Dwayne Johnson Paradiddle’s first passion was acting.  At 8, Paradiddle was cast as Dick Deadeye in a camp production of HMS Pinafore.  Diddle stayed in character 24/7, making him the youngest method actor in the world.  After four weeks of hunched over eye patch wearing, the production ended and DJ P was left with two broken ribs and no one to call a friend.  Immediately after, Doolittle turned his focus to music.

Diddle began his professional drumming career at nine, when his father paid him five dollars to play “Wipe Out” at a Hanukkah party.  In middle school he began touring with Yiddishe Cup Klezmer Band, The Robby Stenson Duo and Original Shaker Heights Dixieland Jass Band.  In high school he made an impulse purchase of a bass, a Steve Jordan DVD and a Billy Joel songbook.  The Sam Ash cashier muttered, “you do your thing.”

In college—drumsetless—Diddle bought an MPC drum midi pad thing.  He lent it to a friend who broke it.  Before that, he made beats and DJ’ed one party (but it wasn’t fun so from then on he claimed DJ stood for Dwayne Johnson).

Diddle was raised on klezmer and the 90s.  Naturally, DJP started combining timeless klezmer melodies with timelocked funky beats.  A passerby once yelled, “You are one funky Jew.”  DJP was so touched by the vociferation, he decided to include it in his bio.