
I listened to my first DJ Private Ryan mix in the spring of 2008 when a pretty girl behind a red MacBook loaned me two CD’s that had Trinidad’s latest soca from that year and the year before. This is before I knew who DJ Private Ryan was or that we went to the same school and had mutual friends.
Over two years later DJ Private Ryan or “the Wizard” as I like to refer to him has been entertaining thousands (maybe even millions) including myself with his “versatile” mixes. He makes a point of exploring a wide range of genres so that he not only includes the standard, dancehall/reggae, hip-hop and soca but also gives his listeners a taste of genres they may not be usually exposed to like dance/trance/house, alternative and parang.
The time and dedication he puts into his work is clearly evident in his mixes and even more so if you’ve had a chance to hear him play live. He is by no means perfect or infallible but even when mixes haven’t lived up to the high bar he has set for himself you can appreciate his desire to always push the envelope and take the chances necessary to develop his craft.
So maybe you know all of this about Ryan and you’ve been listening to his mixes since before I even knew him but all the same I’d like to share what in my opinion are essential DJ Private Ryan listening. Without further ado here are MY
Top 5 DJ Private Ryan Mixes of all time. (So far.) (with links where available):
5. Reggae Magic (Old & New) 2009
4. Best of Summer Dancehall 2008
3. Private Ryan Vs. The Music - Sep 15th Virgo Birthday Edition 2009
2. Post Carnival Relief 2010
1. 2008 Year in Review Megamix - 2hr iPod Version
Honorable Mentions:
1. Bodyheat (Gym Mix) 2009
2. Soca Baby 2010
Be sure to check out the other great mixes he’s published on http://djprivateryan.libsyn.com/
And check out his Facebook page for the latest updates on new mix releases.
Hey Ryan keep up the great work.