Born in the East, but raised in the West, DJ JAM got his inspiration to be a DJ when he was only thirteen (13) years old. Jam's brother-in-law bought him his first turntables and mixer from a friend who was visiting from NYC. JAM had experimented with playing the trumpet, drums, keyboard and guitar throughout his elementary, middle and high school years. Now he had a new instrument to learn; two turntables and a mixer.
JAM continued to practice his skills in his bedroom until, after playing many house parties for free, he was offered his first paying DJ gig. When he was fifteen, JAM became a "professional" when he was paid $50.00 to DJ at a high school house party. At 16, JAM was ready for the club and college scene, and was spinning on commercial radio in San Diego by the time he was 18. When he was 19, DJ JAM displayed his skills as a battle DJ and advanced to the DMC US Championship. DJ Jam quickly gained status as "the" DJ of the San Diego area.
As the early nineties arrived, Jam pursued a Bachelor's degree in Music with an emphasis in Audio Engineering at Cal State Dominguez Hills (Los Angeles Area). While he was in college, JAM continued to work on his DJ skills by putting out his now infamous mixtapes. This exposure parlayed into more and better paying DJ gigs at nightclubs and special events in Los Angeles and the surrounding markets.
In 1989, JAM met Snoop through Kurupt and mutual friend EL Dogg (RIP). A few months later, JAM hooked up with DR DRE whom he met through the infamous Chris "The Glove" Taylor (DJ For ICE T in the movie BREAKIN). Both Dre and Snoop approached JAM to be their tour DJ within months of each other….the rest is history in the making.
DJ JAM is hailed for his style, creativity and ever-growing list of achievements. He participated in the DMC finals and remixed Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg's "G-Thang" on the Double-Platinum album, Death Row's Greatest Hits. His unparalleled sound has been heard at movie premieres, album release, and private parties. His skills have been called on by various entertainers, industry executives, and television shows both in the US and abroad. Jam has appeared on countless shows, including: David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, the Ryan Seacrest show, Arsenio Hall Show, The Chris Rock Show, Showtime at the Apollo, Pepsi Smash, MTV's TRL, Direct Effect and Snoop Dogg's Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, BET's Rap City, 106th and Park, as well as the MTV and BET Awards, Vibe awards, Source Awards, and American Music Awards.
Jam's remixes and production work are as diverse as the artists he has worked with; Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Notorious B.I.G., Bobby Brown, and Chante Moore, to name a few. Closer to home, as the mix show coordinator at KKBT-FM Los Angeles, Jam's strong influence was felt as part of the team that took the station to number one for the first time. His exclusive mixes were featured Monday through Saturday on various shows and mix shows. He also joined Superadio Syndication Network where he is the man behind many of the mixes that are heard on stations all over the country. He left KKBT/LA to join the KPWR/LA mixstaff and was featured with Snoop on Dogg House Radio. Two years later, Jam and Snoop went back to KKBT and Jam was featured with Snoop on the Nationally Syndicated Bigg Snoop Dogg Radio Show.
Whether your musical taste is Hip Hop, R&B, Reggae, Funk or Soul Classics, Jam has covered them all. He is a constant and infamous fixture in radio, clubs, and as a tour DJ. Jam was the DJ on the first CHRONIC tour which featured; Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre, Nate Dogg, and the Dogg Pound. Most recently, Jam was the man behind the decks for Snoop on the Projekt Revolution Tour during the summer of 2004 (which featured Linkin Park, Korn, Snoop Dogg and The Used), as well, he was the man behind the decks for the legendary Up In Smoke Tour. This sold-out arena tour, which included 47 cities and 25 after-parties hosted by DJ Jam, featured artists such as Eminem, Ice Cube, Warren G, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg. In addition, JAM is also the DJ for the 213 Crew (Snoop, Warren G and Nate Dogg) and was the DJ for Snoops platinum selling Eastsidaz Crew (Snoop, Tray Dee and Goldie Loc). Jam's busy travel schedule proves just how highly sought after his talents are.
DJ JAM is a self proclaimed, "well rounded" DJ. He has won DJ battles, he is a radio DJ, he's the tour DJ for three of the hottest artists/groups out today and he definitely knows how to rock a party. DJ JAM got his inspiration from West Coast DJ's like DR DRE, DJ JOE COOLIE (Rodney O & Joe Coolie) and DJ ALADDIN (WC and the Mad Circle / ICE T), as well as East Coast DJs like Jam Master Jay, Grandmaster Flash and DJ Scratch and he uses the influences of these legendary DJ's to build on his own skills.
JAM has proved to himself, his family and other DJ's that with hard work and perseverance it is possible to succeed in the music business. JAM wants to continue to grow and will soon be focusing again on his own production work. You can find out more about DJ JAM on the web at WWW.DJJAM.COM. |
