DJ Kid Capri
Kid Capri
Background information
Birth name	David Anthony Love Jr.
Born	(1967-02-07) February 7, 1967 New York City, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	DJ rapper producer
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Cold Chillin' Warner Bros. Records Track Masters Columbia SME Records eOne Music
Website	kidcapri.com

David Anthony Love Jr. (born February 7, 1967) is an American DJ and rapper better known by his stage name Kid Capri.^[1]

Early life

Kid Capri was born in Brooklyn but spent most of his youth in the Bronx.^[2] His humble roots can be traced back to his parents' home in the Bronx, where eight-year-old David Anthony Love would scratch records on his father's old Zenith stereo system.^[3] As soon as he was old enough, he hit the pavement and caught a buzz hustling his DJ mixtapes on the streets and performing local gigs.

Career

Grammy Award-winning DJ and producer Kid Capri is globally known as an originator, innovator, and pioneer of DJ culture. His grass roots hustler mentality became a template for success emulated by the DJs that followed in his footsteps. Dubbed "The Guru of Mixtapes" by the hip-hop community, Kid Capri literally redefined the term "DJ" as he blazed a trail with his array of mixtapes and crowd hyping performances.^[4][5][2]

Kid Capri was the first DJ to perform on major networks like BET and VH1. He starred in the popular HBO series, Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam. In 2017, he returned for the Netflix Def Comedy Jam’s 25th Anniversary Special.^[6] Kid has produced tracks for artists such as Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Madonna, Heavy D, and 50 Cent. He has years of touring experience with legends like Jay-Z, Aaliyah, Salt-N-Pepa, Timbaland, and most recently RBRM.^[7] Kid won a Grammy for producing a song on Jay-Z's album, Hard Knock Life. In 2017, Kid narrated Kendrick Lamar's entire DAMN album.; the only hip hop album to ever win a Pulitzer Prize. Kid premiered his signature crowd hyping vocals at Jennifer Lopez's Jennifer Lopez: All I Have Las Vegas residency, which lasted from 2016 to 2018, during the magical portion of her show dedicated to The Bronx.^[8][9][10]

Kid Capri deejayed for seven seasons of Def Comedy Jam.^[1] He produced tracks for Boogie Down Productions, Heavy D, Big L and Grand Puba.^[1] He eventually released an LP on Warner Brothers Records titled The Tape in 1991.^[1] He appeared in the film Who's the Man? in 1993.^[1] In 1997, Kid Capri signed with the Track Masters' Columbia Records-distributed label after he appeared on the 1997 Puff Daddy and the Family World Tour. He subsequently released Soundtrack to the Streets in 1998.^[1]

In 2003, Kid Capri performed at the BET Awards. Afterwards during that same year, Martha Stewart personally requested Kid Capri to be a DJ at her Christmas party. NSYNC also hired Kid Capri to perform as a DJ at one of their private parties. He also DJ'ed for the 2003 TJ Martell Foundation Gala, which featured Mary J. Blige, Mya, and Liz Phair, among others.^[11]

Kid Capri was involved in his own record label, No Kid'n Records. He was featured on the itshiphop.tv show The Breakdown, in which he talked about his current and future projects, his views on Japan's hip hop scene, and the origin of his stage name.^[12] On July 29, 2007, Kid Capri made an appearance during Rock the Bells 2007 as Rakim's DJ. Kid Capri also made an appearance as Rakim's DJ during the Rock the Bells 2008 show on July 19, 2008, in Tinley Park, Illinois.^[13]

Kid was featured as lead judge on Smirnoff's Master of the Mix, the BET reality TV competition in search of the nation's best DJ. In March 2012, Kid was commissioned to remix "Masterpiece", an exclusive track featured on the special Smirnoff Nightlife Edition of Madonna's album, MDNA.^[14] He joined her for the album release party in Miami as a part of Winter Music Conference, and the album was released on March 26, 2012. Kid was also featured on Kendrick Lamar's song "ELEMENT." in which he has vocal parts in the intro and closing.^[15]

Kid Capri deejayed for Jay-Z's Oscar party in 2018, as well as DJ Khaled's birthday party. During the 2018 Global Spin Awards, which was held during NBA All-Star weekend, Kid received the Red Award in honor of DJ Red Alert from Snoop Dogg.^[2]

On May 15, 2021, Kid Capri was a Bronx Walk of Fame inductee.^[16]

In 2022, Kid released an album titled The Love. The Love is part of Kid Capri's highly anticipated third studio album, which marks his return to the music scene after a remarkable 25-year hiatus. Released on the DJ's 55th birthday, the album features 19 tracks, to which all he wrote, produced, and performed, including the previously released single "Slap Key."^[17] Kid's last full-length offering, Soundtrack to the Streets, dropped in 1998 and featured collaborations with Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, and Busta Rhymes, among others. The Love showcases the undeniable chemistry between Kid Capri and his daughter, rising R&B sensation Vina Love, combining their unique talents and musical influences. The song's infectious energy and catchy melodies have resonated with fans, leading to its resurgence and growing popularity.^[18][19]

Kid has been featured multiple times on the hit We TV show Growing Up Hip Hop: New York, which debuted in 2019.^[20]

Kid joined forces with The Hoodies, brothers E-Class and Young Poppa, to produce the Hidden Gems album in 2023. The album's twelve tracks showcased The Hoodies' impressive wordplay, sharp flows, conceptual songwriting, deep introspection, and unrivaled ferocity over a fervid sound that calls back to the late 1990s and early 2000s.^[21]

The 2003 BET Awards Tribute to Jam Master Jay honored slain Run-DMC DJ member with an all-star mix-off, which included Kid Capri as host and DJ on the decks. Twenty years later at the 2023 BET Awards, Kid Capri hosted and curated Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary segment featuring various medleys to honor the genre, with Kid himself mixing live atop mutual-artist performances. Attendees were surprised when Kid welcomed a casual walk-on guest and MLB Hall of Famer, Derek Jeter, for this golden homage to music history.^[22][23]

Until the fall of 2023, Kid continued to host "The Block Party" on SiriusXM FLY every weekend, bridging the gap from throwbacks to new tracks.^[24]

Discography

Filmography

References

External links

• Official website
• Kid Capri at IMDb
• Kid Capri at Discogs
• Kid Capri – Bronx Walk of Fame Inductee