THE SCRAPE - ISSUE 1

DJ Arcadia - By Salo

DJ Arcadia is a Portland based DJ who has been rising in prominence over the last few years. Born in Clackamas, OR, and growing up in Damascus, OR, they tell us how they spent much of their youth "out in the country, and how that seeded in them a desire to "gtfo" of their small town (a relatable feeling). This is how DJ Arcadia wound up in Portland with us, making epic nights of music across town. Known for their wide variety of mixes of various musical genres their involvement in the Portland hip-hop scene is prolific. We were lucky enough to host them onstage at Fall Fest 2022 (the predecessor of Spring Fest 2023) and we were not disappointed. 

Their musical journey started in the fifth grade when they started on the saxophone. While they would eventually abandon the sax, their teenage years found them amidst aspiring hip-hop artists, and a group of friends that were rappers cutting their teeth making music. 

In addition to their emergent music career, DJ Arcadia is one of the founders of the Flowshow, a local hip-hop showcase that helps pool funds to help buy groceries for Portland's Food Pantry. It's a beautiful thing when music is used for a greater purpose than entertainment, and that point is not lost on DJ Arcadia. They are also the recipient of PDX Hip-Hop week's "In Good Hands Award", and the host of Project Northwest, an all local hip-hop and R&B radio broadcast on Freeform Portland. 

To add a final note, here is a little tidbit from the artist, as requested during our interview: "I think I'm an all around pretty cool person, and I'd like that to be officially on the record." I'm sure they were joking, but I'm not. As a musician, a community advocate, and an organizer of the events where that community lives, DJ Arcadia is indeed an all around cool person.