Rhettmatic is a Filipino-American DJ and record producer who was born as Nazareth Nirza in the United States in 1969. He is famous for being a member and creator of the Beat Junkies, the first turntable band in Southern California, and for being part of the first Asian-American duo to release a hip-hop record. Nirza achieved early professional recognition in 1983 with the DJ group Double Platinum in Cerritos, California. He was mentored by the Beat Junkies member DJ Curse, whose turntable techniques influenced his interest in the craft. Nirza claimed the titles of DMC West Coast Champion (1996) and ITF 2x Team World Champion (1997/1998). In 1994, he co-founded the underground hip-hop ensemble the Visionaries. His discography includes the studio recordings Kozmonautz (1995), The World Famous Beat Junkies Volume 2 (1998), and Crown Royale (2010), the latter recorded with the rapper Buff1. He also released the joint project A.D.I.D.A.S. (2010) with the musician Ras Kass. Nirza has collaborated with artists including Peanut Butter Wolf, Madlib, and DJ Premier, and served as the tour show DJ for J Dilla in 2005.
