“Music will be a big part in your life.” These are the words that Rosice “Ceasefire” Batsuli read in 11th grade as he cracked open a fortune cookie. That piece of paper has now become a reality. Batsuli, better known as Cease or deejay Ceasefire, is a junior music business major who has been breathing the life of a disc jockey for almost four years. If you don’t know who he is, you must not be a student at Winston-Salem State University. If you’re a student who has never seen or heard his talent, you must be deaf. Cease came a long way from one “chromed-out” turntable (held up on a dresser), 10 records (only hard core rap) and a paycheck from Pizza Hut. “My first gig was in the Thompson Center,” he said, “for $25 for a poetry [program].” At this point he realized that he needed more records.Cease’s next gig in the Whitaker Gym would nearly change the entire meaning of intramural games. “I asked Wimbush if I could just start playing music in the gym during the games, and after that, anytime I was in that gym, the bleachers were filled.” As a freshman, not only did the games get him much exposure, but he also began performing at cookouts, parties and clubs. Cease says he would wake up early and lay down late, as he endured life as a disc jockey. And that’s exactly what being a disc jockey means to him – it’s a life. Any of Cease’s peers can tell you that he thoroughly does his research. “When I came back my sophomore year, I had read up on records in the summertime … I study it [music],” said Cease. “When you catch me in the computer lab, I’m checkin’ the charts, the Billboard charts, I’m always askin’ what was on 106&Park, tryin’ to make sure what’s hot, or what’s going to be hot.” Very rarely do you even see this deejay dancing at a party, but instead, “All I do is stand back and study how the crowd reacts to certain music.” Eve’s productions, Reflections, and deejay Tommy G are only a few of those who have aided Cease in getting where he is. He has been a deejay at big name parties including those with Capone and Noreaga, and has since got the chance to meet Funk Master Flex. Experienced deejays, such as Storm in Charlotte, have complimented his talents and told him he can go far if he sticks to it.Anybody who knows anything about being a deejay knows that it is certainly not cheap maintaining all the needed equipment and material. Not only do you have to think about turntables, but a new record or single comes out everyday. All this adds up. Cease spends anywhere from $50 to $150 each time he steps foot in a record store. In the beginning, Cease’s parents, who are African, didn’t really understand the whole concept of a deejay. “My parents were skeptical at first,” said Cease. Cease performed his “scratching skills” for a talent as a contestant in the Mr. Ram pageant 2002, and what his mother deemed as just a hobby turned into the utmost support as she saw the passion her son had to deejay. Now, “My family, especially my brother and sister, are really supportive,” said Cease.His mom’s support allowed him to crossover and even perform at African parties. Cease said he believes this thirst for entertainment and mixing is actually spiritual. He was the first generation of his family to move here to the United States. His family is from the Congo in Africa, and he was born in Brussels, Belgium. Batsuli has been in Charlotte since he was three. “Each one of us in our family is extremely talented and I think God put us here in America, because America has opportunities,” he said. “Another thing is that I’ve been getting signs.” Not only did his first fortune cookie depict his musical fortune, but another one which read, “You will do well to expand your business,” is a sign that represents what he hopes for in his future endeavors. So, from where did the name “Ceasefire” derive? Originally, it was simply DJ Cease, but with the growing attention he was receiving, he ventured for a new name. “I was watching Rambo one day, and the lieutenant had yelled out, cease fire! I liked it; I called up Sport [John Adams], he liked it too, so it stuck.” John Adams, Junior, Mass Communications major, has been behind Cease since the beginning of his deejay venture. He said, “Cease is a big dreamer, but he only sees the master plan and he would rather skip all the [small] avenues [along the way]. I told him he couldn’t go straight to stardom; he had to crawl before he walked.” Cease expressed his appreciation for his friends and said, “My friends helped me open up my eyes to stuff I’ve always wanted to do. That’s another thing with your destiny, sometimes when you’re movin’ away from certain stuff you should be doin’, some things will bring you back toward what you really wanted to do deep down inside.” One can hear Ceasefire mixing a variety of music anywhere from Go-Go to House, oldies to rump-shaking beats. “Deejaying is all psychological,” he said. “You have to be able to watch and read the crowd.” Cease also revealed one of his secrets to being a deejay. “Basically, what you have to do is make everybody feel special … a big thing is talking to the crowd.” Ultimately, DJ Ceasefire wants to be owner and CEO of a record company and also said, “I’m trying to get my own DJ mix squad.” From only one turntable to two, 10 records to about 900, and from a job at Pizza Hut to charging up to $500 to deejay for one event, this student entrepreneur is definitely on his way and has the backing of not only his friends, but a strong confidence in himself, bearing the phrase a deejay like no other. “I believe everything happens for a reason, and each person has their own destiny, but it depends on you, if you have that drive to go get it or let it slip by.”
Contact Janell J. Lewis at jlewis@thenewsargus.com.