{{short description|English DJ}} {{Multiple issues| {{BLP sources|date=February 2012}} {{fanpov|date=February 2010}} }} {{EngvarB|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians --> | name = DJ Format | image = | caption = | image_size = | birth_name = Matt Ford | birth_date = | origin = Southampton, England | genre = Hip-hop | occupation = DJ | years_active = 2003–present | label = | associated_acts = | website = }} '''Matt Ford''', better known as '''DJ Format''' (a near-inversion of his birth name),<ref name="Chronicle">{{cite news| last =Farrage| first =Richard| title =Homegrown talent's a hit: DJ Format| page =21| newspaper =Evening Chronicle| date =29 May 2006}}</ref> is a hip hop DJ born in Southampton, England who lives in Brighton. He collaborates frequently with Abdominal on the album ''Music For the Mature B-Boy'' and with Abdominal and fellow Canadian rapper D-Sisive on the second full album ''If You Can't Join 'Em… Beat 'Em'',<ref>{{cite news| last =Pettie| first =Andrew| title =Pop CDs of the week: Eliza Carthy, Mark Owen, DJ Format and M.I.A| page =10| newspaper =The Daily Telegraph| date =16 April 2005| url =https://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/04/16/bmpopcdwk16.xml&page=2| accessdate =8 May 2008 }}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> as well as with Akil and Chali 2na from Jurassic 5.{{cn|date=August 2021}}
== Career == Ford's first hip hop influences included A Tribe Called Quest and Main Source. One of his first releases was The Underground Strikes Back by Suspekt (Move. Germany 1996) features DJ Format on production and scratching. He established a relationship with Jurassic 5 and initially travelled with them as their bus driver.<ref>{{cite news| last =Nanda| first =Sam| title =DJ sticks to winning hip hop Format | page =58| newspaper =Coventry Evening Telegraph| date =28 April 2005}}</ref> He came to national attention in 2002 when he opened on tour for DJ Shadow.<ref name="Chronicle" /> In 2005, ''If You Can't Join 'Em… Beat 'Em'' reached the top 10 of the UK indie albums chart.<ref>{{cite news| title =The charts: Music| page =33| newspaper =The Independent| date =29 April 2005}}</ref>
DJ Format's debut album "Music for the Mature B-Boy" was one of the slowburn success stories of 2003. Received with quiet acclaim in the press it quickly became a word of mouth triumph, going on to establish itself as one of the most successful debut artist albums from the UK alternative/urban scene. The campaign was successful for a number of reasons not least its three music videos directed by the then unknown Ruben Fleischer. The most famous of these was the rap and breakdancing costumed animals of 'We Know Something You Don't Know' featuring the vocals of Chali 2na and Akil of Jurassic 5 – played out by a shark and tiger respectively. "Music For The..." also led to Format supporting (alongside regular collaborator MC Abdominal) Jurassic 5 on their European tour, and through subsequent touring in 2003 establishing Format as one of the hottest live hip hop tickets in town culminating in triumphant appearances at Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds festivals and worldwide touring taking in the whole of Europe, North America and Australia.
In 2005 Format released his second album "If You Can't Join 'Em… Beat 'Em" and toured extensively throughout 2005/06.
In 2006 Format's ''fabriclive 27'' in the Fabric DJ mix series was one of the most well received of the series. His DJ sets are renowned for their boundary-crossing selection of the funk, soul, rock & hip-hop and his fabric mix showed off a condensed version of the party set that he's built a solid reputation on. This was followed up by his own underground mix of obscure Eastern European beats, the now highly collectable 'European Vacation' CD. In 2008 Format released another mix album, this time for the Fania label, applying his b-boy style to a catalogue of Latin music. Alongside this, Format also discreetly released a 12" tribute to James Brown, ''Stealin' James''.
==Discography==
===Albums=== * ''Music for the Mature B-Boy'' (2003) * ''If You Can't Join 'Em… Beat 'Em'' (2005) – UK Albums Chart No. 73<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 159}}</ref>
* ''Statement of Intent'' (2012) *''The Foremost'' DJ Format & Phill Most Chill (2013) *''Still Hungry'' DJ Format & Abdominal (2017) *''Devil's Workshop'' (2021)
===Mixes=== * ''A Right Earful Vol. 1'' (2005) * ''FabricLive.27'' (April 2006) * ''European Vacation'' (2006) * ''Fania DJ Series – DJ Format'' (June 2007) * ''Stealin' James'' (2008) * ''Holy Shit'' with Mr Thing (2008) * ''Kings of Rock'' (2009) * ''The Simonsound – Have You Heard...'' (2009)
===Singles=== * "Vinyl Overdose" – Bomb Hip Hop (1997) * "English Lesson" – Bomb Hip-Hop (1999) * "Ill Culinary Behaviour" Featuring Abdominal – Genuine Records (2001) * "B-Boy Code" Genuine Records (2002) * "We Know Something You Don't Know" With Akil and Chali 2na from Jurassic 5 (2003) – UK Singles Chart No. 73<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> * "The Hit Song" (Feat. Abdominal) (2003) * "Vicious Battle Raps" (Feat. Abdominal) (2003) * "Rap Machine" (2005) (Feat. Abdominal) * "3-Feet Deep" (2005) (Feat. Abdominal & D-Sisive) * "Separated at Birth" (2005) (Feat. Abdominal & D-Sisive) * "Mr. D.J." (2011) (Feat. Sureshot La Rock)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.djformat.com Official website] * {{MusicBrainz artist|id=65323ae4-1a49-497f-8f58-ae42b6c05eb6|name=DJ Format}} * [http://www.ilikemusic.com/interview/DJ_Format Interview with ilikemusic.com]
===Music videos=== * [http://www.ruben.fm/work/music_videos/djFormat_theHit/index.html "The Hit Song", directed and hosted by Ruben Fleischer] * [http://www.ruben.fm/work/music_videos/djFormat_weKnow/index.html "We Know Something You Don't Know", directed and hosted by Ruben Fleischer] * [http://www.ruben.fm/work/music_videos/djFormat_viciousBattle/index.html "Vicious Battle Raps", directed and hosted by Ruben Fleischer] * [http://www.keithschofield.com/djformat-video/ "3 Feet Deep", directed and hosted by Keith Schofield]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Format, DJ}} Category:British hip-hop DJs Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people