Alex “Kid MK” Tribe reps York at the Red Bull Thre3Style competition
Mike Mannarino
Staff writer
The stage was set and the lights blared bright as the rocked the Sound Academy November 12. The event showcased the top 10 DJs in Canada in a smorgasbord of sounds. I can only assume the folks on Toronto island heard the echo of incredible talent.
Never missing an opportunity to promote itself, Red Bull pulled out all the stops for this event, setting up the stage with expensive equipment—as well as a couple hundred advertisements.
The 10 newly-selected DJs as well as last year’s national champion, Drastik, competed for the all-important victory that would bring them to the world stage later this year.
A panel of experts evaluated the DJs on technique, originality, and overall performance during the show. The crux of the competition was that the performers had to mix three genres of music in 15 minutes. The judges had their work cut out for them, as the performers were all quite skilled.
The process of selecting the participants takes months, with each DJ winning a regional competition, followed by a national championship. These two events lead the victorious DJ to the world championships, conveniently located in Canada as well.
One of the DJs competing in the event was York’s own Alex “Kid MK” Tribe from London, Ontario, showing off some impressive skills as one of the youngest competitors in the event.
He got his start in music playing piano, moving to mixing later in life.
“DJing is one of those things you start as a hobby,” says Tribe. “DJing started that way for me, and all of a sudden, it was paying for my tuition; […] I applied to work at Sound Academy and they never hired me and now I’m performing here.”
Kid MK was the eighth DJ to perform that evening, going on a little after midnight. Each 15-minute set was quickly followed by the next performer. This made the night flow seamlessly, creating a true concert feel. The crowd seemed to enjoy every ounce of energy pumped through the Sound Academy.
His 15-minute set had over 40 tracks that ranged from hip-hop to electro to dancehall.
“It’s a Party Rock style,” says Tribe. “In 15 minutes, I’m playing 49 tracks. You can really have some fun with it.”
With each track around eight seconds, his mixes had to be precise to compete against the other seasoned veterans in this contest.
Kid MK, as well as the other competitors, were exceptional at getting the crowd dancing until the wee hours of the morning.
Unfortunately, Tribe did not win the event, but still showed great talent. Hopefully next year he will take the crown if he chooses to compete. Regardless of the outcome, we know for certain he has incredible skill; hopefully he’ll be available for some York events in the near future.
