I have never felt so proud to be a Torontonian as I was when I hung out withProducer and DJ, Agile.

5 Juno nominations with his group, BrassMunk; multiple MuchMusic Award nominations; 2009 Stylus Mixtape Award Winner; and running game all over the city – everything from DJing at local events to running youth based initiatives. Was I excited to Meet DJ Agile? Heck Yes! He is one of my hometown heroes.

In this industry, meeting cool, influential, ridiculously talented people is just another Monday in the ol’ office. Sometimes I feel like I’m getting a PhD in “Cool people from across the globe” with a masters in “Life Stories”. It’s a pretty sweet gig, and Agile has added his name to this list. When the offer to interview DJ Agile came across my desk something funny happened – a rush of patriotic pride, sweet nostalgia and fandomodiom took over me. Hell yeah! DJ Agile!

Now if I get a little gushy you’ll have to excuse me. This interview has a pretty personal spin on it. You could say Agile had a serious part of my welcoming party to Toronto.

When I first moved to the city I had no idea how to fill the hip-hop/soul vibe I loved in my previous hometown. After much searching, and many club-night misses I was introduced to “The Main Ingredient” party held at Revival Nightclub every month. After that it was just mere steps to being submerged back into a music culture that welcomed me with open arms. When I walked out of Revival that first night, popped my headphones in for the walk home and turned on BrassMunk little did I know how synchronized that moment was.The Main Ingredient? BrassMunk? Me feeling like TO was home for the first time? All of these things had “5 degrees of Separation”- and Agile was Kevin Bacon in that moment. Merely a few months later I’d be interviewing one of the founding DJs of one of the best parties the city has to offer and the man behind one of the sickest hip hop groups out of Canada.

Besides being one of the founding DJs of the Main Ingredient, Agile is also a massive part of the Remix Project; a group dedicated to level the playing field for disadvantaged and marginalized youth. As the Recording Arts Program leader, Agile uses his experience to teach youth the ins and outs of the recording arts industry, which includes a working resume that includes NaS, Jully Black, Glenn Lewis and Kardinal Offishall. He’s also involved withGroove & Graffiti, who have a history of taking part in the TD Toronto Jazz Festival.  Groove & Graffiti reaches out to students to teach them about aerosol art alongside beats. Along with local artists Mediah and Elicser, Agile has helped make this decade long program a success.