From label boss, hit producer, World Champion DJ, trendsetter, genre-mangli… Read Full Bio ↴From label boss, hit producer, World Champion DJ, trendsetter, genre-mangling party-starter, to blogger extraordinaire, Alain Macklovitch, best known as A-Trak, embodies the full scope of the 21st Century musician-entrepreneur model. At the mere age of 29, A-Trak has had two distinct phases to his winding 11 year career. Stage one: after winning the World DMCs at age 15 (in 1997), he spent years as one of hip hop’s most renowned selectors. After taking over tour DJ duties for Kanye West in 2004, just as he was beginning to combine a bigger variety of sounds into his sets, A-Trak launched into stage two: becoming an undisputed icon for a generation of kids that worship hip hop and dance music alike, and commencing a worldwide boundary-blurring takeover. It all started very early, and developed very quickly, for A-Trak. As a young teenager in Montreal, he would scratch on one turntable for his brother (of Chromeo) Dave’s high school band. He begun practising, “with the discipline of a monk”, and after winning the Canadian, and later World, DMCs found himself an honorary member of Q-Bert’s legendary Skratch Piklz crew. He soon hooked up with DJ Craze and joined another famous scratch troupe, The Allies, and spent half a decade touring as hip hop’s hottest turntablist crew. Five years ago, after a chance meeting with Kanye West at a London in-store, A-Trak performed his first gig with the superstar, without a rehearsal, in front of 12,000 people – and from then on did every show with him for four years. Three years ago, after meeting the rising Chicagoan rapper Kid Sister, A-Trak began dabbling his way into production, which – also by way of happenstance - led to the beginnings of a record label. Ironically named Fool’s Gold, considering how many prosperous treasures it’s unearthed, the label has gone on to become one of the most sought-after imprints on the underground radar: a cross-over idol that’s wildly and unpretentiously united the worlds of club music and hip hop.

==Titles and Awards==

*1997 Canadian DMC Champion
*1997 Technics / DMC World Champion (15 years old - youngest ever)
*1998 Technics DMC World finals (3rd place)
*1999 ITF Western Hemisphere Scratch Champion
*1999 ITF Advancement World Champion
*1999 Vestax Extravaganza World Champion
*2000 West Coast Technics / DMC Team Champion
*2000 Technics / DMC Team World Champion
*2000 ITF Advancement World Champion

==Discography==
*''[[Gangsta Breaks]]'' (12")
*''[[Buck Tooth Wizards]]'' (CD)
*''[[The Grill/Like (with Obscure Disorder)]]'' (12")
*''[[Enter Ralph Wiggum]]'' (7")
*''[[Monkey Boy Breaks]]'' (12")
*''[[Don't Fool With The Dips]]'' (12")
*''[[Oh No You Didn't! Live From Vancouver]]'' (CD)
*''[[Drive Slow Mixtape w/ GLC]]'' (CD)
*''[[Sunglasses Is A Must]]'' (DVD)
*''[[Dirty South Dance]]'' (CD)
*''[[Infinity +1]]'' (CD)

A-trak has recently made a number of remixes for artists like Digitalism, Daft Punk and Kanye West. A little known fact is that he is the brother of Dave 1, the moustachioed half of Chromeo.

Hold On
A-Trak Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It seems like I've been here before tonight
It seems like I've been here before
I'd like to TV, talk, and advertise
We peddle candy door to door

And hold tight, don't make more plans
And don't talk, don't say no words
And be still, now move like this

And hold on until we kiss

And hold on
And hold tight
And hold on
And hold tight

Why do the good things happen in the past?
Streamline the news and trim the fat
I love the city but I hate my job
And this old city loves me back

It's like a scream inside a scream
They can trace it through the night into the church
It seems it's never going to end
Until our life cuts through the air into the womb

And hold on
And hold tight
And hold on
And hold tight

And hold on
And hold tight
And hold on
And hold tight

It's like a scream inside a scream
It seems it's never going to end
It's like a scream inside a scream
It seems it's never going to end

And hold tight, don't make more plans
And don't talk, don't say no words
And be still, now move like this
And hold on until we kiss

And hold on
And hold tight
And hold on
And hold tight

And hold on
And hold tight

And hold on
And hold tight

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of A-Trak's song "Hold On" touch upon themes of familiarity, repetition, and the struggle to find meaning in daily life. The opening lines, "It seems like I've been here before tonight / It seems like I've been here before," suggest a sense of déjà vu or a feeling of being stuck in a cycle. This feeling is further emphasized in the line, "We peddle candy door to door," which implies a monotonous and repetitive existence. The lyrics also highlight the need to hold on, to endure, and to stay still until something significant happens, as expressed in the lines, "And hold tight, don't make more plans / And don't talk, don't say no words / And be still, now move like this / And hold on until we kiss."

The second verse of the song adds layers of frustration and longing. The line, "Why do the good things happen in the past?" expresses a sense of nostalgia or yearning for a time when things were better. The lyrics also mention a love-hate relationship with the city and a dissatisfaction with one's job. The lines, "And this old city loves me back" may suggest a bittersweet attachment to a place despite the dissatisfaction.

Overall, the lyrics of "Hold On" convey a sense of restlessness, repetition, and a longing for something more meaningful. The song touches upon themes of feeling trapped in familiar patterns, searching for significance, and the need to hold on and endure until the desired outcome is reached.

Line by Line Meaning

It seems like I've been here before tonight
This situation feels familiar, like I've experienced it before.

I'd like to TV, talk, and advertise
I want to engage in activities like watching TV, talking, and promoting.

We peddle candy door to door
We sell candy by going from one door to another.

And hold tight, don't make more plans
Stay close and don't make any additional arrangements.

And don't talk, don't say no words
Remain silent, and don't utter any negative words.

And be still, now move like this
Stay motionless, but perform specific movements as instructed.

And hold on until we kiss
Continue holding on until we finally kiss.

Why do the good things happen in the past?
Why do positive experiences always seem to be in the past?

Streamline the news and trim the fat
Simplify the news and discard unnecessary details.

I love the city but I hate my job
I have an affection for the city, but I despise my job.

And this old city loves me back
Nevertheless, this aging city reciprocates my love.

It's like a scream inside a scream
It's akin to a cry within another cry, intensifying the emotional expression.

They can trace it through the night into the church
They can follow the scream's path from the darkness to the church.

It seems it's never going to end
It appears that this situation will persist indefinitely.

Until our life cuts through the air into the womb
Unless our existence breaks through the atmosphere and returns to a state of rebirth.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ANDREW CARRABBA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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