__________________________
Check out this Nigerian-Canadian-American female DJ, Lady Lane. Nice job on the mixtape, LastPlaneToLagos done to commemorate Naija @ 50 Independence.
Mixtape features music from Nneka, K’naan, J.Period, Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Prince Nico Mbarga, Chief Osita Osadebe, 9ice, M.I, Jesse Jagz, 2Face Idibia, Asa, Ayo, Banky W, Chiddy Bang, Wale, Siji, Vector, Rich Medina, Martin Luther, Samklef, Mo’Cheddah, Dagrin, Jaywon, Terry,Cohbams, Rooftop MCs, Omawunmi, Wordsmith, Modele, Bez.
For more info on DJ Lady Lane check out her personal space at http://djladylane.podomatic.com/
>via: http://www.radiopalmwine.com/dj-lady-lane-presents-last-plane-to-lagos-mixtape/
__________________________
15 Jan
One chilly January afternoon, despite my having been unable to get to Memphis due to a cancelled flight, I couldn’t have been happier to be in the city. Afterall, I was spending time with a talented Jill of All Trades: model, actress, and most recently DJ, who has a penchant for Polaroid film and cassette tapes. Between her imitation of her Nigerian parents’ accents and her thoughts on leggings, Rena Anakwe, better known to the club scene as DJ Lady Lane, had me practically rolling on the floor with her humor. Her energy, drive, and optimism are what have gotten her as far as she has come today, but clearly her amazing personality is what keeps her there.
I hope you, too, can gather from this interview alone, why DJ Lady Lane was the perfect person to use for Retail DJ’s first “What’s Good?” interview. May you enjoy reading it as much as I did conducting it:
DJ Lady Lane interview part 1
1/3/2010
Retail DJ: I know that you’re on Twitter, and RetailDJ is on Twitter now, so we can be Twitter buddies! I wanted to open this interview by asking, if you could “tweet” your life, put your life in 140 characters, what would you say?
DJ Lady Lane: Before I answer that, I just want to say that I think it’s bullsh*t that you can only tweet 140 characters, but then I found this extension thing that Questlove posted, so I was like haha! I should not even use that because then it’s gonna be extensive. People would be like, “Why is she even sharing these things?”
Retail DJ: Well, you know, Kelly Bensimon from Real Housewives of New York supposedly wrote a whole book on her Blackberry, so… you could possibly tweet your life!
DJ Lady Lane: In multiple tweets or one tweet?
Retail DJ: Only one tweet.
DJ Lady Lane: Not 140 tweets, one tweet [laughs] Hmmm…Nomadic nomad. . . something that I’ve learned. By recognizing love through yourself, you can help and empower others. So through music, travel, and words, the nomadic nomad spreads the word?
Retail DJ: That might more than 140 characters, but that was good!
DJ Lady Lane: Yeah, I was close! I was close! No commas. We don’t need punctuation. [laughs]
Retail DJ: Ok, so in long form, can you tell the readers a little more about who you are? i.e. where you’re from (if that’s even possible because I know you’ve moved a lot)…can you expand your tweet?
DJ Lady Lane: I was born Chinazo Rena Anakwe, for Americans [American accent] “Chinaaaahzoh Reeena Anahkway.” I am the product of Nigerian parents – Nigerian born – of the Igbo tribe. I was actually born in Canada. My parents both met in Nigeria and got married. My dad came to Canada first and was going to school, then brought my mom to Canada. They both worked very hard, got degrees there, then moved to the U.S. They had my brother in Michigan, and my dad got a scholarship to the University of Michigan. Then we moved again. My family has moved a lot – and I am not even in the mafia or the child of diplomats! [laughs]
They traveled for schooling. My parents just wanted to give us a good quality of life and a good share of the opportunities they were seeking as well. So we moved outside of Philadelphia, PA (in Cheltenham). It was a very interesting place.
We then moved to Montgomery County, where I went to an all girls’ school. We then moved to Westchester, NY when I was in 7th grade. My mom was pregnant, so when she had my sister – who just turned 13 in December – we moved. I listened to music before, but I had to sneak a lot of things. My parents never know what anyone’s saying and would sometimes ask [Nigerian accent], “Why are you listening to the words? We are just dancing.”
Retail DJ: Love the accent.
