RICH MEDINA BIOGRAPHY

There are few nightclub DJs that have accomplished as much on a global scale as Rich Medina. From his humble beginnings as a young b-boy-turned-DJ in Lakewood, NJ, to his current status manning the decks as one of the most popular DJs in Philadelphia NYC, Rich Medina has consistently taken multi-ethnic crowds on a sonic journey through hip-hop, house, Afrobeat, funk and soul, unearthing one musical gem after another, for almost 20 years.

Rich Medina cemented his name in the DJ world with his infamous 90’s partnership with Cosmo Baker at The Remedy in Philadelphia. In 1998, his Fun party with DJ Language was part of turning the Lower East Side of Manhattan into the new hot spot for club life. Then came the mother lode, Lil’ Ricky’s Rib Shack, a weekly dance function that started out as a 20-person party at APT in 2001, and evolved into an irreplaceable mid-week NYC institution for over 8 years. There, he connected with fan and hip-hop legend Q-Tip in 2005, eventually combining forces to create the Friday night weekly called Open at the Andrew W.K.-owned Santos Party House in 2007, and was soon considered the hottest Friday night party in NYC for the next 2 years.

Rich introduced a new generation of people to Afrobeat music in 2001, with Jump N’ Funk, the first and most consistent US dance party dedicated to the late African musical icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Rich and the Jump N’ Funk brand recently traveled to San Francisco, LA, and Atlanta headlining Knitting Factory Records’ Felabrations!, a nationwide series of events promoting the re-release of The Fela Kuti EMI Catalog.

No less revered is Rich’s Happy Feet party—where he and another pioneer of the turntables, Nuyorican DJ Bobbito Garcia have traded off dance, salsa, and soul music at clubs all around the world. Next of his branded events in line would be Props, the continuation of Li’l Ricky’s since the closing of APT in March of 2010. In 2008, he also co-founded What The Funke, a James Brown/Fela Kuti tribute party with DJ Spinna.

In addition to his own events, Rich has performed in front of crowds of thousands, DJing shows with artists like Lauryn Hill, De La Soul, Erykah Badu, Seun Kuti, Tony Allen, Nathan Haines, Roy Ayers, Gil Scott-Heron, The Roots, Jill Scott, Antibalas, Zap Mama, and Femi Kuti, among many others. From NYC to LA to London to Tokyo, and everywhere in between, music lovers know not to miss a club night when Rich Medina is manning the decks.

In the summer of 2010, Rich was selected to be one of seven DJ’s to compete on the first ever reality DJ competition, “Smirnoff’s Master of the Mix”, airing on BET and Centric starting November, 2010.

www.richmedina.com

 

Views: 114

Reply to This

Best guide to hip hop, soul, reggae concerts & events in San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles & New York City + music, videos, radio and more

Connect

Subscribe to E-Blast

WIN TICKETS

Steel Pulse
Thursday, May 22 @ UC Theatre, Berkeley

Too $hort, Scarface & DJ Quik
Friday, June 20 @ Fox Theater, Oakland

Earth, Wind & Fire
Friday, June 27 @ Greek Theatre, Berkeley

Macy Gray
Saturday, July 12 @ Palace of Fine Arts, SF

Thievery Corporation
Saturday, Sept 6 @ Fox Theater, Oakland

Members

Photos

  • Add Photos
  • View All

Latest Activity

Editor's Pick posted discussions
1 hour ago
Editor's Pick updated an event
Thumbnail

Crucial Reggae Sundays: Free reggae music in Golden Gate Park at Golden Gate Park Bandshell:

June 29, 2025 at 4:30pm to November 23, 2025 at 7:30pm
Crucial Reggae Sundays: free, family-friendly reggae music in Golden Gate Park hosted by Irie Dole, Guidance, and DJ Sep and featuring special guests every week 4:20 pm to 7:30 pm at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell / Music Concourse: 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118…See More
1 hour ago
Editor's Pick posted discussions
yesterday
realmuzik posted a discussion

The Mo-Fi Collective Drop Highly Anticipated Album “Modal Fidelity Volume II”

Last BeNeVoLeNcE, OnTheRox, and Murphles return to continue delivering the lush jazz-hop and lo-fi textures characteristic of the original. The Mo-Fi Collective weaves thought-provoking and witty lyricism into every beat produced entirely by Last BeNeVoLeNcE. Each track feels like a faded photograph brought to life—warm, raw, and deeply personal. Nostalgic melodies drift…See More
Saturday
Editor's Pick posted discussions
Friday
Editor's Pick commented on Editor's Pick's video
Thursday
Editor's Pick posted videos
Thursday
2 videos by Editor's Pick were featured
Thursday
Editor's Pick shared their discussion on Facebook
Thursday
Editor's Pick shared their discussion on Facebook
Thursday
36 events by Editor's Pick were featured
Thursday
Editor's Pick posted events
Thursday

© 2025   Created by Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service