Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeanelle Go “DJ Lady Ja-ROQ.”
Jeanelle, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
At 14 years of age, I took apart our family stereo system to make it possible for me to play the cassette player plus the turntable simultaneously. As I was playing a cassette tape, I would then come in with the record. And that is how I started to hone my blending skills. After a while, my mom gave me that stereo system, so I built a speaker box using a cardboard box and two 6×9 speakers from a car. I used to sneak out of the house to DJ gigs starting at age 16. My very first gig was on 6th street in Austin at the Blackcat Lounge. I told them I was 18… lol!
My first job out of high school was as a DJ on the community radio station in Austin TX – KAZI 88.7fm. I worked the midnight to 6am shift. Then I worked my way to a daytime shift… but they didn’t allow me to play rap/hip-hop during the day. No problem, I would mix jazz and r&b music along with rap instrumentals! I was the first female DJ who was unafraid to get my hands dirty and learn the art of beat matching and scratching. After that the nightclubs were calling, the people wanting a party DJ were calling.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has mostly been smooth for me because I came from an era when you had to look the part of being a DJ… You had to look “hip-hop” in order to be taken seriously. Whereas nowadays – the lady DJs are wearing skirts and heels… but when I first started – that wouldn’t have gotten my foot in the door.
Of course, there are times when the men didn’t think I could do what they were told I was doing in all of these clubs. They didn’t believe it until they saw it with their own eyes. So I’ve been making ‘fans’ out of naysayers for many years. LOL
The Wildout Radio – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The company is TheWildOutRadio.com. We specialize in providing nothing but underground/unsigned music on our airwaves. We stick with the little guys because the mainstream radio stations are only concerned with the big guys. That is so backwards to me though. Not saying that Drake getting 20 spins/day per station is a bad thing, but why continue to water down the market with the same old same?
Our station doesn’t play Drake/Migos/Future/Cardi B, etc… Those people are already getting paid big bucks. So we use our market share to give shine to those who normally wouldn’t get it. #WeAreTheUnderground
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
As a young DJ winning ‘Hands of Texas’ DJ contest in San Antonio was a very proud moment for me because the crowd chose the winner.
Also, winning DJ of the Year and being voted by my peers – was a very surreal moment for me as well. But the day, we unveiled TheWildOutRadio.com to the world was a special day as well. (8/31/2016)
Contact Info:
- Website: thewildoutradio.com
- Phone: 4696711884
- Email: submissions@thewildoutradio.com
- Instagram: @thewildoutradio
- Facebook: facebook.com/thewildoutradio
- Twitter: @thewildoutradio
- Other: www.iamladyjaroq.com
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
