Erick Morillo
A house music titan whose 1993 party anthem 'I Like to Move It' became a global pop culture phenomenon, soundtracking everything from movies to ringtones.
1971–2020 (age 49)·American DJ·Birthday: March 26·Generation X
Biography
Born in New York to Colombian parents, Erick Morillo was a kinetic force who shaped the sound of international dance floors. He exploded onto the scene not under his own name, but as the mastermind behind Reel 2 Real and the irresistibly silly 'I Like to Move It,' a track that transcended club walls to define an era of pure, unadulterated fun. Far from a one-hit wonder, Morillo built an empire with his influential Subliminal Records, a label that became synonymous with a slick, vocal-driven house sound and launched countless DJ careers. For decades, his marathon sets, characterized by an almost telepathic connection with crowds, made him a fixture in Ibiza and top clubs worldwide. His life was a complex mix of luminous highs and personal struggles, ending prematurely in 2020, but his legacy is the enduring pulse of a party that, thanks to him, never seems to stop.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Erick was born in 1971, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Erick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1971
#1 Movie
Fiddler on the Roof
Best Picture
The French Connection
#1 TV Show
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Erick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1971Born
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1976Started school
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1984Became a teenager
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Could drive
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1989Could vote
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Turned 21
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2001Turned 30
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 40
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2020Died at 49
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
Key Achievements
- Produced the global hit 'I Like to Move It' under the alias Reel 2 Real, which sold millions of copies and was featured in major films like 'Madagascar.'
- Founded and ran Subliminal Records, a dominant force in early 2000s house music that topped the Billboard Dance chart.
- Won the International Dance Music Award for Best American DJ in 2002.
- His track 'Fun' with Eddie Thoneick and Shawnee Taylor became a modern house music staple.
Did You Know?
He was a trained percussionist before becoming a DJ.
He initially released 'I Like to Move It' under the alias 'The Mad Stuntman' featuring The Mad Stuntman.
Morillo was a resident DJ at Pacha Ibiza for many years.
He won a Grammy Award in 1998 for his remix of 'You Rock My World' by the Bucketheads.
“I'm not a musician, I'm a translator. I translate people's energy into music.”
