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Chicopee resident made an impression at VFiles championships

Date: 9/19/2014

Special to Reminder Publications

CHICOPEE – There is more to competitions than winning and Chicopee resident Adonte “Eskay” Harrell learned that lesson the best way.

Harrell competed in the VFiles Disc Jockey (DJ) Championships during fashion week on Sept.3 at Webster Hall in New York City.         Although he couldn’t officially win because he produces music, he doesn’t DJ; Harrell impressed VFiles and Def Jam Recordings with his work.
   
“I ended up not winning. I produce, I don’t DJ so I couldn’t get the title, but I got most of the prizes because my mix was so good,” Harrell said.
   
“[The experience] was great. It was my first experience as a pre-celebrity. I had interviews with MTV. This is a really good start for my career,” he continued.
   
The prizes he received included music gear and VIP passes to Fashion Week, but the most important reward was exposure.
   
Harrell has been contacted by Def Jam and is hoping to work out a deal with them in the future. The competition was judged by Eric Sermon, a rapper, musician, and music producer who is well-known for his work in the 1990s.
   
“My mix was so good [Sermon] came up onto the stage to watch. I was the only person he did that for,” Harrell said excitedly. “He researched me on the plane to New York [and] was impressed with my work. The other DJs were using other people’s music. My whole set was original from scratch.”
   
Not only did he make connections in the music world, he got his first taste of the fashion world as well.
   
“All the fashion heads were there. There had to be at least 600 people [and] it was packed wall-to-wall,” he explained.
   
Harrell’s hard work over the past five years has put himself in a position to be successful down the road. The 21-year-old hopes that he can be a role model to other people in the area.
   
“I want to be the first to make people realize you can make it making your own music. It’s a positive thing and I try to lead people in the right direction. There’s more out here than the violence you see in the news,” he said.
   
Harrell was one of three finalists selected from over 300 participants who were selected based off their submitted ten minute mix. He has been making music for about five years after his mother introduced him to SL Studio.