So Let's Talk Music: Interview With Bay Area's own DJ Jack

RQ: What is your favorite part about dj' ing? What motivates you to keep going and to do your best as a dj?

DJ Jack: My favorite thing about dj' ing is like, when I’m on the turntables and the crowd is all on the dance floor or by the bar and I put on a song. And it’s not the people on the dance floor it’s not the people who are already dancing or already having a good time it’s that person that’s way in the back like having a conversation and not paying attention to the music, and then I put on that one song and they jump up like “oh shit! That’s my song!” and they run to the dance floor and they get all excited and they have nostalgia. They think about when they heard that song, it brings back memories. I like having that kind of affect and that power over people. Like, once they hear a song they get all excited and some emotion comes out of them.

RQ: How did you start Dj' ing?

DJ Jack: My friends were all rappers and I was the little dude and I asked them all to teach me how to rap and write hooks and one of them was like “you should be our dj” and I was just tryin to be down with my friends. So after that I talked to my mentor who’s also a dj and he told me I should do it because dj’s are gonna be around forever

RQ: Besides dj' ing, what do you, are you involved in anything else?

DJ Jack: Yeah, I’m heavy into promotion. I’m just trying to get more into the back end of the music industry. People only see the music come out or go to the concerts, I wanna get behind the scenes of creating the music, performance and also like putting shows together and producing. Also working with Legendary Inc, Pink Dolphin, and promoting/dj for Ankh Marketing & IMG = ineffable music group.

RQ: Who was is your mentor?

DJ Jack: Dj Cool Black was his name. And I still got mad love for him but we’re not as cool, we haven’t been talking in a long time but I still got love for him, he taught me everything I know about this dj thing.

RQ: who have you worked with in the past and who would you like to work with in the future?

DJ Jack: When I first got in the game I was working with dj backside, she was the first person to let me tag along and carry her crates and be her understudy. I worked with a bunch of rap groups like Team Knock, everybody knows me for being the dj for Team Knock. Erk Tha Jerk, Moe the Dreamer. The Pack of course, I always like working with them. And who do I wanna work with? I wanna work with Big Sean, I wanna do more work for him, I wanna do more work for Wiz Khalifa, I know a couple people in his camp. The LA scene is what I wanted to talk about I’m loving everything comin out of there as far as Kendrick Lamar, Overdose, Dom Kennedy, Terrance Martin, cats like that who are the new crop.

RQ: Who are you listening to right now? What songs get played most on your ipod?

DJ Jack: I listen to Kendrick a lot, just recently I got The Cool Kids mixtape. And then the people from my camp who I work with like Young L, Hand of The Time. Oh, True Jones, for all the female emcees, True Jones is that one who is gonna make a lotta noise, and of course Team Backpack. There are so many.

RQ: As a DJ what are your techniques as far as listening to new artists, like getting cds. Do you skim through it right quick or give it all a listen?

DJ Jack: It’s really hard because I’m a person too, I like to listen to my own music so I don’t get that much time to listen to my own music so when I’m on twitter or something like that and people just send me a song I’m usually listening to music that I wanna listen to but it’s like for real your sending me a song and I have to stop what I’m listening to, download your stuff and listen to your music. So it’ pretty hard, like most of the time I tell people to send their music to my email so I can check it later on my own time. I’m a dj and there are so many rappers out there, I have to take out time for it. So yeah the best way to hit me up if you want me to listen to your music email me the song directly and I’ll give it a chance.

RQ: I wanted to be a dj once upon a time and it’s so hard, it’s a lot of work.

DJ Jack: Yeah, it’s a lot to do all at once. You have to listen to the crowd and you have to listen to the music, and you have to listen to the music that’s coming next. It’s a lot going on at once but you could master it!

RQ :I’m taking classes right now and I’m learning how to DJ so if I can get what I need then I would do it.

DJ Jack: Is that where you want to go with your career?

RQ: Right now I’m doing everything, all around. Managing, I went to school for music business so I have my hands in everything. So how long have you been Dj' ing?

DJ Jack: It took me a long time I started when I was 21 and I’m 29 now so it’s been a long time, so you know I was late. I wish I had started when I was like 13-14.

RQ: So what’s next for you? As far as shows?

Dj Jack: I’ll be out in Santa Cruz for the IMG show. J Stalin is gonna be performing with Livewire and Mistah Fab is gonna be there. It should be a good show, I’m trying to have a few surprises, a couple people I don’t know yet, just trying to make it happen, make it bigger than that. Then I’ll be in LA for Paid Dues and I’ll be there with Droopy for his show and then I think I’ll stay in LA for a while and try to get my name known out there because I won’t be in Oakland until May. Until then I’ll be with Kendrick Lamar on May 7th and The Cool Kids on May 22nd and I’m trying to do more shows im also filming a documentary that will be directed by chris simmons (director aris jerome's cousin) called "You Dont Know jAck" gonna be goin' in depth about my life apart from dj'ing and also the hustle of the music biz and trying to dj vs. working a regular job.