DJ Damage: Spinning With Philly Pride.

Text by Niesha Miller. Image by G.W. Miller III.

Hailing from the heart of North Philadelphia, Abdul Muhammad, better known as DJ Damage, says he was a DJ before he actually had his equipment.

“I just loved the technical side of being a DJ,” he says. “I just love going up there and touching the vinyl and playing records.”

The 23-year-old launched his music career when he was 11-years-old. He started out as half of a rap duo with his brother, Fese  Muhammad. That ended when he realized he was a horrible rapper. By 13, he was working the turntables with friend DJ Young Shizz. Damage soon began DJing events around the city while attending Girard College High School.

Damage moved on to Temple University, where he built up his brand and honed his skills. In 2008, he shared the stage with one of the most respected hip-hop artists of his generation – Nas.

“I came from being  a freshman DJ on campus,” Damage recalls, “to actually DJing in front of a crowd that’s gonna rock to Nas.”

Now, Damage pumps out beats on Hot 107.9 every weeknight. He started spinning at the station back in 2009 when the station was 100.3 The Beat. Damage was just a sophomore at Temple at the time.

Last year, he walked out of the third annual Philly Hip-Hop Awards with best radio DJ and best mixtape DJ honors.

Damage sees his mixtapes as a way to promote the city’s up-and-coming artists, and as a platform where local musicians can work together.

“It’s good to unify and stay positive,” he says. “Collaborating and supporting each other only makes it bigger for everybody.”

One artist Damage has collaborated with is West Philly rapper Chill Moody. Last summer, Damage helped curate the first annual Let It Bump Music Festival at the Wall Street International with Moody and Mic Stew.

The event spawned from a track by the same name that the three made together.

“Mic was like, ‘I really like this record. I think it’ll be good on the radio,’” recalls Moody. “We didn’t really have a hook for it, so we was like, ‘We’ll get DJ Damage to scratch on it.’ He’s another up-and-coming person in the city like us and he represents Philly really well.”

In 2011, Damage launched the All Hamm Back to School Tour, where he spoke to Philadelphia’s youth about being a positive force in their communities.

“I was going around talking about higher education, life skills, learning how to be determined, hard work and why it’s important to know your skills,” remembers Damage, who sold drugs brielfy as a teenager when his family hit hard times. “I feel like if you’re popular and people put you on a pedestal, you have to give back some way.”

Damage keeps himself busy. He says when one thing slows down, he makes sure he’s jumping on to the next thing.

“If I’m not doing mixtapes, then I’m doing events,” he says. “If I’m not doing events, then maybe I’m working on a TV show or working on a website. You gotta just keep it going.”

Last year he was given an opportunity to host and DJ for BET’s influential music countdown, 106 and Park.

Damage dropped his latest project, The Caution Tape 2, in August. It was hosted by fellow Philadelphia-native DJ Drama. The album features a slew of local artists including Marsha Ambrosius, Cody Kahmar, Chill Moody, Freeway and Young Chris.

Damage prides himself on uplifting his city, whether it’s working with the city’s youth or spinning for his fellow Philly musicians.

“It’s not always just about talent, “ he says. “It’s how you connect with people. I was always good with connecting with people. I always found myself in the right place at the right time.”