On the heels of yet another history-making massive show in San Francisco (alongside Fred Again…), Skrillex had me thinking about one person in particular:
Michael Jordan.
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Jordan is widely considered the GOAT (greatest of all time) in basketball and is one the most recognizable and accomplished athletes ever who’s widely respected in that arena. There are many factors that led to such a status: skill, longevity, impact, and aura being some of the main ones. Are we at a point now where we can say Skrillex is the Michael Jordan of EDM?
Is he the GOAT? Let’s break it down by each factor listed above and see how Skrillex matches up.
Skill: We got to a point after multiple 50 point games and playoff performances where no one could doubt just how good Michael Jordan was at playing basketball. We’re at a point now where no one can doubt just how good Skrillex is at making and playing music. Full stop. Skrillex’s rookie EP Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites came out of the gates sizzling and is considered an all-timer. He has produced or remixed some of the biggest and most played tracks in EDM history: “Cinema” (Remix), “Bangarang”, “Make It Bun Dem”, “First Of The Year”, “Where Are U Now”, and recently “Rumble” and “RATATA”. And even beyond the hits, the quality of his countless other tracks cannot be denied (“Red Lips” remix, “Working For It”, “To U”, “Butterflies”, “Summit”, “Breakin A Sweat”, the list goes on). But the deciding factor on skill is how you do in game time, or in this case live, and Skrillex does not miss in game time. He can go for 5 hours like he did at Red Rocks, you can tell he’s feeling the crowd and mixing live, and his sets are always of the highest quality. Top-tier production, elite live playing, get you a man that can do both right?
Longevity: Michael Jordan’s career spanned 15 seasons. I am sorry to make you feel old, but Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites debuted 14 years ago! Skrillex has had a unique ability to transform with the times while keeping a very authentic sound, thus helping him stay on top for over a decade. After being the dubstep king for years, he teamed up with the at-that-time trap king Diplo to forge a new blended sound in their superduo Jack U. After dabbling in various pop and hip hop circles for the following years, he’s now embraced genres like tech house and DnB to create his own spin that still keeps its Skrillex charm. Those last two albums came out nearly a year and a half ago, but Skrillex is arguably stronger than he’s ever been right now.
Impact: What separates a superstar from a legend is their ability to transcend the game, take it to new heights, and impact how the game is played going forward, just like MJ did with his flashy dunks and iconic shoes. Skrillex burst onto the scene with a then-new to the general public sound. But he didn’t just introduce the masses to dubstep; he did it in a way that made it accessible for all, not just bassheads. He opened the doors for more and more genres to get the spotlight and pioneered the bass wave that has completely revolutionized EDM over the years. He inspired so many up and coming producers and DJs to take risks and try new sounds, and I’m sure if you ask around you’d realize he is influential to so many going now.
Aura: When Michael Jordan would step onto the court late in the 4th quarter of a close game, the energy would shift and you just knew you were about to see something magical. Skrillex walking up to the stage has that same vibe; the name Skrillex simply conjures up thoughts of greatness. When Skrillex announces a show, it becomes THE talk of the EDM world. Tickets to a Skrillex show are some of the very toughest to procure in all of music right now. People, myself included, sometimes forget that his previously mentioned supergroup only put out ONE project and played just a handful of shows, yet it is still held in such legendary lore. Any time Skrillex is a part of a new music release or a new ID drop everybody flocks to it and it almost immediately ends up being circulated everywhere. Like I said before, the name Skrillex simply conjures up thoughts of greatness.
So, I have laid all of my cards on the table. The defense rests. What say you fellow EDM fans:
Is Skrillex the Michael Jordan of EDM?
Is he…the GOAT?
-Written By: Derek Lavezzo