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Entertainment: Women DJs rock straight to the top
While most girls were yearning for
the latest Barbie doll, five-year old
Melissa Langley couldn’t wait to try
out the turntables her father had purchased
for her and her brothers. And instead
of nursery rhymes, she preferred
the lyrics and the beats of Sugar Hill
Gang’s Rapper’s Delight and Kurtis
Blow’s the Break.
So it should be no surprise that Langley,
now also known as DJ MelBoogie,
is one of the top female DJs in the country.
“When I first started professionally
over a decade ago it just wasn’t a female
thing to be a
DJ,” says Langley,
citing her
older brother
Maestro Fresh
Wes, Michie
Mee and Ron
Nelson of the
Fantastic Voyage
Radio
Show as some
of her key influences.
Langley is a
York University
m a r k e t i n g
communications,
race and
ethnic relations graduate. She has also
studied classical music at the Royal
Conservatory of Music and has
taught piano.
According to Langley, for female
DJs it can be a challenge to get
club and event promoters as well
as audiences to see past gender.
“There are still some guys who
will try to intimidate me standing
in front of the DJ booth with their
arms crossed just waiting for me
to mess up. I am still keeping them
waiting,” she laughs.
For Carleton University criminology
and criminal justice graduate
Jeannine “JJ Rock” Bryan, the
story of rising to the top is about
having to prove herself as a talented
DJ regardless of her gender.
Crediting Flow 935’s Scott Boogie and
DJ Chocolate Groove for mentoring her,
Bryan encourages young women interested
in DJing to always present themselves
as professionals.
“You’ve got to respect yourself, your
image and your craft. Consistently
practise and don’t be afraid to network
and to ask to work with or study under
those you admire otherwise others
won’t take you seriously,” says Bryan.
Both she and Langley recommend college
and university radio stations as a
great place to gain experience.
This Friday, MelBoogie, who specializes
in New Jack Swing 90’s hip hop; JJ
Rock, spinning hip hop and R &B; and
other top female DJs like L’Oquenz and
Gunz N Rozez play Down One Lounge.
Posted on Friday, March 24 @ 00:00:00 UTC by jcohen
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