989.Morillo took a studio engineering
course at the New York City's Center for the Media Arts, and began
DJing at local clubs, in places like the Love Sexy music lounge on
Hudson Street in Hoboken. While working at a club in nearby Weehawken,
Morillo met Latin reggae star El General, whom he befriended. The two
collaborated in 1991 on the single, "Muevelo", a mixture of reggae,
house music, and a sample of T99's techno single "Anasthasia" that
became a surprise hit, and went platinum.
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