DJ Q

Born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, Shollen Michael Quarshie, known as DJ Q, built a career tied to the bassline, UK garage and grime scenes of northern England. Active since the early 2000s, DJ Q started DJing at a young age and established himself first on the local circuit and then on radio, joining BBC Radio 1Xtra in 2004 to present the UKG Mix Show, which he hosted for several years. His productions are marked by a direct sense of rhythm, prominent basslines and club-minded songwriting that remains rooted in the British garage aesthetic. Among his early landmark tracks are "Love Like This (The Reasons)", "Tea Bag", "Dirty" and 2008’s "You Wot!", the latter of which broadened his visibility and led to remix work for artists such as Amy Winehouse, Dizzee Rascal, Keri Hilson and Katy B. DJ Q subsequently released the albums The Archive (2012) and Ineffable (2014), while putting out several singles and EPs on labels like Local Action, Butterz and Party Like Us as well as on his own imprint. Since 2015 he has also been part of TQD, a trio formed with Flava D and Royal-T; their album ukg was released in 2017.