Jamaican DJ earns Chicago's respect

"I cannot begin to describe the euphoria surrounding the feeling of standing among the final six DJs out of 18 top mixers from around the world. This is great for entertainment industries all over the world, and I am proud to be able to accomplish this for myself and Jamaica."

These were the words of Jamaican DJ Nicholas Rasinski, known as DJ Nicco, as he made history by earning a spot in the final of the World Red Bull Thre3Style Competition.

The world finals took place at a packed Metro Lounge in Chicago last Saturday and featured six DJs from Spain, Chile, Canada, Jamaica, the United States and Brazil, that were victorious from the weeklong pre-qualifier battles among 18 countries.

Though an event of this magnitude would make anybody nervous, Nicco used the jitters as motivation.

"This is what I have been preparing for. Every step in my career is meant for me to get better and grow and there are no nerves right now, just intense excitement. I am very happy to be in this moment," Nicco had said as the final got under way.

The six finalists had one last chance to produce a 15-minute set that would wow the crowd. Nicco, happy with his final playlist, began his set with hits famous to Jamaica and blended in the sounds native to Chicago.

The first DJ went on at 10:30 p.m., guest DJ ?uestlove went on at 11:50 p.m. and played a 40-minute jammer followed by the announcement of the winner at 12:40 a.m.

All finalists listened anxiously as the judges announced that DJ Drummer from Chile had earned a third-place finish, and Nedu Lopez from Brazil had finished second.

The United States' Four Color Zach was crowned 'Ultimate Party Rocker'.

Just making it to the final was a victory for DJ Nicco. That victory came as a result of hard work throughout the Red Bull Thre3Style Competition, especially in the pre-qualifiers at The Mid Chicago the night before. In the two-hour-long performance, Nicco wowed the judges while staying true to his Jamaican roots, beating out DJs; DJ Butcher (Australia), DJ Twist (Azerbaijan), DJ Pho (Columbia) and DJ 8Man (Japan).

Nicco's performance shone due to his stage presence and his keen sense of the crowd's energy.
Mixing genres including, techno, dubstep, old school reggae and hip hop, Nicco rocked his 15 minutes without a hitch.

(from Jamaica Gleaner)