Since 1987, Jonathan Cruz, known internationally as Shortkut, has thrilled all DJ, turntablist and hip-hop audiences worldwide. Known for his unbelievable beat juggling and percussion techniques and routines, Shortkut has expanded these skills to directions that cannot be defined.
As an explosive member of the Beat Junkies, he continue to stir the imaginations of audiences, and leaves them captivated with his phenomenal music. His classic compositions provide an experience that is incomparable to any other music adventures.
Shortkut began his DJ career is 1987 with Just 2 Hype!, a DJ crew based out of Daly City, California. In 1994, Shortkut, together with QBert and MixMaster Mike, formed the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, a legendary turntable band that heralded a new era in the DJ/turntablist world, and helped raise this musical art to its new form. Later that same year, J.Rocc, the "Funky President" of the Beat Junkies, invited Shortkut to join their internationally acclaimed collective, based out of Los Angeles. Shortkut's addition to this musical group has diversified the Beat Junkie audience to new realms.
Heavily influenced by legends of yesterday and today, he has studied the compositions and music styles of jazz icon Miles Davis, electric guitarist Jimi Hendrix, Rob Swift of the X-ecutioners, and DJ QBert. Shortkut incorporated the styles of these pioneers into his musical creations and began composing his own music, which became internationally respected and celebrated.
Shortkut claimed numerous titles including the 1994 and 1998 West Coast Disco Mixing Club (DMC) Champion, and the 1996 Zulu Nation International Champion. He was also featured in prized national and international publications including Rolling Stone, Details, Spin, and VIBE. His talent has taken him to almost every continent, and has allowed him to visit exciting countries including Australia, Denmark, Japan, Italy, Sweden, France, Germany, Belgium, and Holland.
Shortkut's current project with the Beat Junkies is his mix-CD entitled "Rekonstrukted Elements". Shortkut's creation presents famous hip-hop compositions, which were reconstructed in Shortkut's own unique way. He shares with the audience a medley of break beats, inventive music bits, and the art form of scratching. The CD features scratch sessions between Shortkut and other master scratch musicians. This recording does not only cater to DJs or turntablists, but to all people that appreciate beats and soul. "Rekonstrukted Elements" will be released in the Fall of this year on the Beat Junkies independent label, Beat Junkie Sound.
The Beat Junkies demonstrate that they possess the imagination to create musical masterpieces. Throughout the world, their signature mark identified as the "Beat Junkie Style", is synonymous with success. These musicians have mastered the ability to combine precision, along with the DJ techniques of the blend and the scratch to create compositions that cannot be imitated.
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