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Local Musician Prefers Performing To His Own Beats
When Chorney, now 28, attended I.S. 211 — where he earned the nickname Drummaboy J. — he built his own drum set and played beats he heard on the radio. He spent a year pleading with his parents to give him drum lessons. “I don’t want to bang on the table.” Their response, “Maybe one day…” Fate — or coincidence — soon stepped in when Chorney discovered that drummer Jerry Cuccurullo, who also attended 211 (and whose brother, Warren Cuccurullo, was a member of the popular 1980s group, Duran Duran) was giving drum lessons. Chorney asked his mother, who said that he could start the following week! Shortly after the lessons began, the teacher realized his student was learning by ear rather than reading music, so he encouraged him to create his own beats. Having his own built-in mechanism for rhythm, hip-hop came naturally, and Chorney composed a hip-hop version of the popular Christmas song, “Jingle Bells.” His dream progressed after he moved on to Canarsie High School where Drummaboy J. often “dropped the beat” on lunchroom tables while hundreds of students listened in and others joined in for freestyle rapping. During music class, kids would line the hallways just to hear Drummaboy J. play. He later met two guitarists and they formed Spilt Milk, a group that performed at several nightspots, including the well-known CBGB’s in lower Manhattan, but after a tragedy, the band dissolved three years later. It was the last band Drummaboy J. was in before he went out on his own. He earned a Gold Medal in Instrumental Music at Canarsie High School and when he performed a drum solo at his graduation ceremony, his classmates gave him a standing ovation. Chorney soon learned other instruments by ear, including keyboards and the bass and electric guitars. Eventually, he built his own home studio and became a one-man band for which he wrote the songs and played the instruments. In 2001, he released a 15-song recording for which he wrote, performed and sang all the songs, including the tune “I Give Her What She Wants.” That song soon came to the attention of Hill Top Records, which offered him a contract. The record company rearranged the song to a soft rock rhythm then used professional studio equipment to enhance its beats. The new version is featured on the America CD compilation. Chorney, who lives on East 100 Street, creates his own electronic hip-hop beats on a keyboard. He currently works with E-Class, a group of technical rap artists who use computers to record vocals and improve the sound quality. While music is a major part of his life, Chorney is also a physical education teacher at a Brooklyn high school and a personal trainer at the local Hebrew Educational Society. Music is his dream and passion, he explained, “but I need to pay the bills.” His parents encouraged him to pursue his dream, but also enforced the importance of a back-up plan. In addition to Chorney, the other members of E-Class — Nazdaq (Sean Pomerantz), Mackalevin (McKenzie Etienne) and The Future (Elvin E. Lindo Jr.) — also grew up in Canarsie and are also members of the HES. Chorney feels that experience of life’s ups and downs leads to stories for his songs. He also said that E-Class’s raps send a positive message. The name E-Class was chosen because they will not release a song until it is “excellent.” The group is working on its first album that could be released this spring. For more information on Drummaboy J., and to hear his music, check out his website at www.drummaboyj.com .
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