Mix Master Mike Becomes First DJ To Virtually Tour Using VR Tech

Mix Master Mike continues to push the boundaries of innovation. The Beastie Boys’ former DJ is now the first turntablist to tour virtually using AR-VR technology as part of Godsmack’s latest tour. Speaking to AllHipHop, Mix Master Mike explained how the idea came to fruition. The lead singer of Godsmack, Sully Erna, reached out for Mix Master Mike to open for the tour but due to Mike’s hectic schedule, he was unable to join the band physically. So, they came up with an alternative.

“The idea was for me to virtually perform a 10-minute intro similar to the days rocking with the Beastie Boys, something that can be achieved using AR-VR technology, with the option of screening in 4k,” he explains. “As far as I know, I am the first artist ever using this approach to live performance.”

Mix Master Mike already completed the international leg on the tour, but the U.S. segment of the tour kicked off at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater in Denver on May 4. Additional dates include Dallas on May 14, Atlanta on May 18 and Charlotte on May 21. It wraps up in Connecticut on May 28.

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Mix Master Mike, who’s a DMC World Champion and member of the Invisibl Skratch Picklz DJ crew, is never afraid to try something new. In fact, it’s the only way to push the craft forward. He adds, “At this point, the future of the art form determines on who is fearless and capable enough to take the risk to leap forward using new technology of today to create a brand new tomorrow.”

In August 2021, Mix Master Mike held a hybrid listening event in Los Angeles for his latest album, Ready Slayer One. With the help of Microsoft and home entertainment company Collimation (co-owned by Adrian Rashad Driscoll and JAY-Z affiliate Young Guru), Mike was able to tap into VR technology to create the first-ever hybrid event. People were able to watch the show in-person, via livestream and through holoportation, which is essentially a Mix Master Mike hologram. Using this technology, people created their own unique avatars to attend the virtual concert without leaving their homes. In an interview with Forbes magazine at the time, Mix Master Mike called it his “Neil Armstrong” moment, likening it to the first time a human being walked on the moon.

With the official 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop landing on August 11, Mix Master Mike has been paying tribute whenever he can. In January, Grandmaster Flash and SiriusXM cooked up a New Year’s Day special for LL COOL J’s Rock The Bells Radio called “The Grandmaster Flash Quik-Mix Theory DJ Marathon.” Hip-Hop fans got to hear personal stories from Flash as well as exclusive mixes from DJ Jazzy Jeff, Mannie Fresh, DJ Kool, Mix Master Mike, DJ Battlecat, Jazzy Jay, Pete Rock, Tony Touch and Scram Jones, to name a few. It’s clear Mike is grateful for his career and a culture that’s given so much to him.

“A big salute to Hip-Hop on its 50th anniversary; a culture I’ve been in love with for over four decades; a culture I’d be nothing without,” he says. “Who knew I’d be able to take it this far? Perhaps god knew all along.” Find the full list of tour dates here.