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Interview by Anitah Imani
A: What has your introduction been to music? Who's influenced your music tastes, even if you had any specific connections to music that you were drawn to growing up.
DJ J-ME-LEE: Yeah, so my name is Jamie, and in terms of the connections with where it all started for me, I think the most significant memories were me just getting rides to and from school.
And in those long car rides, my sister, she was the one to drive me to and from school, I would just hear so much music in the backseat, like RnB, neo-soul,hip-hop. I was really just rooted in being able to really grasp a lot of that during those experiences. In addition to just, with my upbringing, I had the privilege of getting into different programs as a kid, from choir to piano lessons, I did some band. And I think this combination of different extracurricular activities really helped shape me on getting a better grasp of music outside of what I was normally hearing. And I think the biggest kind of topping on cake, for sure, as I grew older, was just getting the experience of nightlife. Moving out here by myself, outside of school… I dropped out. I dropped out of school and shortly after leaving the dorms, I was living on Grand Ave, and I would always go to 602’sdays. It was around that time when I had just turned 21 so that really gave me a good exposure on wrapping my mind around different music that wasn't necessarily hip-Hop, RnB, but just worldliness and electronic. I think all of those different pivotal moments of my life helped shape me to where I'm at now as a 31 year old woman, having this type of taste that I do, and being able to, like, express that on the boards.
A:When did you have your introduction to DJing? When did you start? I'm sure that you going to like local events at 602’sdays and maybe some other nightlife down here prompted that. But when did that shift occur for you, that you started DJing?
DJ J-ME-LEE: It was around 2016, 2017.
A: Perfect time!
DJ J-ME-LEE:Right? It was such a great time for us all right? But that was literally the year that I turned 21, so not only did I get my exposure in finally being in the clubs and stuff, but it really helped me get closer to finding more people that were in that space. And one friend in particular I had made, someone who really paved that way for me: Stoneypie (Ruminate).
I helped her a lot with taking pictures at her gigs, because I started off doing a little photography, and I also was a roadie, just helping get things to and from set up for her and all, and watching her practice, giving her any feedback I could give on her sets. And she just kind of opened that door to be like, hey you know, you could try it yourself. And that being an opportunity, I got to experiment, which then led to me seeking other opportunities of how I can really expand more.
And that brought me to radio.
So while I was getting deeper, working in radio, I met a DJ who was teaching lessons there, and I took those lessons and soared. Because after that, I had another best friend who had a book release. She was a poet and author, and she had a release for her poems, and wanted me to DJ that. And that's kind of where it really all started for me. Really just that opportunity. And from there, I just always stayed consistent, because I was going out a lot already too, and being a familiar face, it was easier for me to go out of my way to ask the club managers, like at Valley Bar, like, “Hey, if you need a DJ”. And they were just giving me the opportunity to play my tunes in a dark corner or something late at night and just practice a little, so that's what I did. I just found my way through a lot of connections, but also just seeking different opportunities that were like a domino effect to the next thing. So I feel like, if I wasn't connected to meeting her, to deciding to do radio, to getting these lessons, to having the network I did from going out a lot, I don't think I would be where I'm at right now for real.
A: As an open format DJ, you are able to genre hop in between all these different sounds from like Hip-hop, to Jersey Club, to Miami Bass, to House, to Afrobeats. I'm curious if you have a favorite genre that you like to spin?
DJ J-ME-LEE: I love, love, love club music in general. I just feel like it's fire! I think when it especially first started for me, and the exposure I had to DJing, I was around a lot of drum and bass heads and jungle heads. So there's always going to be a strong appreciation I have with that music, because I also believe anything can be fused in that. I'm really about fusion when it comes down to the sounds that I appreciate with genres. And if I had to name two more, it would be funk. I love, love, love funk. I've always appreciated that sound. My parents met at the roller skating rink. So I really love finding ways of incorporating those different elements into the rink, but also outside of the rink.
And lastly, I'm gonna have to say I really am loving break beats, or broken beat music. I think that's really cool with just the vibe, the sound that it gives [...] I like those different genres, where it kind of fuses into or melts into other things that complement it still very well.
A: How has it been exploring DJing at the rink and just exploring that subculture within Phoenix?
DJ J-ME-LEE: For the rink to be what it is, the music is the most important part. And I just love that every day I'm learning. Whether it be the current things, whether it be older things, like, every day I'm always adding to my library of different things I can hear, and I like that it's diverse.
You know, I like that everyone can have their space to have this style, and it all is like a melting pot when you come into the rink. Especially out here in Arizona.
A: I'm curious what you think about the sound of Phoenix, and does it have a sound, or is it just blended sounds?
DJ J-ME-LEE: Arizona is such a melting pot. I don't know necessarily if there is a defined sound, but I do know that there is a very high appreciation for West Coast music, being that it is the southwest.
A: What would you say has been your favorite space that you've DJed at? And this can be in relation to the events that you've thrown, like Soundiverse, Roulette, the skate nights you've done. Because as an open format DJ, that opens up the opportunity to attract a lot of different people to your events. And so I'm curious if there's a space that you particularly like the energy that you bring in there the most, and what's reciprocated the most there?
DJ J-ME-LEE: I think it's a strong, strong tie between Soundiverse and Request Roulette. Soundiverse, before it was called Soundiverse, was called ‘Sounds of the Underground’. And it was a transition, because I had been DJing already at Gracie's for about five-ish years now. So I just wanted the ability to play whatever I wanted. And I love that I had that room to do so at Gracie's. Just straight up, there was no genre they could really put on it of what I'm trying to do, it's just letting me play there. And I think the crowd and their receptiveness of that every time I play always just makes me feel very connected to being there and getting to do that. And I think for Request Roulette, I will say it's a landslide. I love Request Roulette because a lot of people found their space at Request, and I get it. I like that I'm able to make this interactive experience between me and the audience.
