What jobs did you have prior to DJing? “I was a male stripper…just playing.” – Big Dee “I worked at UPS.” – Eque “I’ve had jobs from pushing carts and bagging groceries to unloading trucks on the graveyard shift and construction. They aren’t the best jobs in the world but they’ve helped pay the bills!” – Espee “I’ve had almost every job under the sun, from delivering auto parts, to producing beats for radio commercials.” – Felli Fel “The last real job I had was parking cars about 8 or 9 years ago. I got fired over some bullshit and that’s when I got mad at the world and went on my grind. Luckily I already had a lil name so I just pushed harder.” – Juice “I was in school getting my degrees on – three BAs to be exact.” – Knuckles “Bagged groceries, call center customer service for Verizon Wireless and AT&T Wireless, Footlocker, D.E.M.O.” – Lace “None really. I’ve always been a known street hustler in the city. People used to call me all the time to see how they could make some money.” – Nik Bean “The only job I ever had was at Loud/SRC. Before that I made money hustling shoes, Playstations, whatever people wanted and couldn’t find themselves.” – Skee “I was a janitor, a cable guy, and I had a couple factory jobs.” – sourMILK “I never had a job until I was the youngest intern at Wild 94.9 – the biggest radio station in the Bay Area for the last 8 and a half years.” – Tito Bell Are internet radio, satellite radio, and podcasts killing traditional radio stations? “I think they are a good avenue because it’s easier to break records. There’s no one to answer to so you get to play real shit.” – Big Dee “Traditional radio is killing itself with all the corporate red tape, and playing the same 10 songs every hour. People are getting tired of it.” – Eque “The more ways you can broadcast music, the better. It can kill the regular FM stations; they haven’t been getting the attention like they used to. But having all of these other options is expanding music and making it easier to play what the listeners want to hear.” – Espee “I truly believe they’re just different venues to bring music to the masses. I think traditional radio is killing itself by playing songs that have been paid for and not songs that are hot. Listeners are turning away from traditional radio because they’re tired of being force-fed songs and not getting to hear real music.” – E-Z Cutt “Internet and new forms of entertainment have definitely taken a toll on regular radio, but I wouldn’t say they’re killing traditional radio stations. The same things are also happening with TV and YouTube but I wouldn’t say YouTube is killing television.” – Felli Fel 22 // OZONE WEST
“No, I don’t think so. Traditional radio will always be around because it is free, no subscription needed. Satellite, internet, and podcasting are great because artists can broaden their listener base.” – Jiji Sweet “They’re actually saving us from it. They’re doing what commercial radio used to do before it went corporate. Radio is so corporate now that the streets don’t get any love like back in the day. I DJ on Sirius Satellite and we can play whatever we want, even explicit versions. So DJs are free to play hot album songs that people are really feeling and are able to break records.” – Juice “I don’t think they’re killing traditional stations because traditional stations have adapted now and have their own version of internet radio. Plus, radio is free. People have to pay for some internet and satellite radio.” – Knuckles “I don’t think satellite is killing it. In order for that to happen, the demand would have to be higher than it is now. When you look at the cost of gas and living now, most people aren’t able to afford it. Podcasts and internet radio don’t offer enough. On radio, you also get promotions and station events as well as station clubs. It’s a little more in touch with the listener.” – Lace “No, it’s just giving listeners more choices. Satellite radio gives listeners a direct connection with the artists without the middleman. Traditional radio supplies their audience with new music so they ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. Internet radio doesn’t have much influence at all in Hip Hop. I don’t know anybody who listens to it to be honest, but it’s a good start for artists who don’t have any other outlets. Podcasts can help, especially if you have a time slot when everybody is sleeping. Satellite radio has its own lane because it’s uncensored and commercial free.” – Nik Bean “Yes and no. I love Sirius and the freedom I have. We also podcast and have a ton of listeners, but not everyone has it installed. It’s like cable verses network. There’s room for everything.” – Skee “No, I don’t think so. Why wouldn’t people listen to the radio? It’s free!” – sourMILK “A little bit of both. Yes, because you can hear unedited song versions without commercials, and interviews that you wouldn’t usually hear on a commercial station. The reason why it’s not [killing radio] is because you don’t get the same audience that listens to the bigger commercial stations like the high school kids, or people on the way to the club, or people that don’t know about satellite. It’s also way harder to break your record [without traditional radio.]” – Tito Bell How restrictive is your playlist? Have you ever gotten in trouble for playing something that wasn’t on the list? “Man, real talk, radio is bullshit. It’s all about numbers and favors and it doesn’t benefit anyone but the labels and PDs.” – Big Dee “I’ve always played what I wanted to play. It’s never been a problem with my playlist; listeners either like what I play or they don’t and tune me off. I don’t play just anything, obviously. I support underground talent but if the flow is all over the place, and the beat sounds like its a mile away with the voice slobbering all over the mic, it’s not
making my play list.” – Espee “That’s the reason why I’m not on the radio anymore. I had the highest rated mixshow (the Hip Hop Havoc Mix) in Central California because I was given the freedom to mix whatever I thought was hot. But after my ratings went up, my PD and MD asked (demanded) that I add songs on a playlist they made up. I decided to leave because I didn’t have the freedom to play what was hot, but was forced to play what was paid for.” – E-Z Cutt “Fortunately, I have a lot of flexibility at my station and a part of my job is to introduce new music. I actually co-host a show every day at 2 PM with Yesi Ortix called New at 2 just for that reason. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t also run new records by the other DJs at the station. In fact, even if I introduce a new record, the DJs and I still have to vote whether it ultimately makes it onto the station’s play list or not.” – Felli Fel “Yes the playlist has been restricted, especially when I was at 100.3 The Beat. Sure I’ve gotten in trouble at times, but that’s how it is for DJs who listen to what’s hot. We always wanna be on it first. But at times that does not go well with what programming has in mind.” – Jiji Sweet “I’ve DJed on commercial radio a couple of times and most of the time I was given a list and told to choose from that. Or I was given that bullshit list where first you play two songs from the list, then play a classic, then play a familiar song that’s not new but ain’t a classic, then go back to a brand new fire song…bullshit.” – Juice “I guess it depends on what station you’re on. We all have playlists no matter what anyone says, but you also have stations like mine, 106 KMEL, that are usually one of the first stations to break music. We don’t go crazy with a bunch of records. Every DJ at my station has a good radio background so if we’re going to play a record that’s not on the list, and we think it’s going to be a smash, we play it and surround it with records that our audience is familiar with. For example, if I get a new E-40 record and I think it’ going to be a smash I’m play it and surround it with hits.” – Knuckles “Yes. If you play something you’re not supposed to, you can get in trouble. I’ve even heard of people losing their jobs. The restrictions on the playlists can vary depending the programming for that station; luckily we just play the hits so our playlist isn’t a problem.” – Lace “I’ve made a niche of designing my own playlists so I’ve been careful to never have to follow a playlist. My audience would look at me crazy if I was playing some corny shit all of a sudden.” – Skee “All the time, but that’s Tito Bell for you. Out here in the Bay, you’re not allowed to play hyphy records, but I still do.” – Tito Bell Besides talent, what are 3 things a DJ needs to have to be successful? “Creativity is big. A boring DJ is not good. Personality and presence are important.” – Big Dee “Number one, you need a good manager. Two, you should have a following of people who come to the party just to hear you spin. And number three, just be humble. Never think you’re bigger than the music.” – Eque