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via myspace/djpurfiya

DJ Purfiya with Suga Shack from Wild 98.7

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.

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.

September 19 marked another recent, terrible loss for the DJ community , and hip-hop at large: Pioneering turntablist Roc Raida, born Anthony Williams, passed away after cardiac arrest. Williams had been hospitalized after an accident while practicing Krav Maga, which he had been studying for the past two years. He successfully undergone surgeries and physical therapy, according to a family statement, and as such, his death was unexpected.

In the music world, Raida and his crew, the X-Ecutioners, were known for helping to develop turntablism as we know it today. In 1995, he became the first DJ from New York City to win the world DMC championships, instantly earning a place in the DMC/Technics DJ Hall of Fame. His further artistic accomplishments are too numerous to mention here, but most recently, he had been touring as Busta Rhyme's official DJ. (In fact, many learned of Raida's passing through Busta's Twitter.)

The loss hit local DJ I-Dee especially hard -- he counted Raida as a huge inspiration, and is signed to his mentor's label, AdiarCor. As such, he's put together a benefit for Raida's family tonight at the weekly Champion Sound party at Electric Pickle.

Befitting the evening's honoree, the DJ line-up is pretty stellar: I-Dee, Immortal, K-Razor,  Aliyo, K-N-S, Fuse, and others, along with Champion Sound residents Mr. Brown, Sire Esq. and A-Train. A special appearance also comes from Exotic E, part of Raida's original X-Men crew. MCs Wrekonize, Bernbiz, and Protoman will also be on hand to keep the night moving.

Roc Raida fundraiser. Wednesday, September 30. Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami. $5. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-356-5613

Photo by C. Stiles

Jose L. Carrera, artist, family man, and founder of OchoPlacas Tattoos passed away quietly on Sunday morning of natural causes. Carrera was an immensely talented artist who started in the street and first cut his teeth on body art while incarcerated, eventually opening the thriving tattoo shop on 8th Street. Employee Leo Valencia stated that "Jose did everything for his daughter and his family...hopefully his vision will live on."

New Times recently chronicled his artistic ascent in an extensive profile, which you can read here.

There will be a service for him today, Monday, September 8, at 5 p.m. at Bernardo Garcia Funeral Home, 8215 SW 40th St., Miami.

*CNN's complete coverage.

*Rolling Stone's extensive tribute, with links to coverage throughout the RS archives.

*SPIN magazine remembers Michael as a hero, not as a punchline.

*At New Times' sister paper LA Weekly, an exclusive interview with longtime MJ lawyer Bob Sanger.

*Also at the LA Weekly web site: a slideshow, remembering Michael Jackson through his possessions.

*New Times sister paper the Village Voice is uploading its archival MJ print coverage. Click here to see the latest.

*New Times contributor John Hood's remembrance on the Huffington Post.

*Sweat Records' cofounder-at-large reconsiders her old Jackson jokes.

*Power 96's video tribute.

John McHale of Breakeven Booking is teaming up with Goo this Saturday to get some funds together to help out Brandon Holding's mom, who damn well needs it.  Holding recently passed away after a long battle with cancer.  His family was of modest means and could not afford a funeral or services.  This show will be both a celebration of his life and a fundraiser to help out his mother. 

Thick as Blood, Consular, Homestretch, Knock 'em Dead, and Maldito are confirmed for the show so far; look for some surprise guests popping up and off.  Brandon was a fixture at shows since his teen years.  He was 21 when he passed.  He will be missed. 

Adam "Atom Xmas" Hernandez of Miami's Dyslexic Postcards passed away sometime this past Saturday, January 24.  Hernandez was a fixture in the Miami music scene for the past several years, frequently collaborating with his brother Josh. At the time of his death, he was developing a new music project called Atomic Xmas, and most recently had been bartending at the Vagabond. Hernandez was 26 years old. A memorial service is being planned by his family; the details are forthcoming.

Condolences go out from this writer and the South Florida music and arts community. 

News has come in from Italy this morning that prominent South African singer Miriam Makeba has passed away today from an apparent heart attack. Makeba, who collapsed while exiting the stage right after performing in Southern Italy, essentially died doing what she loved most--singing. She was 76-years-old. Widely revered by many as the voice of the South African struggle during its apartheid years, Makeba's music stirred millions of blacks to fight for their independence across the entire continent of Africa. (That's right Sarah Palin, Africa is a continent, not just a country) She not only had a beautiful voice, but also a certain grace to her that made her songs and albums so enjoyable. Her passing today is sad, but I've been listening to her albums on vinyl this morning and so much of it is uplifting, that it just makes you want to smile instead of mourn. Her music has always had that quality. Above is a rare video of her performing live in Stockholm, Sweden from 1966. It gives a glimpse of the rebelliousness in her music which caused her songs to be banned from the airwaves in 1976. She was kicked out of her own country shortly afterward and lived mostly in exile for the remainder of her life. Throughout it all, she always fought for what was right, and she'll be sorely missed. --Jonathan Cunningham

To younger, casual consumers of Miamis downtown nightlife, Alex Del Bueno was the lord of the Vagabond door, the no-bullshit sentry who guarded the final entrance to the clubs inner sanctum. But to a much, much wider swath of the local music scene, however, Del Bueno was a fiercely loyal, fiercely talented musician and friend who bridged the often-contentious worlds of punk and hardcore. The sheer number of people who considered him a friend has become evident in the week since Del Bueno, age 35, was killed in a car accident. This weekend sees a street-punk-oriented benefit show tonight at Churchills, organized by U.F.C. frontman Roach, and an all-day benefit tattoo event on Saturday at Hell Bound City Tattoo in Wynwood. Next Thursday, Del Buenos friends have organized another two concurrent benefit events: a special edition of the Vagabonds weekly Thursday party, Shake, and rare, intimate show by Poison the Well, again at Churchills. Miamis hardcore and punk kids, when it matters, definitely take care of their own.

Versatile saxophone player, LeRoi Moore, of the Dave Matthews Band died yesterday at a hospital in California. He was just 46-years-old. He'd been in the hospital for several weeks suffering from complications he suffered on June 30th when he was thrown from his all-terrain-vehicle on his farm in Charlottesville, VA. At the time of his initial injury, Moore was admitted to a hospital briefly, then went back to his home in L.A. to begin physical therapy and assumed he'd be fine. But he needed to be readmitted to an area hospital on July 17th where he remained until his death yesterday. The Dave Matthews Band played a show yesterday in Los Angeles with heavy hearts and dedicated the evening to Moore. It was Moore who first put the Dave Matthews Band together back in 1991. At the time, a young Matthews gave him a copy of his early demo tape, Moore listened to it, reached out to his friend Carter Beauford, a local drummer, who also liked the demo, and with that, the Dave Matthews Band was born. He's been in the group ever since, and was just recently replaced by Jeff Coffin in July while he attempted to recover. -Jonathan Cunningham

You never know who some of Miami Beachs golden oldies are or might have been in their younger years, unless of course they reach into their wallet from time to time and pull out old black and white photographs of themselves posing in big bands with the likes of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie. The late Diego Mofeta Iborra was such a man. Born in the Cuban countryside in 1919 and raised by a professional flautist father in Havana, the drummer was inspired to take New York by storm as a young adult in the 1940s. His audacity in asking to jam alongside Dizzy helped to change the tempo of one of Americas greatest musical genres. My father happened to be a very loving and compassionate man, so it was easy for him to go and meet people in the jazz world, says Mofetas son Frank Iborra. He was very unassuming and they just took him under the fold.