DJ Lady Lane: Oh there will be many because I know lots of people from all over the place. It’s ridiculous! [laughs] A guy I met in California once said, “Oh you are definitely from New York, because everyone I know in New York has about 50 different accents that they go through during the course of a conversation.”
So my brother and I would listen to music together. We are only 2 years apart, which means that we often beat the crap out of each other, then we’d be friends the next day, dancing and listening to different types of music. My brother is actually a hip hop artist today, which is very interesting, at least for Nigerian kids, to be in a creative and have parents who still talk to them. It’s like that sometimes, but my parents are supportive so it’s cool.
In Philadelphia, I used to listen to Power 99, Y100 which was a rock station, and Q102. Q102 is very much like the New York version of Z100, very pop-centric, but it got so bad that I knew what song was coming up next because I listened to it that much. For Power99, I used to have to sneak a little more because of the songs…especially because LL Cool J’s “Doin’ It” had come out. So while no one knew what the hell he was saying, meaning my parents, it just sounded like sex! Honestly, it really did. So every time it would come on, we’d be in the car hoping it hadn’t. Our parents would ask, “What is this nonsense you are listening to? Turn this nonsense off! What kind of children are you, eh? What are they doing?” Awkward. Note: the word “sex” was never said to us as children til we moved to NYC, and my dad would slip STD/pregnancy prevention guides under our bedroom doors! [laughs] We didn’t want to get in trouble so I’d say, “oh um, this is the first time I’ve heard this song. I don’t know what they’re talking about!”
In my room, I had my boombox, so I’d listen to everything. Music is definitely something that’s always been with me.
Retail DJ: How did living in NYC affect your music taste, if at all?
DJ Lady Lane: I have always listened all different types of music. As a child, I didn’t like country that much, but I have found a few artists that I actually enjoy now.
When I moved to New York, that’s when Brooklyn and Biggie were like…OH SNAP! Though unfortunately, Biggie died the same day I was born, March 9th, though in a different year.
Retail DJ: aww sad!
DJ Lady Lane: Yes, very sad. The first year I move to NY, Biggie Smalls dies. Sooo…
Retail DJ: Happy birthday!
DJ Lady Lane: Exactly. It’s like Happy birthday, STFU! I got the birthday punches, not the celebration! It was sad. The whole place, all of NY, was just down. I knew who Christopher Wallace was before I moved there and everything, but not to that capacity because I was in Philadelphia when he was still alive, so it was different. I remember when Junior Mafia was on the radio, but it just wasn’t the same as being in NY. But I got that little part right before he died, but then, boom, he died right on my birthday and I was like “oh sh*t.” So every year, when my birthday comes around, it’s happy and sad at the same time.
Then I went to NYU, of course you move every year because you’re getting kicked around all of the dorms. After my freshman year, my parents moved again, this time to Bucks County, Pennsylvania. But since I was in school, I didn’t really know anybody or anything there, so when I go, it’s literally just to visit my family. So even though I don’t have an official “home” so to speak, I feel like Brooklyn is the place where I am most comfortable. I don’t feel judged. I just feel like I am at home here when I come back.
More after the jump!
Retail DJ: So where is home now?
DJ Lady Lane: Well, I recently moved to California, outside of L.A., and I will be moving to Vancouver in two weeks. The nomadic nomad continues to travel! I call myself that because even I am almost in shock at how much moving I’ve done. I’m like, “this is ridiculous!” and can say, for real, for the first time, “I am home-less.” [laughs] So I’ll settle down in a place eventually, but for right now, I’m just going with the clouds, where the wind blows me, and we’ll see where I settle when that cloudsurfing dies down.
So yeah, I guess that’s “where I’m from.” [laughs]
Retail DJ: So can you tell us a little bit more about how you got into music? Because when I met you, you were still a student at NYU, and I know that you were doing some modeling, sort of looking into acting, but I didn’t know about your interest in music. Can you talk a little bit about how that all began?
DJ Lady Lane: I have the mind of an elephant – I remember everything, though I am not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Anyway, my aunt (my mom’s sister), was very stylish. Her inspiration was Joan Collins from the show Dynasty. She had those big sunglasses and sundresses, and stayed “pimped out,” diva-ish. So she was a person who was very into music and I remember that she used to watch MTV, so I’d watch it with her as a baby. I probably shouldn’t remember watching MTV as a baby because I was born in 1984, but I remember MTV in the 80s because I was very attentive and paid attention to small details. The song I walked to as a baby was the theme song from Beverly Hills Cop. So that’s where it all started.
