It's Just Begun

The Epic Journey of DJ Disco Wiz, Hip Hop's First Latino DJ

By: Ivan Sanchez, Louis Cedeno

Narrated by: Joe Rodriguez

Half-Cuban, half-Puerto Rican, Luis "DJ Disco Wiz" Cedeño is 100 percent Boogie Down Bronx. Born in the 60s, Wiz struggled in a turbulent and violent relationship with his alcoholic father while trying to protect his mother, who was suffering from breast cancer. Raised in the 70s, Wiz learned the code of the streets while hustling with his crew, the East Side Boys.

In 1975, Wiz discovered salvation when he hooked up with the legendary Grandmaster Caz to form the Mighty Force Crew, waging some of the biggest DJ battles in the Bronx during hip hop's earliest years.

When Hip Hop first hit, the DJ was king. Rockin' the party on two turntables for the b-boys and fly girls on the dance floor, DJs like Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash pioneered an art form that has come to define our times.

The first Latino DJ in the game, Wiz, along with Caz, went on to make a "mixed plate" in 1977 which combined sound bites, special effects, and paused beats. An innovator, originator, and a battle-style DJ with no fear, Wiz swept through the Bronx like a tornado.

But the streets wouldn't leave him in peace. After being convicted on an attempted murder charge, sentenced to nine years in prison, and forced to leave his baby daughter, Wiz was incarcerated upstate at the tender age of 17, where he learned the true meaning of desperation. But as time went on and he overcame his struggles with violence, drugs and alcohol, and women, Wiz eventually liberated himself from the path of self-destruction through love, self-respect, and self-determination.

It's Just Begun: The Epic Journey of DJ Disco Wiz, Hip Hop's First Latino DJ is a gritty and gripping tale of one man's struggles to not only survive but triumph over adversity and abuse. It will make your blood run cold. By conquering unimaginable obstacles, Wiz offers inspiration to anyone who has ever wondered, "Why me?"

©2009 Ivan Sanchez and Luis Cedeno (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"It's Just Begun is a meditation on violence, particularly on how violence in the home breeds violence in the streets. In all my years of reading urban literature, I have rarely read such an honest, and self critical description of the act of inflicting violence - of the cost on the person inflicting it, as well as the cost to the victim." (Dr Mark Naison, Professor of African American Studies and History, Fordham University)

Latino's undeniable part in birth of hip hop

As a Puerto Rican raised in the Bronx during the birth of hip hop, I have seen very little literature telling the stories of Puerto Rican/Latino involvement in that process. It was a pleasant surprise to find this well done book which brought me back to an amazing time in the Bronx that literally influenced the world through music and culture. I remember DJ Disco Wiz and always wondered what happen to him. Great that he was able to turn his life around.