DJ Purfiya is from the city of Palmetto, Florida, just south of Tampa. He's affiliated with Miami's own Slip N Slide Records as one of their official DJs.
via myspace/djpurfiya DJ Purfiya with Suga Shack from Wild 98.7
Wednesday, rumors hit the Internet -- namely Twitter -- that he had died due to complications of the flu. Yesterday we found out he's alive and well, and claiming hackers got into his MySpace and Twitter accounts and spread the false message of his death.
According to his former boss, Howard Roberts, CEO and founder of Firm Life Entertainment, a concert promoter in Southwest Florida, DJs from Tampa to Fort Myers are saying Purfiya pulled the stunt himself for publicity.
DJ Purfiya's myspace page still lists Howard's phone number as his booking contact. Crossfade called him up to see what he had to say.
Here's what he told us, after the jump.
via twitter.com/djpurfiya
"I dont think it's true. I don't think he passed away. He used to work for me. He used to be my DJ. I'm Howard Roberts, CEO of Firm Life Entertainment. I do most of the concerts in Southwest Florida.
I haven't physically spoke to Purfiya, but I spoke to a couple who say that it was a hoax.
A lot of people call me cause like i said he used to work for me, but I haven't spoke to him in months anyway."
Crossfade: You think it's possible he put that out there himself to get publicity?
Howard Roberts: Nah I don't think so. It's a possibility, but I havent been around him in over seven or eight months. The people saying that are just local djs between Tampa and Fort Myers.
Crossfade: Did he quit or did you fire him?
Howard Roberts: I fired him for being unloyal. He jus basically would do anything to shine.
He came to me 4 or 5 years ago to make a name for himself.
He was just a short, fat, whiteboy with glasses that didn't even have no hip hop swang to the way he talked.
Nobody took him serious. I was a promoter going hard, any party I threw I did to fullest. Anybody that got on the train got shine. I helped blow his name up, mixtapes, his name was on thousands of flyers every week consistently for years. He wasn't the best DJ so I coached him on how to have confidence in himself, sounding like kermit the frog.
Problem was he was hard headed. He wanted to do things his way. He would do anything to get into magazines. He spoke to owners and said he would promote their artists, he spoke for me and I didnt agree, he cant speak on my behalf.
He lied and did crazy stuff I had to call him out on.
The last straw was when he would do parties and lie and say he didnt get paid. We had an arrangement where I would get a percentage of whatever he made and when he was lying to me I figured just let me cut ties with him.
I gave him too much of my time, he was dj'ing like 3 nights a week for me. He rode on my coattail.
People was like "aw he's a garbage DJ," I stood up for him even though I knew where he really stood.
Log on to myspace.com/firmlifeentertainment for more info.