Retail DJ: What about your family background? How did that affect your relationship with music?
DJ Lady Lane: Nigerians love life, so music is definitely a part of our culture in general. In Africa, I feel like music is in our soul. It’s like a rhythm that’s there. Even when you go there, you can just feel it.
My dad would talk about Jimmy Cliff and my mom talked about Fela [Kuti]. My parents were raised Catholic and are very religious, but at the same time, my maternal grandfather believed that music is there for kids to dance to. So when they were younger, they would go over to friends’ houses just to dance. They’d put on music and have their own little dance parties. So music has always been there, all throughout my life.
My brother was a “dj” at 11 years old, so he got his little turntables and the system, which I did the research on and picked out (I am a bit of a tech nerd). It was the Numark Starter Kit – two turntables, comes with a mixer, cartridges, everything. This was about 13 years ago when we first came to New York (oh my gosh, I feel old). My parents were like, “Go sit down. You don’t have jobs!” so they only got him a couple records.
But I remember when MTV was about music, and I used to watch these specials on how to do things. I remember when they had an episode with DJ Skribble showing people how to mix, fade, SCRATCH! From then on, when my brother wasn’t home, I’d run upstairs and practice on his turntables. I am not sure why we thought these were records we should buy, but I remember one of them was a Cam’Ron song from the Woo soundtrack.
Retail DJ: do you remember what song it was?
DJ Lady Lane: Yes, “Pull It.” And I remember it being a bit obscure/hard to find. But we really liked the song, even though I remember nothing from Woo, the movie (sorry, Jada!).
We had Cam’Ron’s album too, and a few others, but those are the ones I remember messing around with the most.
There’s a Nigerian Association in the Hudson Valley, and they would have parties, but they would suck all the time. So we were like, “Can we do a party, and maybe have a holiday party just for the kids?” so my brother volunteered to DJ it, only to turn around and ask me if I could help him So this is where I started doing playlists because I would always make mixtapes off the radio from cassettes, even when I was little. I was a perfectionist and wanted to the tapes to be flawless, so I would re-record things to cut out commercials and announcements. I was very serious about where one song ended and the other began. I didn’t want any gaps or anything. I recently found a tape player at my aunt and uncle’s house, so I am going to jack that and start making little mixtapes again that way. You know, they still actually sell cassette tapes, which is awesome, unlike Polaroids!!
Anyway, going back to the dj gigs with my brother. I made cds for my brother, and he ended up just playing the cds I made. If there is one thing I pride myself on, it’s song order, though it was hard because our parents wouldn’t let us touch the good stuff, aka the Hidden Vinyl in their Bedroom Closet (i.e. the Pointer Sisters, Michael Jackson, etc). In the end, though, it worked out. My brother would just pop in one cd after the other.
It’s funny because that’s one of the things I started doing regularly when I was at NYU- making mix cds. During my first week as a freshman, I burned a lot of cds for people because their laptops hadn’t come in yet, so I’d let them download music on my desktop It got to the point that I even got a warning from ITS that I was downloading a lot and I’d better not be committing copyright infringement! [laughs]. I’d make cds for going to the gym, even though that didn’t work out too well because I still gained the freshman 15000 pounds. My mother was like, “Are you eating on the treadmill?” and I would say, “No, I ate before I went, then I got on and then I ate again. I’d think, “Talk to me again like that and see if I come home!”
Anyway…they were mean to me! [laughs]
Retail DJ: So when did you start doing full-on serious DJing?
DJ Lady Lane: Actual playing out, I just started this past summer. I had a friend, whom I think I met for a reason, destiny, fate, the ways of the universe, whatever, and I remember this summer, sitting there with him, watching Slumdog Millionaire win all these awards. Here we have a case of all these people who had come together from many countries to perform and celebrate this movie and this culture that is so rich. I watched all of that on the stage and I thought, “Oh my gosh, I think I met my friend because we are supposed to educate people through music,” because that’s one thing we both really connected on. I feel like any person I meet, if I can connect with you on music, then I can be your friend. And if we have disputes, it’s like, whatever, but I know that that’s a person I can have a deeper connection with because we both understand a similar language.
