DJ Shad

Controlling a crowd of feisty clubgoers is the mark of a maestro. DJ Shad, who was just named Best Club DJ in our "Best Of" issue, continues to display his careful command over the patrons at Karma on Saturday nights. With Club Kandi and Skybox shutting down, many of those spots' clientele now jam the lines outside Karma to get a weekend hip-hop fix. But Karma is only so big — 200 bodies crammed in the place, all trying to do the Soulja Boy dance, make for a hot, bouncy environment. But after Shad has played all the hits of the night, he always manages to sedate the crowd with a heavy dose of early-'90s R&B. (Anyone remember "Stroke You Up" by Changing Faces?) To paraphrase Andre, trust in DJ Shad to sweat out all the problems and troubles of the day.