DJiRATE: The Official Bio

Birth Name Ward Chipman Pitfield VII
Occupation Vinyl Manipulator
Hometown Toronto, Canada
Catch Phrase BOW DOWN OR BE DESTROYED

DJiRATE got his first set of turntables back in 1995, a well-loved pair of belt-drive Gemini DD-30s. Inspired by the likes of Grand Master Roc Raida (RIP), the X-Men, Invisible Skratch Piklz & The Beat Junkies, he quickly gravitated towards the world of turntablism – scratching, juggling and battling. He then became a hermit and dedicated his life to honing his skills. In the early 2000s he began entering every sort of DJ competition he could. In 2008 he won the Ottawa DMC Championships and placed 3rd in the Canadian DMC Finals.

When DMC Canada dissolved in 2009, iRATE teamed up with producer & MPC madman Fresh Kils. The duo brought a unique brand of live performance to the stage: wild MPC pad mashing combined with fader flicking turntable pyrotechnics. The potent combo was built for hip-hop, and the two have backed some of the finest MCs in Canada – Ghettosocks, More or Les, Toolshed & King Jus to name a few. Everyday iRATE continues to innovate and push the boundaries of what a turntable is capable of, and he keeps bringing the heat with the cuts and his very own, world famous hot sauce: ZOMG.

Highlights:

  • Opened for Necro with Fresh Kils
  • Opened for AZ, Freeway, Pumpkinhead & Mr. Lif with Ghettosocks
  • Opened for Ice Cube & Maestro Fresh Wes with Fresh Kils & King Jus
  • Performed with More or Les at 2009 Under Pressure Graffiti Festival in Montreal
  • Performed with Fresh Kils, Peter Project & Chris Quotes at the 2009 Manifesto Chapter 3 Art Exhibition
  • Scratches featured on the 2009 Ghettosocks album Treat of The Day
  • Performed with More or Les, Fresh Kils and & Timbuktu on CBC GO! national radio show

Battle stats:

  • 2008 Canadian DMC Finals 3rd place
  • 2008 Ottawa DMC Champion
  • 2008 Oshawa DMC 2nd place
  • 2007 Analog Ward Lightweight Freestyle Scratching Champion
  • 2007 Canadian DMC Battle for Supremacy Semi-Finalist
  • 2007 Montreal DMC 3rd place
  • 2007 Quebec City DMC 3rd place
  • 2007 London DMC 2nd place
  • 2007 Toronto Battlegroundz 1st runner up
  • 2006 Toronto DMC 4th place
  • 2006 London DMC 3rd place
  • 2005 Hip-Hop You Don’t Stop Festival 2nd runner up
  • 2005 Marc Ecko Getting Up Festival DJ Beatdown 2nd runner up

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