So the next day, I called him to come over and told him, “Ok, we are going to feed people with music! We will spread the word of music and be able to build a base in different countries, then get food for the people in the countries who need it! So we need to start being DJs now!” When I get an idea, I zoom forward really fast. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the money for vinyl, so I started looking into all my options.
Retail DJ: What were some of the methods you researched?
DJ Lady Lane: Digital controllerism. I looked into that and thought, “hmmm that’s interesting, and something I might be able to afford.” I had just graduated from college and was in a masters program, and didn’t have a disposable income. I even asked my parents to invest in me, telling them that this is something I really really want to do. This is how I put it to them, because my parents think in dollars and cents, aka pay for your own sh*t. So, I told them, “This is how I am going to eat. This is how I am going to be able to pay for stuff and then still be able to act and pursue other interests.” I’ve been in different “musical situations” like bands, which can be a little tricky.
Retail DJ: Why is that?
DJ Lady Lane: Well, I love all my former bandmates [from Violent Sex], but sometimes chaos can just be a beautiful mess. It was all these musical geniuses together, but then I became the den mother. I remember sitting in the Knitting Factory on the day of my graduation trying to organize things. They are doing beautiful things now, and have lots of involvement in spin-off groups (like Megabone). I felt like it was something that was great for the time being because I met incredible people and I learned a lot of things about the New York City music scene, but that was just not going to be my way to do it. I tried to start an all-girl band Don’t Judge Judy, but that did work out because no girls wanted to play lead guitar! I even started learning lead guitar because I thought to myself, “If I could play the guitar, I’d be ripping and shredding the sh*t out of this joint!” I even bought a Rich Bich guitar. It’s awesome! I love it. I could play chords! [laughs] I just thought this would be great, but you know, heads started butting, there was PMS, etc.
Retail DJ: So what ended up creating this shift?
DJ Lady Lane: I thought, “This is not my way of communicating through music.” I realized that I had partied my ass off to the point that I think I am an old person now, so now I enjoy going to a party with good music, which is very rare and has been very rare for a while in New York. I don’t know what the f*ck happened, but it’s so disappointing! When I was at NYU, 2002 was the cusp. The next semester, in 2003, Bloomberg came, and everything changed. I was there at the end of Giuliani’s term, so I was just running around the city. I ended up physically, spiritually, and emotionally tired because I had run around New York so much because I was just partying the whole time. I didn’t even use the Rent tickets they were giving our for free all the time. I never saw the play Rent because I was like “NEW YORK CITY. Gotta suck it all up! OMG!” not knowing it was going to change. We used to go to Village Ma, Opaline, Speed, other total holes in the wall, Level V.
Retail DJ: And remember the Roxy closed! All the really good stuff pretty much disappeared.
DJ Lady Lane: Yes! NYU shut down the Palladium [author’s note: Palladium was an infamous club from the 1980s that was shut down in order to build and NYU dorm and gym facility in its place]. Then there was the Tunnel (too many stabbings there, so they had to shut it down).
But that second semester at NYU, I actually got cast in a piece by Jaquita Shashu-Aziza Ta’le, who is one half of Nola Darling, and Alex Lavelanet for the –Ism Gala called “True Confessions of a Wanna-(B) Girl.” For that, they also castBig Tara, one of the last really well known black b-girls, to participate as well. Through that project, I was introduced to b-boys/b-girls/breaking crews. We took a pop and lock class with Pop Master Fabel. I even got to meet DJ Kool Herc! It was another part of New York that I got to experience. I just got to meet a lot of really cool people on the other side of New York that was getting shut down. I’d go to APT, and dance all over the place (just happy I got in, being that I was underage). And it’s weird now, looking at New York, know what it was and what it could be, and seeing what it’s become.
As a DJ, you really have to differentiate between your personal likes and everybody else’s because you’re playing music for a collective group, and mob mentality is strong. So you just need 1 sour apple to just say “I don’t like that,” to spread that nasty energy. You have to think about what will make people go, “OH! That’s my song!” You have to make the crowd comfortable, so if and when you want to mix in something different, outside of the norm, you can. You’ve got to get their trust first, and if you don’t, and you end up playing things they hate, you will just feel bad. So in short, just wanting to hear good music again is what really motivated me.
Retail DJ: So what are some of the programs you use when you DJ?
