Inside The Business Life of a DJ
THE DJ LIFE
Cocoa Chanelle’s brother used to rap and DJ. She wanted to do everything he did. And she did. She started as a MC and started to DJ at local talent shows when she was 13 years old. “He got me in this game,” says Chanelle, but as fortune would have it, he would not have the opportunity to see his inspiration fully blossom. He was shot and killed three months before she got her gig on New York’s hip hop station Hot 97, where she has been on the air for 14 years
When she started in the 90s she says there were less than a handful of other female DJs. It was a male-dominated field. “Reputation meant everything back then. I became known for my scratching and turntable tricks which added to my popularity and helped get me an audition for a show on BET called Teen Summit. I became BET’s first resident DJ, which led to me being offered a radio job with Hot 97. From there I was able to continue building my business and brand internationally,” says Chanelle, who typically gets booked to DJ at clubs which have crowds that enjoy Hip Hop, R&B and reggae, not just in the U.S. but in Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Greece and Japan. She has also branched off into music production over the past couple of years.
What does she know now that she wishes she had known earlier? “It’s very important to start building your brand early on so people can easily identify you, your company, and the quality of service you can deliver. Be ready to work 10 times harder than the next DJ to get yourself noticed, especially if you are new.” As for what she most enjoys, “I love seeing the crowd’s reaction. It gives me a natural high.”
For DJ Dee Wiz, there was no confusion. A trained musician since seven, he always knew what he wanted to do. He started on radio, building a name as a party DJ, then moved into deejaying at clubs. These days, he makes around $70,000 a year spinning at concerts for artists like Doug E Fresh but he primarily does corporate events for people like Magic Johnson, Earl Graves and Tom Joyner. The former Julliard student plans to transition to the production side of the music business.
Loczi, who makes a healthy six figures from gigs at big clubs, concerts, festivals and radio, shares his recipe for a successful business. “Never miss a show, ever. Do your best every single performance, be creative in marketing, strategic in distribution and continue to evolve, staying focused, connected to what sound is going to move people tomorrow and remember that each day we have is a gift, embrace the opportunity to thrive and act on those beliefs.” Loczi is currently working on and producing a project that incorporates live musicians, acrobats, custom visual animation, custom dance choreography and costumes as a live stage show in Las Vegas. He also runs a record label.
The DJ life is not only lucrative but soul satisfying. Says Loczi, “I’ve been able to bring happiness and joy to people’s lives. Just knowing that playing and making music is affecting others in a positive light is honestly the most special aspect of what I do.”
