Close up on Fong Fong, French DJ supertalent

World DJ champs are the heroes of their discipline. They are all special, but Fong Fong is one of a kind. He is probably the one with the most humorous and original personality. We all know Fong Fong’s routines, but what do we know about the man himself? 

Interviewed by DJ ND  

DJ ND: Fong Fong, everyone on the DJ scene knows you. There’s one thing we are curious about: Where does your artist name come from?

It comes from a Korean movie directed by Jackie Chan. It's about a little girl called Fong Fong. At some point in the movie, she was facing a difficult choice: Continuing practicing a competition in martial arts, which was her passion, or taking a conventional job. I guess you know what she chose. There are some similarities with my own journey. I participated in a lot of competitions. I went 2nd a couple of times before winning major competitions. 2012 was a turn for me when I won the DMC online battle. 

DJ ND: You have your own style: technical, musical, and original. Also, there’s a touch of humor in every single performance. Is that important for you? Do you see it as a differentiator?

Maybe! It’s just a part of my personality. Even at school back in the day, I was the entertainer of the class. That’s just the way I am. If I can put a smile on people’s faces, then my job is done. I remember when I started DJing, some aspects of the game seemed way too serious for me. Everybody is so focused, in competition mode ... I’m not afraid to wear costumes. I did it a couple of times with Angelo, and I even did a live appearance on stage during Fly & Netik's performance. Entertainment is important in my eyes. 

DJ ND: Besides your technical skills, you always take care of your image. Your videos are always very professional. That's the impression people get. Where do your video skills come from? 

DJ ND: You’re also working a lot for brands. Is it important for you to be implicated on product development? Making the trends? 

I always try to deliver original and clean work. I respect the image of the brand, and I’m thankful that the companies are booking me as a flagship to represent them. I like to share my feedback with brands to enhance the customer experience of the DJs. Helping the whole culture moving forward is crucial. It’s my contribution to the community.  

DJ ND: How would you describe the experience of being a world Champ? Was it a real door opener or was it just another commercial asset to develop your game?

- It opens doors and gives visibility - that’s a fact. You get more followers and a kind of recognition in the game. But it’s not that it changed my life from one day to another. The fame is not comparable to what it was in the late 90s. Champs were legends back then. The game changed a bit as other competitions with more commercial power emerged. But fame has never been my goal. I started DJing when I was 22 years old. I’ve been influenced by the hip hop culture, the chorus with the scratched sentences. I was attracted by the world of vinyl and turntables. But it took me a few years to be able to afford my first set up.

- I give online lessons and I’m also teaching in a DJ school in Lyon in France. I’m giving scratching and beat-juggling lessons to the students for 3-4 weeks a year. The most important thing I try to share is passion. Being passionate about a goal or dream and working hard are the only secrets to reaching the objective. So far, only a few DJs really have a passion for the technical aspects of DJing. Other DJs are more interested in partying and producing.  

DJ ND: What do you prefer? 

• Scratching or beatjuggling? - Scratching  

• Parties or festivals? - Both

• Turntablism or producing? - Nowadays, I would say production. But scratching stays my first love. 

• Q.Bert or D-Styles? - Q.Bert for the person he is. 

• Unkut or Craze? - Craze, he is the big boss. Unkut is the best technician ever to me, even though I don’t always feel his music taste.

DJ ND: Tell us about your projects.

- I have this project with Vacarm. We are a team of three DJs: MartOne, Thomas, and myself, who are working on an album. We complete each other in an interesting way. We’re currently dealing with majors to launch our project. It has been a journey, but I believe in the project. More news soon - keep a lookout.