Dj Lady Lane: I was looking at Traktor and Serato, and for some reason, Traktor just spoke to me in terms of it being more user-friendly. It just looked like something I could learn. I’m better at self-teaching than tutoring, so it’s something I kept in mind when looking into programs. I also found a company called DJ Tech Tools, which was started by Ean Golden, one of the first people to really bring out digital controllerism as something to be recognized as a craft. It’s not someone hooking up their iPod! The biggest challenge for me these days is people not wanting to accept that.
Retail DJ: What type of opposition have you felt to digital DJing?
DJ Lady Lane: Well, California has actually been difficult because they are so set on turntablism, and the “true craft” of it. I have had people tell me that digital controllerism is simply not “real DJ-ing.” But being practical, I can’t carry around a big crate of stuff, and even now, DJs who are turntablists tend not to carry around crates because everything is digitally integrated. For me, I think it’s a big misunderstanding that digital controllerism takes just as much practice, even more so at times, because of the fact that it’s new technology. It’s not something that is well established enough that everyone knows how to use it. You really have to troubleshoot on your own and figure out what works best for you to make things work. There’s been a huge surge in electronica, and people don’t find that this type of music, being that there is no real instrument in your hand, takes the same amount of technique or craftsmanship, but that’s not true. It’s just a different way to utilize sound and create music. It speaks to people in a different way.
Retail DJ: It’s interesting that you brought that up because I recently posted an article on Retail DJ from W Magazine about “dilettante DJs.’ And while I like the article, I think they conflate the idea of celebrity and digital DJing. So they make it seem like if you’re a digital DJ or a celebrity, or both, neither require talent and that it’s just a last name. Can you expound on that a little bit? What has been the way that you’ve gotten your foot in the door being that you don’t work with vinyl?
DJ Lady Lane: The thing that helped me the most was talking to working DJs. I had a friend, DJ Mixx, who also went to NYU, who is strictly foundations, in this case meaning reggae roots, hip hop roots, vinyl, the whole nine, and he has been doing this for a while. He was actually, like, the last person I told I wanted to DJ because I was so scared that he would be like, “oh whatever.” I called him (he is actually no longer in the city and is in law school now), and told him that I was going to start DJing, but that I would be using a digital controller because I don’t have the money to buy vinyl, this is what my price range is right now, etc., and that I just want to learn how to do this. And he was like, “That’s cool. Whatever gets the music out there is the most important part. Half the time, people don’t even know what you’re using. As long as the music is what you’re focusing on, that’s all that matters. Who cares what people think?” So after that, I felt fine.
I didn’t know how to start because I was practicing in my room. The first party I did was this huge houseparty n New Jersey for a family friend who was celebrating their children’s acceptances into medical school. It was actually insane. There were two parties going on at once: one for the adults and one for the “kids,” aka “The Kegger of the Year.” I had just been practicing in my room, and all of this took place before I really knew how to connect all my stuff together and before I brought my own sound system so I could actually be a mobile digital DJ, though even that has its connotations. So from there, I had to keep seeking things out.
Retail DJ: Did you eventually figure out all the technical stuff?
DJ Lady Lane: Yeah. DJ Tech Tools is honestly the thing that’s helped me the most. They have a beautiful website and they are in constant contact with you. And their customer support is in San Francisco, so at least it’s in the same country, which makes things easier. They were so nice when I was just trying to figure out what to do, even after I had researched things to the point that it was just ridiculous. With that and the tutorials, I thought, “OK, I can do this,” but then the real question was how would I get gigs?
When I was in Don’t Judge Judy, we needed gigs. So I would just start calling places. So I did the same thing here. I made a list of places in New York that I wanted to play at and I did a lot of research on where other DJs were playing and places that played similar music to what I was doing where I wanted to spin. But I have a wide range. People would ask me “What do you spin?” and I’d reply. “I spin everything.” But you have to remember the place where you will play, and you have to cater your answer to their needs accordingly, like “for this night, I’d like to spin this,” or “I have a demo” or something you can give them. And I thought, “OK, so people keep asking me for demos. What am I going to do with this? I have to make a mixtape.” So I made this long mix, so long that my system almost crashed. The quality was so poor! It was just in the beginning. It was called “Mama’s Mix,’ but has since been deleted. [laughs] It’s all crunchy when the bass hits. I was doing the whole thing through headphones—no monitor, no speakers, nothing. I was like, “Yeah, this is bumpin’!” Then I listened to it, and was like, “What the freak is that?!?!”
