Interviewed by Douglas Christopher
Written by Kelleya White
Whether you’re at a low key house party in off Lischey in East Nashville or living it up at an NBA All-Star celebrity party one thing you is constant, there is no party without…the DJ. A DJ’s job simply put is to combine all the right elements for their performance into one fluid package which can be easily swallowed by their captive audiences. The profession of the DJ (disc jockey) has evolved as it should since the music industry is ever-changing. The best DJ’s tend to be the ones who can adapt to any crowd on any given day. Recently we had the privilege to sit down with one of the South’s most respected DJ’s for a musical endeavor into his life and this profession.
GB: So DJ C-Lo, how long have you been djing and how did you get started?
C-Lo: “For about 10 years, and I started at a Chicago radio station…106 Jams
GB: How have you seen the industry change over the last 10 years?
C-Lo: Its changed a lot as far as technology…music has changed going from hip hop to now it pretty much is a gimmick…the game hasn’t really changed, you still have a lot of people out there undercutting, and people who don’t really take you serious, new cats jump out there head first not really knowing what they are doing…its taught me a lot so I would say yeah its changed for the better.
GB: Are you affiliated with anybody?
C-Lo: I have my own DJ crew which is Hit Players I’ve also spoken with Big Dawg’s Pit Bull before, just conference calls and things…one day I’m looking to do my own thing…I wouldn’t mind branching out and working with other DJ crews, but right now its just my crew
GB: What are your future plans?
C-Lo: Well, I would like to start a series of mixtapes, its kinda hard being in this market…we [Nashville] don’t really have major artist, like you know Drama who can make a call and get people like Jermaine Dupri and everyone in Atlanta, we don’t have that here, but right now I’m actually working right now on an endorsement from a major alcohol company, so I would like to you know get on a billboard and stuff like that.
GB: What are your thoughts on managing your life and music?
C-Lo: None at all, you just have to learn to separate the two…treat it as just a business…when you first get into it a lot of times there is an ego trip and you think its all about you, but you just learn that it is business, never take things personal