Today we’d like to introduce you to Dj Waukee.
Hi Dj, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Ever since I could remember, I’ve always been surrounded by music. From the days of my mom singing to me as a baby while she got ready for her next live vocal performance on huge Milwaukee stages to my dad spending Saturday afternoons sharing his favorite Earth Wind and Fire and Issac Hayes records with me; growing up with music made me realize how integral it was to life and the memories we create with it. Some of my best and formative memories are attached to a song, that’s why eventually I decided I wanted to become a Dj to help people relive their own precious memories as well as create new ones. I got my first Dj Controller my Senior year in High School for Christmas and never looked back. From there I went on to dj graduation parties for friends, college house parties at FAMU and eventually took on events and parties in Dallas.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I loved connecting with people over music in these environments but experienced a sharp halt when Covid hit in 2020. I remember not really knowing what was next for me in my dj journey so I took a break. When things opened back up all the normal places I use to spin at were pretty much gone so I didn’t know where I wanted to even dj, plus I was out of practice. Even still, I still wanted to do something that could connect people with music so I created an online radio show called “Play this Playlist” on YouTube with the mission to give life a soundtrack. Each video would have a theme focused on a life event or something someone might need when they’re experiencing something in their own life. It took off and people all around the world tuned in to listen and the channel has now grown to over 197K subscribers. Getting to connect with so many listeners in this way really helped me get back into the groove of djing and afforded me opportunities to dj live in spaces again and it’s been a joy getting to help people express themselves and create new memories to music.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
What people really enjoy about my style of djing is how willing I am to take music from the past that I grew up on and blend it seamlessly with music of the current time. I love trying new things, doing daring mashups and also just taking people back in time with throwbacks from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s when I can. Nothing is off the table when curating a memorable vibe.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I definitely give a lot of credit to both my parents for their individual impacts on my musical journey. My mom was my first music teacher, she encouraged me to pursue piano and drums which eventually led to me joining band in middle school through high school experimenting with sound and getting to really explore different styles of music. As a vocalist she also encouraged me to sing in church and that also helped me develop my sense of harmonies and how music can come together. Lastly, because she was also a radio dj for 1290 WMCS (even while she was pregnant with me), I also later got the chance to intern at the very same station she worked which eventually gave me the desire to have a show of my own.
As far as my dad goes, I’ve been blessed with extreme access to his huge record collection and many stories of where he discovered each artist and how him and his friends used to hang out and have parties where he was actually selecting and djing the music. We would go on long drives as he played some of his favorite tracks from the JBs and Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes and he would tell me the origins of each group. After school every day I would go to the basement and study records from his collection, internalizing my favorites and even putting my friends on to the ones that stood out to me. These records have since been passed down to me and I still have long conversations about music with my dad.
These distinct experiences of learning the technicalities and art of music from my mom as well as studying records with my dad gave me a full spectrum of understanding music as a whole. I also give credit to my many music teachers in life that encouraged me and showed massive belief in my abilities. My family’s support has also been integral to my growth as a dj especially my siblings Destin, Lakieta and Shellisa.
I also have to give massive credit to my wife Simoné who has always supported me from the jump and believed in my vision the whole ride through.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hearsaymusicclub.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/djwaukee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DjWaukee
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@playthisplaylist
- Other: https://www.threads.com/@djwaukee
Image Credits
Image Credits: Photos by N3twork Visuals, RnB Basement Party and Cal615
