ARTIST TALK: DJ Spanish Fly

In the clubs and streets of 1980s Memphis, DJ Spanish Fly was bringing hip-hop to the South and forging a new local sound: raw, hypnotic, bass-heavy music recorded on basic equipment and distributed through cassette tapes. Now recognised as the Godfather of Memphis Rap, his influence can be heard across a spectrum of genres worldwide.

In conversation with writer and cultural strategist William Skeaping, Spanish Fly returns to the people, places and circumstances that forged the scene. Navigating through photographs from his personal archive, and accompanied by live musical elements, they explore his musical inspirations and lo-fi production techniques, alongside the wider world of Memphis that shaped them – from church and radio, to gangs, race and corruption. This is the story of how a local underground sound became a global enterprise.