JayceeOh’s DJing prowess goes back much further than his recent victory on VH1’s “Master of the Mix!” Born an Angelino, Jayceeoh went to High School in Pittsburgh, PA, and attended Emerson College in Boston. After graduating he spent 4 years in New York before moving back to L.A. in 2010 to hone his skills. Now he has emerged as a breakthrough talent and is headed towards a bright future. I caught up with him after his recent set at IHC Sundays! Take a look below…
First off it’s a real pleasure meeting you. I’m definitely a fan of your work and am very curious how you career began?
I started my career as a hip-hop battle DJ working closely with underground rappers and touring the world with them. I focused on becoming more of a party DJ than a “keep it real” hip-hop underground dude. Took a bunch of time, and studied various types of music I wanted to incorporate in my club sets. I started the Super 7 Mix Series that year as well, where I feature six world class DJs and myself on a mix where each DJ gets 10 mins to do their thing. The Super 7 series emphasizes the art of DJing and creative mixes rather than just playing the hottest track of the time. Some DJ’s featured have been Jazzy Jeff, Z-Trip, Gaslamp Killer, Cosmo Baker, Thee Mike B, U-Tern, and Revolution to name a few. Since being back in LA I have been playing most of the A-list bottle service club’s when I am not doing tour dates. At the same time I make sure to book sets for real music lovers and fans at parties like The Do-Over and iHeartcomix.
What differences do you noticed about the LA scene as opposed to NY?
I think the LA music scene is more open to showing people love. NYC is full of tough love. Even if people fuck with you and like your shit, the odds of them actually coming out and showing love is low.
Congrats on winning the “Master of the Mix” by the way. Tell me a little bit about the show.
Smirnoff’s “Master Of The Mix” TV show on VH1 was very similar to say “Top Chef” for DJ’s. The show started with 19 DJs from across the country, and every episode had a specific challenge testing the DJs versatility and skill level. Each episode someone was sent home. As things got down to the Finals, competition got much tighter and it became anyones title for the taking. The prize was $250,000 and a year contract as Smirnoff’s official DJ. This show is historical in the sense that it’s the first reality TV show for DJs on national television, as well as the largest grand prize in the history of DJing.
Was this your first time being on broadcast television?
It actually wasn’t the first time I have been on TV. Last year I performed on Conan O’Brien and as 90210 alongside rapper Sammy Adams.
Did you become friends with any of the other DJs that were in the competition or was it all business?
Yes. the camaraderie was very high considering the stakes. I became friends with a bunch of the cast members and we still keep in touch.
One of the highlights of the show was hearing the DJs articulate their process. Did you learn anything from others process or sort of stick to what you know?
I definitely took notes on other processes, good and bad. I would analyze it to my own process and take it for what it was. Most of the time I stuck to my own process which I knew would work well. I think it worked out for me. haha.
I’m a huge fan of your latest REMIX with B-Sides of French Montana Ft. Mavado’s “F#ck What Happens”! What inspired you to remix this particular track?
I was listening to the original of that song when it first dropped and loved the Mavado sample. I am a sucker for gully reggae vocals. The rest of the song lacked energy, so I wanted to make a version of the song that had the flavor of the Mavado vocals then dropped into something more melodical with a big drop. I chopped up the rough idea then got in the lab with B-Sides and brought it all to life. We are very happy with it.
So much of DJing is knowing the tracks you mix intimately. With so much music being produced these days do you find most of your inspiration from what’s new or find new ways to revive and remix songs from the past?
I lean towards both sides of the spectrum. I find most of my inspiration for production from new songs and trends in music. But then I always go back to classic material as a reference point. I want the music I make to be timeless.
You’ve become a hot commodity since winning the “Master of the Mix.” Have you noticed any significant changes in your lifestyle or is this something you’ve been preparing for?
Well. The TV show was filmed in January, so I have known the outcome but had to keep it a secret which was difficult. As much as that sucked, it gave me lead time to prepare for everything that is happening now. Production is my main focus, and now that peoples eyes are on me I plan on dropping a lot of new material.
What’s in store for 2013?
Man, 2013 is gonna be that year. Every year people are like this is my year, then the next year they are like NO, this is gonna be my year. But finally I can confidently declare that 2013 will be my year. I have tons of production coming out, and recently signed with the Windish Agency. I have a new management team that is great and with a huge company like Smirnoff backing me I really think sky is the limit. Time to make some big records!
We look forward to hearing more from DJ Jayceeoh this year and are honored he was able to play for IHC Sundays last week. He’s already making good on his promises with a new remix of Estelle’s Do My Thing feat. Janelle Monae, available for free download above. We wish him the best and can’t wait until the next time around. IHC Sundays continues this weekend with AC Slater, Tittsworth, Jokers of the Scene, and Franki Chan! RSVP below.
RSVP HERE.
STEVE
