I can remember when I met Adam like it was yesterday. I was interning at MTV in Santa Monica and they sent me down to the lobby to escort DJ AM up the elevator to my boss’ office, The funny thing was I had worked there for at least a few months, and they had never had me do this with anyone before, damn this dude must have been important, I thought to myself! I guess this was about 8 years ago, and although I didn’t recognize him by name or face, as soon as we started talking I knew exactly who he was. I can remember the excitment in my body when I put it together and exclaimed in only a way a dorky 18 year old could: “You’re the DJ at Las Palmas on Wednesdays!” He was instantly a celebrity to me from that moment on- you see it wasn’t until I had been to Las Palmas and heard this music that wouldn’t let me stop dancing until the lights were on the the brooms were sweeping me off the dance floor, that I realized what exactly a real “DJ” was. This man was a true artist, a genius, any other DJ I would go on to see would pale in comparison to this great great talent. You see, a DJ doesn’t just play music. Fuck no, a DJ, like a painter or a writer, creates a world, they tell a story, they take you on a journey, the evoke feeling, they make you smile, they surprise you, they tease you, and at just the right moment they know how to please you. “Someone put this man on hundred dollar bill, he was the shit!” EVERY SINGLE TIME he played that’s what i wanted to scream out. From that moment on, I only had ears for AM. Adam would go on to become one of my closest confidants in a big city full of fair-weather friends, he would always remain the one person I turned to no matter what the situation and no matter how many years had gone by. Adam was the kind of warm soul that spread love and joy to everyone he knew and knew exactly what to say to you to cheer you up- even if it was nothing at all. Maybe I wouldn’t see him for months, but no matter how long had passed nothing ever changed. Those big hugs sent the feeling of love through every damn vein in my body, and even if it was just a two second “Oh hey!” he would yell out in the middle of his set, there was a warmth and a feeling of joy that would stay with me for days, for months, forever. When my father passed away he was there at the airport waiting to pick me up and take me to grub at Bosa Nova, when my turntables got stolen he was there with his old set waiting to give them to me, when I was nervous for an upcoming gig, even though I was across the country he would text me lil pointers. I told him about every job I got, I sent every stupid lil remix and mixtape I did to him for the AM stamp of approval. Nothing went out without it, no way! It didn’t matter if it took days or even weeks for him to listen to it, I HAD to wait, even if all I was doing with it was posting it on my silly myspace page. A few weeks ago I was so anxious to tell him about all the gigs I had booked at Lollapalooza, you see all I wanted to do was make this man proud, he was the reason I was a DJ and no one would understand better my excitement and feeling of accomplishment than my teacher, my friend, my inspiration, my hero: “Wow, look at you out playing all the clubs and NOW I’m here walking around MTV,” he replied. DJ AM touched millions of people, he never stopped striving to be the best he could be, he never said no to helping someone, anyone, he never took anything for granted. If a little part of him can live on in every soul he touched the world would be a better place. Work hard and never give up. Never stop thinking about your brothers and your sisters around you. Thank you Adam.

xo,

the boogie monster