Father-daughter duo influence Buffalo hip-hop scene

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The two turntables have been DJ Slack’s right-hand man for decades.

The Brooklyn-born DJ got into hip-hop as it emerged from his hometown of the Bronx in the early 1970s.

The now father of five continued his work as a hip-hop mixer and radio host in Buffalo, inspiring one of his closest relatives: his eldest daughter.

7 News’ Pheben Kassahun profiles a father-daughter duo whose strong bond is spreading through Buffalo’s hip-hop culture and taking it by storm!

DJ Slack entered the hip-hop field from humble beginnings.

DJ Slack, real name Willie Aytch Jr., said: “We came to the Bronx in 1974, right when hip-hop was starting. In 1976, I saw DJ Grandmaster Flash at the Bronx River Projects mixing good times. It’s the first time I’ve seen a two-turn vinyl turntable and someone scratching a record.”

It was in his late teens that he discovered his passion for mixing, inspired by Grandmaster Flash, who, along with DJ Cool Herc, was one of the first DJs to make successful rap records, becoming the pioneers of the genre.

“Probably in the mid-80s I was DJing in clubs and I became so passionate about it,” DJ Slack told. “I was doing three parties a weekend.”

His love for music grew as he continued to navigate life’s milestones. He now hosts 91.3 FM WBNY “The Gospel Party 716”, where he has been for two years.

But DJ Slack also has another title: dad.

He told Kassahun that hip-hop and Gospel were focal points in his home.

“During the summer, I would come home from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and go into the garden, put on some music, maybe a barbecue, have dance competitions. They were always around Dad DJing music,” he explained.

He inspired the next generation of future hip-hop curators and writers.

Her eldest, Schondra Aytch, is a hip-hip enthusiast from Buffalo and the creator of Sneakvibing Media.

The father said: “Schondra first got involved in dancing and she was a very good dancer.”

“I saw him in the studio all the time, covering and interviewing hip-hop artists. He’s been doing this for years,” said Schondra Aytch, a freelance culture and music writer.

She essentially inherits all of his talents and gifts from him.

“And not just hip-hop. The influences that lead to hip-hop like disco, funk, soul, R&B. I grew up with a very large repertoire of music, and that probably sparked my early love for music and music just naturally brings people together to me,” Aytch said.

You can see the two working on projects in Buffalo.

Their latest collaboration took place during Schondra’s second annual “Ladies First” event, which took place in May.

Although DJ Slack has many titles, his favorite is “Daddy” and he will be able to share and show off his passion with any of his children for years to come.

“Even though my father is very boring, he is very gifted and I feel very grateful to have him in my life and for teaching me about music, but also about community and people. I think he is a major foundation of my being in the arts and having enough confidence in myself to evolve as I evolve in the artistic and musical space,” added Schondra.