Dj Neil Armstrong | en

You grow, you change. 5th Platoon's Neil Armstrong has classically played a very "behind the scenes" role. He is the man, behind the man, behind the man. Only having joined in a couple of team battles (among them, the 97 World ITF Team battle for the World championship title), his importance to the group was hidden to most. As the point of contact for the majority of the 5P's business and one of the acknowledged founders of the crew, he was and still is the glue that keeps the collective together - updating the the website, getting the interviews, getting the shows, making sure that there's milk in the fridge, etc., etc...

He is a 10 year veteran of the turntablist scene, and a mainstay in the NY Hip Hop underground. As a member of 5th Platoon, he has shared the stage with many artists across the Hip Hop spectrum - from De La Soul, Company Flow and Biz Markie, to LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, and Wyclef Jean.

Within the last 5 years his career and talent have truly flourished. His skills gained from being a member of one of the most decorated battle squads allowed him to create products that would push his name to the forefront, bringing him notoriety for smoothness and creativity in the subgenre of Hip Hop known as the "Mixtape" culture.

The level of quality and originality shown on his projects have made everyone take notice. He made Rolling Stones "Top 10" Mixtape DJ's of 2005 list, was recognized by Vibe Magazine as one of the next DJ's "on deck" to watch out for, had his cd's featured on Mtv.com's Holiday Essentials Feature, and gained an honorable mention in Mixunit.com's Power 30 List of "The most influential players in the mixtape game 2005". He was also tapped by members of Rocafella Music to create a "Holiday" mixtape that was never released, and also put together the "Best of 2005" Promotional CD for the promotions powerhouse Cornerstone.

Besides the "normal" DJ duties of party rocking and battling, he was also a member of the critically acclaimed 2 time grammy award nominated jazz band - "Russell Gunn and Ethnomusicology". His time with the band had him playing with names as huge as Kenny Garrett (a member of Miles Davis' band) and Brandford Marsalis, and brought him around the globe, including one of the largest music gatherings in the world, The North Sea Jazz Festival in Den Hague, Netherlands. .