User:Kool Out

Akio Kawahito is a South African based DJ going under the professional name DJ ID. Born in the United States to a Dutch mother and Japanese father, Kawahito spent much of his early life traveling.

Education
Kawahito graduated with a B.A. in Economics and Art History from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN. In 2005, he completed a M.A. in International Relations from the University of Amsterdam.

Conscious Flowz
In 2006, Kawahito founded the Non-Profit Organization, ConsciousFlowz. This organization was created to use music and hip hop for youth development. The first project, Conscious Connectionz took place in Cape Town, South Africa and focused on HIV/AIDS awareness amongst youth. The documentary "Conscious Connectionz" was created and flighted on the local network CTV.

In 2008, Kawahito organized 'Red Rhythms" a 100 hour event that marked World AIDS Day.

Music
Kawahito started DJing in 2002 in Nagoya, Japan with a residency at The Plastic Factory.

In 2008, he started Kool Out Lounge in Cape Town, South Africa which is currently the longest running monthly hip hop event in South Africa. This event formed the basis for the events company Kool Out Concepts which has brought international artists such as Talib Kweli, People Under the Stairs, Ras Kass, Blu and Exile, DJ Babu, and The Gaslamp Killer to South Africa.

Kawahito has performed at festivals such as Oppikoppi, Earth Dance, The Cape Town International Jazz Festival, and Synergy.

In 2011, he was nominated at the South African Hip Hop Awards for "DJ of the Year".

DJ ID is also a member of the Cape Town based hip hop crew ILL Skillz and was featured in the March, 2012 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine.