Anouar Hajoui got his stage name after arriving in New York City. A member of Funk Master Flex's crew in 1988, Anouar was literally an unknown name. While he sharpened his skills one day shortly after his arrival, another member of the crew said, "Hey man, you're killin' those cuts." The young Parisian (originally from Morocco) liked the sound of the compliment so much that he edited it to DJ Cut Killer. Soon, one of Europe's most popular DJs emerged.




Fast forwarding 20 years, Cut Killer found himself in Phuket earlier this month playing a show at the White Box Restaurant on Kalim Beach. I took him aside before he escaped to a press conference in the lobby of his hotel. He was dressed in a baby blue shirt topped by a baby blue New York Yankees cap and his signature diamond-studded CK necklace dangling well below his sternum. I was less than impressed.



He had the look of what some would call a poser. However, as the saying goes, looks can be deceiving. It didn't take long for me to realize that Cut Killer can certainly play his part as a provider of great music and as an instigator of dance. He's mixed a genuine passion for his career with a heightened sense of professionalism. That mixture has helped Anouar sharpen his cuts enough to separate himself from the rest of the dull knives in the DJ drawer.



After a short introduction, Cut Killer lightly tapped his cigarette butt against his lighter, lit the cigarette and thus began a short synopsis of his road to success and how he found himself in Phuket.

It started with a move to New York City and a lucky break doing warm-up for Funk Master Flex--one of the true legendary forefathers of the American hip-hop scene. Cut Killer's practice and research paid off one day when he was told he would be opening a gig at the Tunnel--a famous Chelsea, Manhattan venue featuring everything from unisex bathrooms to a Victorian library lounge.



Having mixed with the likes of DJ Qbert, Dee Nasty, DJ Whoo Kid and DJ Jazzy Jeff, Cut Killer has been spinning hip-hop beats for nearly a generation now. In that time, he's spun turntables all over the United States and Europe, so a venture into Asia seemed only logical.



Sandwiched between a start in China and a finish in Doha, Qatar was a stop on Phuket. So why Phuket? Because Cut Killer had already played in Bangkok last year and was looking to branch out--not to mention to take a much needed 2-day holiday on a tropical island to break up the monotony of touring.



"After the show I'm gonna spend time on the beach and relax," he said. "Touring is rough. Four hours of sleep here, four hours of sleep there. With so much travel, if you can't sleep on a plane, you can't do this job."



Cut Killer is a true professional. He prepares 2 weeks in advance for his shows, and each one is different.



"I've got some mixed tapes ready, but I totally freestyle when I see the crowd," he said.

I asked him what he likes to do when he's not mixing tapes.



"I'm definitely working all the time," he replied. "I've got a weekly show on MTV called 'Shake Your Booty,' and I'm currently working on a movie."



That film will be his sixth, the most notable being an appearance in La Haine (Hate).

I asked Anouar if he prefers touring Europe or Asia.



"I didn't expect to be doing this," he said. "I remember watching Funk Master Flex touring the world, and I said, 'Damn, I wanna do that,' and now I am."



It didn't take a psychologist to understand what the big smile on his face meant as he spoke those words.



Later that night, Cut Killer situated himself behind his turntables located in the corner of the White Box's rooftop bar. Looking out over the Andaman sea, he wove classic hip-hop, '70s funk and even some rock 'n' roll. It was easy to see Cut Killer was primarily concerned with keeping people on the dance floor. He worked the crowd like the true professional he is, balancing his turntable and emcee duties with numerous photo requests. All the while, Anouar wore the enthusiastic smile of someone who's just entered the business.



Perhaps he was concerned about the crowd's appetite for popular music. I found much of the show to be sharp but far from cutting-edge. Just as I was beginning to feel a bit let down, Cut Killer played the stuff he wanted to play--French hip-hop. The enthusiasm for his brethren's craft seemed to ooze from his nimble fingers on to the vinyl.



It was refreshing to hear new music on Phuket, music you can't hear in the Patong club mixes or from Thai cover bands. It was in those last minutes of the show that Cut Killer turned the night around for most of the people lucky enough to be there.