Why Artistes, Labels, Shouldn’t Overlook Impact Of DJs – DJames

In this exclusive interview, Popular UK, multi-award-winning DJ and pro­ducer, ‘DJames’, shares his journey, from starting out organically to becoming an international DJ. Due to his ability to in­fuse Afrobeat with other international sounds, DJames has been able to create a fan base across Europe, North Amer­ica, and Africa, specifically in Nigeria, through his mixtapes, songs, and live concerts. He has also DJed for popular singers like Burna Boy, Drake, and Chris Brown, et-al. EGUNGWU CHUKWUKA brings excerpts.

Can you share with us what inspired you to become a DJ, and how you started?

Honestly, I was never inspired to be a DJ, it just happened organically over the years. I always loved music and I would be the one making compilation CDs for all my friends to play in their cars. Then at University some friends of mine start­ed running campus events and needed a DJ. I said I’d do it to help them out and it really took off from there.

Being an international DJ, how do you com­pare what we do here to what is obtainable out there?

In the last five or six years that I’ve been coming to Lagos, I’ve seen a big im­provement in the DJ scene, so things are moving in the right direction for sure. The club scene is very different in Lagos to a lot of other countries I’ve played in, and I think the DJs are a reflection of that. For example in the UK, I played a lot of five or six-hour sets, sometimes seven times a week, and the same crowd would be there from start to finish. I challenged myself to never repeat a song through­out the night, which meant I had to be creative and have a deep collection of music. I definitely think that has helped with the shorter sets I tend to play these days. I would like to see more DJs in general express their own musical taste in their sets and give the crowd something different.

How do you balance infusing Afrobe­at with other international sounds, creat­ing a unique fusion that resonates with your audience?

I just do what sounds good to me, and I’m very fortunate that other people have resonated with it over the years. There is so much talent in Nigeria and I feel like it’s my responsibility as a DJ to showcase the music outside of Africa. One of the ways I can do this is by blending Afri­can vocals with other genres to help new audiences better understand Afrobeats. I’m confident that everyone who hears it will love it.

Nigerian singer, Crayon was featured in your new single, ‘Avalay’. What’s your experience working with him?

Crayon has been absolutely incredi­ble to work with throughout this entire process. He was one of my favourite artistes before I even started producing, so when I was putting together a proj­ect I knew I had to have him on it. We’d been talking for a few years and one day I sent him some beats. Not long after, he video-called me from the studio with Avalay playing in the background and I was so happy.

How do you stay updated with new releases and trends, considering the large number of singers globally?

I have always done it, so it doesn’t really feel like work. I work for DJcity and Beat­source as their curator for African and Caribbean music, so I must stay on top of those genres day-to-day. I’m sure even if I didn’t have that role though, I’d still stay up to date because I’m such a fan. I check different places for music like DSP charts, Shazam charts, blogs and social media. I’m also really fortunate to have relationships with a lot of the artistes and their teams now, so they’re always sending me new releases ahead of time.

Do you believe that DJs are underappreciated and overlooked for their contributions to the entertainment industry?

I think a lot of artistes and labels overlook DJs. I have this discussion all the time. They have the power to break records and introduce music to new au­diences but I think a lot of people forget to even reach out to them. It’s something I’m really trying to help with. In the last few years, I’ve convinced a lot of artistes to start sharing their acapella and instru­mentals so DJs can remix them, create routines. With social media now, you never know what someone might come up with and go viral. In my opinion, they can also make great A&Rs. They’re out in the club every weekend testing songs and seeing how the crowd reacts. You can’t buy that ex­perience.

At what point did you realise you had become a celebrity DJ?

I don’t think of myself as a famous DJ. Even after all these years, I feel like I’m just getting started because the land­scape is constantly changing and so are my goals. There have definitely been some moments where I’ve felt like I’m starting to make an impact, which is ulti­mately what I’m focused on. Whether it’s one of my favourite artistes reaching out to say they’re a fan, or people stopping me for photos in the street, it’s a great feeling but it doesn’t really change any­thing for me. I just want to keep building my fan base and helping the artistes that I like.

Can you share with us one of your regrets as a DJ?

My biggest regret is probably not taking the leap of faith and specialising earlier in my career. It was during the pandemic, when I wasn’t able to play in clubs, that I said to myself it’s time to play the music I actually like. Thankfully the audience really gravitated to what I was doing and I’ve never had to go back to playing DJ sets I don’t enjoy.

NB: This interview was originally published in The Independent Newspaper on 11th January, 2025.