DJ Shepdog is a UK DJ, producer and the founder of Nice Up! Records, a label and club night built around reggae, dancehall, Hip-Hop, dub, drum & bass, jungle and related soundsystem styles. He has been DJing for more than three decades and is based in London.
Shepdog established the Nice Up! club night in London around 2003, initially at 93 Feet East in East London. The night was created to provide a more eclectic party environment, combining reggae with Hip-Hop, breaks and drum & bass. It subsequently developed into a regular London event, running monthly for almost ten years before becoming a series of larger parties and special events.
The success of the club night led to the creation of Nice Up! Records, initially as a way of promoting the parties. The label developed into Shepdog's main focus and has released music spanning reggae, dancehall, dub, Hip-Hop, drum & bass, jungle, dubstep and related soundsystem music.
As a producer, Shepdog became particularly known for reggae and Hip-Hop mash-ups. His tracks including "Bigger Than Jamrock", "Skanking In The Way Of Control" and "Dare Man" were highlighted as popular DJ tracks, while Shepdog has explained that his mash-up productions were made specifically with the dancefloor in mind.
His production work has included collaborations with artists such as Dirty Dubsters, Mr Benn and Turntable Dubbers. He also contributed to Chant Down Babylon, alongside Dirty Dubsters and Chopstick Dubplate, featuring Chip Fu and Screechy Dan.
Away from Nice Up!, Shepdog has maintained a broad DJ repertoire. His own Mixcloud profile describes his non-Nice Up! mixes as covering Hip-Hop, funk, soul, disco, house and rave, while interviews have also documented his long-running residency at London's Big Chill Bar, where he played everything from jazz, soul and funk to rap, disco, house and garage.
Shepdog has performed at clubs and festivals including Glastonbury, Bestival and The Big Chill, and his Nice Up! events have featured artists and DJs from across the reggae, Hip-Hop and bass-music scenes.
Through Nice Up! Records, Shepdog has continued to champion vinyl alongside digital releases. In a 2014 interview he described vinyl as central to the label's identity and noted strong sales in the UK, Europe, Japan, the US and Australia.
