DJ Jam

DJ JAM has been one of the most influential forces in West Coast hip hop; you have heard and experienced his work if you have encountered the West Coast hip hop movement figure-headed by Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.

JAM was born in Maryland and raised in San Diego, CA, as well as Dallas, TX, giving him a well-rounded perspective on music and connecting him with hip hop's birthplace in the East and its development and progression in the West and the South, rooting him in its history and investing him in its future.

JAM's family was an integral part of American music's history – his cousin Johnny Nash (I Can See Clearly Now) went on a pilgrimage to Jamaica and connected with the Marleys, taking them abroad for the first time to record in Europe as well as to tour the United States. Johnny also introduced a young JAM to animals while he was living in Dallas, which set him on his lifelong journey that would include a love for both music and animals.

Due to family ties and natural gifting, JAM was always surrounded by music and dabbled with the trumpet, drums, keyboard and guitar during his elementary and middle school years, and at the age of 13 he found the instrument that best suited him: two turntables and a mixer. As his interest in DJing grew, JAM's brother-in-law saw potential and invested in the youngster, buying him his first tables and playing a key role in the development of a legendary figure in hip hop.

Practicing routines in his bedroom, JAM was putting in his "10,000 hours" to become an expert, and at the age of 15 he booked his first paid gig, rocking a high school house party for $50. Once DJ JAM reaped the fruits of his labor of love, he worked even harder to perfect his craft, jumping into the club and college scenes at 16 and DJing on commercial radio in San Diego at just 18 years old. Shortly thereafter, JAM began taking his now sharpened skills into the battle DJ arena, receiving attention at the US DMC Championships. With a growing list of accomplishments, a reputation for quality and authenticity, and a tenacious resolve, JAM soon became San Diego's DJ of choice.

West Coast icons Kurupt and El Dogg (RIP) introduced DJ Jam to Snoop Dogg in 1989, and by a beautiful stroke of fate Chris "The Glove" Taylor (Ice-T's DJ in the movie "Breakin'") introduced Jam to Dr. Dre just a few months later. Shortly thereafter both Snoop and Dre, independent of one another, approached DJ Jam about being their tour DJ and the rest is history. Jam was behind the tables for each of the "The Chronic" tours, for the Snoop and Diddy European Tour, the Good Vibes Tour, the West Coast OG's Tour, the How the West Was Won Tour, the Project Revolution Tour and more. While each of these tours added to an already well-accomplished career, perhaps the most renowned tour Jam DJed for Snoop and Dre was the "Up In Smoke" tour, selling out arenas in 47 cities! With a proven skill set, it is no surprise that each of the following artists/groups turned to DJ Jam to DJ for them on tour: the 213 Crew (Snoop, Warren G and Nate Dogg), the Eastsidaz Crew (Snoop, Tray Dee and Goldie Loc), Warren G, Doggy's Angels, C-Murder, and the Whoridaz.

As an ambitious artist, Jam has always been looking to take his talents to the next level, which led him to pursue a bachelor’s degree in music with an emphasis on audio engineering at CSU Dominguez Hills. It was during these formative years that Jam created the perfectly formulated mixtapes he is now known for, which helped to promote the artists he worked with as well as opened doors to reach larger audiences and venues as a DJ. Jam's mixtapes not only featured music from phenomenal West Coast rappers, but showed his musicality and, before their time, blurred genre lines, including Hip hop, RnB, Reggae, Electro/House/BMore Mashups, Funk, Soul and more.

DJ Jam's ear, natural musical giftedness and the perfection of his craft as a DJ all combine to equip him as an excellent producer, both for original production as well as creating remixes. Jam has collaborated with the following artists as the man behind the beat on original songs as well as perfectly crafted remixes that often out-do the originals: Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, The Notorious B.I.G., Bobby Brown and Chaunte Moore, just to name a few. His tremendous ear also led him to the discovery of (Lil) Bow Wow in Columbus, OH in 1993.

From ‘86-’89 DJ Jam was a DJ and remix producer for San Diego’s beloved 92.5 FM. Jam was also a staff DJ and music/mixshow coordinator from ‘92-’98 on LA's 92.3 The Beat. With a proven legacy, unique approach and a bit of fortunate timing, Jam helped take 92.3 KKBT-FM in Los Angeles to number one for the first time ever! His notorious mixes were also featured on various shows and mix shows around the world, helping to shape and share the sound of the west. FM radio waves then became a platform for Snoop Dogg and DJ Jam to continue expanding the reach of great west coast hip hop via both Dogg House Radio on LA's Power 106 FM and the nationally syndicated Big Snoop Dogg Radio Show (where Jam was a staff DJ/Producer from ‘99-’02) - further validation of one of hip hop's most influential and accomplished DJs. From ‘96-’12, DJ Jam also DJed on 4 mixshows nationally on the Superadio Syndicated Network. Jam can currently be heard on radio stations around the world and on Snoop’s “Cadillac Music" channel on The Dash Radio Network.

When operating at these levels, quality matters. DJ Jam has learned so much about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to his DJ & music production equipment that he has taken that learning and turned it into innovation. Jam has worked in research and development/product development and has created new products to ensure the brands he uses and endorses offer their customers only the finest in DJ/production equipment and software. Jam has had an influential hand in the development of products for the following top-tier brands (in some cases helping to create “top sellers” like Aerial7’s Tank “Platinum” headphones - editions 1 & 2): Aerial7, Seagate, Rane, Odyssey, Numark, Denon, Serato, Ortofon DJ, AVID, Akai Professional, Propellerhead, Crane Hardware and Reloop.

After decades behind the turntables, DJ Jam is determined to see societal tables turn. Through his Community Hands Network Foundation, Jam is seeking to use both the Multi-Media Mentor Academy and the Animal Habitat and Petting Zoo of San Diego to empower youth of all ages to make positive and enduring changes in their lives, their environments, and in their communities. Through both of these entities, Jam seeks to equip the youth to be/become invested members of their communities, giving them the mental, physical and technical skills required to sustain themselves and their environment and to provide support to others in their communities.

DJ Jam is taking his gifts, experience and passion from his past and present to create a better future for those in his sphere of influence and beyond. You can still catch him behind the turntables in the most prestigious clubs around the world, on renowned radio stations worldwide, producing music or at the Multi-Media Mentor Academy teaching a young DJ to carry on his legacy, or passing down his knowledge of and love for animals to future environmentalists, biologists and zoologists. No matter where he is, DJ JAM will be using his platform to improve the lives of those around him.

---

DJ JAM uses:

---

---

Visit DJ Jam on Instagram