Because in a way, they're feeling like they have some power to choose what's being played, or at least just offer the suggestions, which then gives me room to still do what I do. Like I'm playing based off of this list, but I'm discovering new music. It's just a nice, shared process. They're happy, I'm happy. It's very magical in that way. So I like having the space to find room for that to be an opportunity for people to have, because I don't feel like we get much of that out here. It's just usually like, ‘Oh, I'm coming in, this is what you're going to hear’. And that's cool, but as DJ’s we wouldn't even get much farther in where we go without our audience, and it does put respect for me giving appreciation to at least just… give consideration of what they might want to hear. Like, give them a fucking night where that could be an option. You know?
A: Is there anything that you want to share on that note, of looking ahead and what you want to continue bringing forth into the DJ scene out here?
DJ J-ME-LEE: DJing will always be a part of me, but I think I see this as just a stepping stone to more possibilities and growth in my career. Because I've just been figuring it out. I never really had anyone teaching me or breaking down to me like ‘Okay, this is what you need to do to get exactly where you want to go’, because I don't even know where the fuck is the end point for me. But I do know the next steps of where I'm at right now, with me going to school and graduating this May with my popular music degree. I want to be a music supervisor. I want to playlist TV shows, films, ads, video games. I want to find ways to take the elements of what I've been doing and take it to another level. And that's what I think I've been trying to do with every little era of myself that has gotten me to this point of where I'm at and where I'm going, and just hoping to be some example of what is possible for people who are out there just trying to figure it out.
We're students of life, and I would love to just be able to teach as kind of my final form. Leave this earth impacting people, where they can feel like seeing my journey, or whatever can help them feel inspired to know that they're in the right direction.
It's not just DJing, it's not so much that I'm one dimensional. Because it seems like that with that being all that I do now. But whatever the next era that I'm in, people will appreciate that. Whether it be me doing music supervision, whether it be producing. I'm trying to be on some Jay Versace shit, and really just grow on another level, where you almost forget that, the fact that I was doing these cool things, and now I'm doing another cool thing.
A: What would you say has been your favorite space that you've DJed at? And this can be in relation to the events that you've thrown, like Soundiverse, Roulette, the skate nights you've done. Because as an open format DJ, that opens up the opportunity to attract a lot of different people to your events. And so I'm curious if there's a space that you particularly like the energy that you bring in there the most, and what's reciprocated the most there?
DJ J-ME-LEE: I think it's a strong, strong tie between Soundiverse and Request Roulette. Soundiverse, before it was called Soundiverse, was called ‘Sounds of the Underground’. And it was a transition, because I had been DJing already at Gracie's for about five-ish years now. So I just wanted the ability to play whatever I wanted. And I love that I had that room to do so at Gracie's. Just straight up, there was no genre they could really put on it of what I'm trying to do, it's just letting me play there. And I think the crowd and their receptiveness of that every time I play always just makes me feel very connected to being there and getting to do that. And I think for Request Roulette, I will say it's a landslide. I love Request Roulette because a lot of people found their space at Request, and I get it. I like that I'm able to make this interactive experience between me and the audience.
Photo by Maddy Crouch
Because in a way, they're feeling like they have some power to choose what's being played, or at least just offer the suggestions, which then gives me room to still do what I do. Like I'm playing based off of this list, but I'm discovering new music. It's just a nice, shared process. They're happy, I'm happy. It's very magical in that way. So I like having the space to find room for that to be an opportunity for people to have, because I don't feel like we get much of that out here. It's just usually like, ‘Oh, I'm coming in, this is what you're going to hear’. And that's cool, but as DJ’s we wouldn't even get much farther in where we go without our audience, and it does put respect for me giving appreciation to at least just… give consideration of what they might want to hear. Like, give them a night where that could be an option. You know?
Photo by Anitah Imani
Go back to music
DJ J-ME-LEE: I think it's a strong, strong tie between Soundiverse and Request Roulette. Soundiverse, before it was called Soundiverse, was called ‘Sounds of the Underground’. And it was a transition, because I had been DJing already at Gracie's for about five-ish years now. So I just wanted the ability to play whatever I wanted. And I love that I had that room to do so at Gracie's. Just straight up, there was no genre they could really put on it of what I'm trying to do, it's just letting me play there. And I think the crowd and their receptiveness of that every time I play always just makes me feel very connected to being there and getting to do that. And I think for Request Roulette, I will say it's a landslide. I love Request Roulette because a lot of people found their space at Request, and I get it. I like that I'm able to make this interactive experience between me and the audience.
Because in a way, they're feeling like they have some power to choose what's being played, or at least just offer the suggestions, which then gives me room to still do what I do. Like I'm playing based off of this list, but I'm discovering new music. It's just a nice, shared process. They're happy, I'm happy. It's very magical in that way. So I like having the space to find room for that to be an opportunity for people to have, because I don't feel like we get much of that out here. It's just usually like, ‘Oh, I'm coming in, this is what you're going to hear’. And that's cool, but as DJ’s we wouldn't even get much farther in where we go without our audience, and it does put respect for me giving appreciation to at least just… give consideration of what they might want to hear. Like, give them a night where that could be an option. You know?
Go back to music