Machete

Rob Machete began DJing in 1991 as DJ Rob G, spinning hip hop at Los Angeles afterhours staples like No-Doz, What?, and Caffiend as rave culture was just taking shape. Drawn to the UK's emerging techno breakbeat and early jungle on vinyl, he shifted toward the bass-heavy, sample-driven sound that fused breaks with hip hop and reggae. In 1994 he took the name Machete, a nod to his sharp, cut-heavy mixing style, and helped put Junglist Platoon on the map through constant bookings across Greater Los Angeles. His profile grew through a brief Insomniac residency, a feature in URB's NEXT 100 issue, and appearances on the KungFu-Knowledge Tour alongside international names. In 1999, Junglist Platoon launched RESPECT, with Machete handling talent, promotion, and resident duties, helping build it into a globally recognized drum and bass institution and one of the longest-running weeklies of its kind in the U.S.