by Jason Birchmeier
Baltimore club DJ/producer Aaron LaCrate is the founder of Milkcrate Records. His style of music draws from a variety of club styles, primarily ghetto-tech, dirty rap, grime, electro, and bass music. Though he'd been active as a DJ in Baltimore since the 1990s, LaCrate didn't begin to make a name for himself internationally until 2006 with the Bmore Gutter Music mix album on Milkcrate Records. Also that year, he released the Blow Remix EP, which featured a number of raps by Amanda Blank and co-productions by Debonair Samir, and remixed Lily Allen's hit single "Smile." LaCrate subsequently toured as a DJ with Allen and teamed with DJ/producer Mark Ronson for a series of YoYo club nights in New York City. Meanwhile, his production work continued with a remix of Dizzee Rascal's "Pussyole" in 2007 and the Delicious Gutter Remixes 12" EP (featuring Young MC and Master Ace Incorporated) in 2008. There was also Wow That's What I Call Gutter Music, Vol. 1 (2007), a Milkcrate Records release that compiled some of LaCrate and Samir's recent production work.