This interview was recorded live back in Sept 2009, right before Bill released his first full studio album that featured the huge hits Do What U Like (featured in Panasonic camera commercials in 2011), Fast Life, Falling Anthem and more. Sal Amato the Director of Programming for AddictedToRadio.com and WBMX.com as well as writer, producer and star of the web series ‘Dawiseguys’ (and a veteran DJ of over 30 years) talks with Bill to give you insight into Bill’s past and what he’s got coming up in the future. There’s no other interview quite like this one because they’ve known each other for so long, it was smooth, it was loose and it contains a ton of information for Bad Boy Bill fans. Click the video below to listen.
The words, “Bad Boy Bill is in the mix and he’s live – Understand!” were a staple ‘in the mix’ back in the day when the late great hip-house pioneer Kool Rock Steady was heard so many times and ways ‘in the mix’ with Bad Boy Bill in the 80′s and all the way up to Kool Rock’s untimely passing in 1996.
So goes one of the legendary chants of Chicago house icon Bad Boy Bill, who began name checking when he first started out on the radio to distinguish himself from the other DJs on the airwaves. Bill has come a long way from his days as a radio mix show DJ. On his belt hang the titles of DJ, Artist, Producer, Songwriter, and Entrepreneur. Not to mention three-time DMC FINALIST, 1998 Winter Music Conference MIXSHOW DJ OF THE YEAR, 1999 URB Magazine 2nd Place DJ OF THE YEAR, a former #1 FAVORITE DJ according to BPM Magazine. And now, after the success of the Bangin’ In The Box series, Bill is upping the ante to deliver Behind the Decks, a new mix CD and DVD, on System Recordings. 
If that’s not enough, Bill is a co-founder of BEATPORT!
Hailed by DJ Magazine as “One of America’s most popular and influential DJs,” the renowned artist didn’t grow up dreaming of making music – in his youth, he thought he would perhaps pursue a career as a professional baseball player. But in high school, after joining a DJ crew with some of his neighborhood friends, Bill entered the world of DJ battles and party promotion. “My DJ style originated with the idea to remix a song live with two copies of the same record and then combine scratching and hip-hop techniques with house grooves.” After the changes at WBMX that saw the Hot Mix 5 going to WGCI, Bill found himself with Frankie Hollywood Rodriguez, Julian Perez, Mike Hitman Wilson and others, mixing and maintaining a huge audience on WBMX until WBMX was sold in 1988. Once that happened, the move to B96 came with the 90′s and Bill, Frankie, Julian and others turned the mix shows on their head around the country just with the work they were doing on B96 in Chicago. Today, Bill averages over 150 DJ gigs annually, playing everywhere from New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles to international hotspots including Peru, Colombia, Germany, England, and Spain.
Coming from a broad musical and cultural background, Bill cites numerous personal influences. “My grandfather was an opera singer so he was always into music, and was very supportive,” he says. “My dad took me downtown to buy my first set of 1200s – I will always thank him for that.” Additionally influenced by the likes of motivational speaker Anthony Robbins and Chicago mix show DJs ‘The Hot Mix 5’, Bill notes, “Everything I hear affects every song I choose to play and the way I play it.”
Some of these images you see hear are of Bill in his very early days at Chicago’s huge summer fest on their lakefront where over 3 million come to eat, drink and party every summer. These images were taken in the legendary WBMX AM & FM booth at ‘The Taste’ with Frankie Hollywood Rodriguez, Armando Rivera and others in the booth entertainer a cast of 1,000′s in front of it.
The video below is one of the most viewed DJ Battle videos online, recorded at the DMC Battle Of The DJ’s back in 1989 at the Riviera in Chicago, Bill tore it up and brought showmanship unlike any other DJ at that time, he set the standard and the pace for all to follow today.
The new double disc release, Behind the Decks, delivers that famed Bad Boy Bill pumpin’ house sound with his legendary scratching, a cappella, and turntable tricks, but also takes the entire live experience to a new level with DTS and Dolby 5.1 surround sound mixes and visuals. With this mix CD and two-hour DVD, Bill hopes his audience can finally “get a good picture of what I’m like and what I do.” A perfectionist, Bill is always striving to expand and improve upon what he’s done before. And Bill feels this new mix is doing just that – moving forward, progressing and growing. “My musical style is constantly evolving. I used to spin deep house, acid house, hip house, freestyle, techno, and the list goes on. My sound today is what it is based on the music I have heard or made prior,” Bill says. Smiling, he adds, “My personal style has changed as well, from Underoos to Wranglers, Jordache to parachute pants, and then all the way to Snug and Prada.”
In spite of all of his accomplishments, Bad Boy Bill remains modest, levelheaded and positively motivated about his direction. “I am always thinking about the future.” Working in the studio up to 14-16 hours some days, Bill continues to push the boundaries, both with Behind The Decks as well as his next endeavour: his artist album.
You can catch Bad Boy Bill live and “Behind The Decks” as the BTD tour rolls through a city near you because Bad Boy Bill is “in the mix and he’s live – Understand!”
I was seriously trying to download DJ Perrys
Anyway to get this??? These are the jams!!!
Skating Jams – Old School Mix 48 and it is now where to be found. I would like to put it on my ipod
Nope, like it says, not all tracks are available, for us to let you download that would put our business in jeopardy, sorry.
This gets me moving in the A.M.
Love this music and station! Brings back so many fun memories. Thank you!
thanks David, spread the word, we appreciate it, share it from the page
music is my peace.. thank u
I haven’t been able to get this station to work!! Anyone else having problems? PLEASE FIX IT!!!
There’s nothing wrong with it, I’m listening to it right now. Playing Hold On Tighter To Love. Are you even on the correct website? Page? There’s is nothing wrong, its a problem on your end, please fix it.
Thanks!
I am having trouble getting on to the Freestyle website this morning. But I can get on to the other sites to listen o music. Are you having problems with the site today?
I don’t understand what you mean by you are having trouble getting to the freestyle website. This is AddictedToRadio.com, there is a freestyle channel here, click this LINK to get to that particular channel’s page on our website – other than that i don’t know what you can mean by “you can’t get to the freestyle website”. There is no ‘separate website’ for anything, everything is on AddictedToRadio.com.
http://addictedtoradio.com/music/internet-radio-stations/dance-old-school-radio-stations/freestyle-express/
Thank you
I mean I can’t get your freestyle channel to work. I can listen to any of your other links but your freestlye link will not play.
should be ok, are you listening from our site?
Yes it’s working now and I am listening from your site.
I used to listen to these songs when I was in High school (80′s). I tell my kids “this is music”. They look and me and say “Mom, your old”. They don’t know what is was like to dance to these songs. I really like this link and website. Hard to find old school music like I used to hear back in the day…
yeah i agree with this music that brought everybody together from all races.like the taste of chicago when bmx was there no fights no probalems,we partied in peace,and now it’s not the same anymore with out bmx,and now chicago is split up into house vs hiphop & r&b
You’re taking me back to those 80′s basement house parties….Thank you so much for bringing this to the masses!!
Hi Delphina,
Thanks so much, we’re in the basement all the time! Black lights, glow in the dark posters and… well, ya know!