Twenty years ago, three men walked into the club scene.
DJ Hype, Pascal and Zinc – collectively True Playaz – were to create iconic tunes such as Peace, Love & Unity, 138 Trek, True Playaz Anthem and Super Sharp Shooter which shaped the sound of the dnb genre and influenced many production legends of today.
Since 2006 - amicably without Zinc and under the new Real Playaz brand – Hype and Pascal are currently poised to toast their 150th Playaz night; an epic event which cut its teeth at The End before relocating to the internationally renowned super-club Fabric. For over a decade now, the last Friday of the month has been synonymous with lethal dnb as kings of the jungle such as Goldie, Bukem and Grooverider join Hype and Pascal and new recruits at the decks. As Hype said in a recent KMag interview ‘,Anything that makes the wall bleed, makes me happy on the night!’
But that’s not all Hype and Pascal have had the cigars out for. With a hands-on production style being part of their ethos, over the years they’ve nurtured heavyweights such as DJ Hazard and Potential Badboy as the label has seen smokin hot tracks like ‘Busted’, ‘Mr Happy’ and ‘Machete’ rip up dance floors worldwide.
Now as one of the biggest contenders in the industry, Real Playaz have stuck to their values and are constantly bringing a new generation of producers and artists - Original Sin, Taxman, Jaydan, Crystal Clear, Sub Zero, Prolix and Netsky - under their umbrella (which also includes Liq-Weed and Ganja) thus capturing a new audience whilst bringing loyal fans fresh meat. Releases such as, ‘Therapy’, ‘Original Ninja’, ‘Why Can’t You See’ and ‘Move’ have continued to cut a groove in dnb history as DJs reach for them time and time again and new converts to the sound hit repeat.
With their infamous ganga leaf branding etched onto the walls of venues across the globe - not to mention laptops and record bags - it is clear that the Real Playaz name stands for more than just their vinyl an