. . . to be continued…
- Retail DJ
*photo courtesy of Brett Williams Photography © Rena Anakwe/DJ Lady Lane
Here is the continuation of the What’s Good? Interview of DJ Lady Lane(continued from Part One)
Retail DJ: Can you tell us a little bit about your first official gig?
DJ Lady Lane: 169 Bar . Everybody has to have a sh*tty gig. The sad part about it is that my playing was not shitty, the venue was. When I saw an episode of Flight of the Concords where they played air guitar in the bar, I thought it was hilarious and figured it would be fine for a first gig. The host wanted music that did not go past the 60s; he wanted all this random stuff. And I had it! He told me, “Don’t play any funk” even though it’s a good basis to get people moving, especially on a Monday night.
I get there, set myself up, no problems. He’s playing music already and I was like, “Oh, there’s music playing. Ok…” So finally, he was like, “Ok, I can let you play, but you can listen go some music first if you want…” But I let him know that I had the type of music he had requested and things that were good for a Monday night. So I start playing, and he puts his music on over mine, leading me to think, “What the f*ck is going on?” The thing is is that he had agreed to pay me a certain percentage from the bar if I played for 2 hours. What happened by the end of the night? He cut me off by putting his music on over mine THREE TIMES. During the course of the night, people came up to me asking how long I would be there, what songs I was playing, if I was going to be back as a regular guest, etc, and I just told them to go ask “that guy over there.”
It turns out that, by the end of the night, I didn’t play a consistent 2 hours because he’d cut me off and I’d have to stop as he put his music on over mine. [sigh] I was pissed, and just thought, “OK I’M DONE!” Considering you never know when you are going to see someone again, I didn’t want to be rude, but I just started packing my stuff up by the third time he put his music on over mine. It was unfortunate because people would start to dance to my music and then he’d put on his music over mine, saying, “You see? You didn’t know that I like French pop,” even though I played plenty of it, leaving me to wonder what the heck he was talking about.
I happen to have a lot of random music from traveling a lot and picking up music from friends along the way. But at the end of all of this, even though the experience was weird, I walked away from the experience having picked up a lot of good music from him having asked for all these obscure things.
So my first gig, I was just thinking, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe that just happened,” but it was a learning experience at least. I was upset, particularly because I was providing a service that I ended up not even being compensated for because of an unfair situation. However, I knew I had done a good job and I was happy with that. I am always so honored when people come up to me to tell me they are enjoying my work.
Retail DJ: Did this first gig change the way you felt about DJing?
DJ Lady Lane: No, but coming away from this, I wanted more advice. I knew that I didn’t want to do DJ classes because I like teaching myself and learn better that way. I decided to look into Black Girls Rock, which is a mentorship program started by DJ Beverly Bond and Michaela Angela Davis, but it was for people who were much younger than me. So I thought, ok, maybe DJ Beverly Bond could mentor me? That’d be cool. So I contacted them in the hopes of volunteering (i.e. doing a fitness program with the girls since I box) and bartering in the sense that then I could work with Beverly as my mentor. I sent them an email and called, and then someone called me. It was DJ Beverly Bond. She told me that my email had gotten lost, but that she wanted to call me back. I explained everything to her, knowing that I have never really been sure of what to do in a mentorship as the mentee. And when she called, Beverly just let me ask her questions then, and we ended up talking for about 20 minutes.
I am not sure if she knows this, though I hope she does—she is the reason I even ever started playing out anywhere. I was a bedroom DJ to the fullest. I would practice every day, but wouldn’t go out because I wasn’t sure what to do. But she gave me some of the best advice. She’s the one who told me about Pod-o-matic, she suggested Twitter, she made me feel better about not having a “crew,” and explained that it wasn’t really necessary in the first place. The only reason she was in a crew was because she was discovered by Heavy Hitters Crew, who asked her to join. She also explained that when she first started, she often opened for other acts. And while she didn’t get money, it was worth the experience and the exposure.
The advice and knowledge she imparted to me was invaluable, something I could truly never put a price on. That conversation is what gave me the courage to just start calling places. She also gave me connections to other female djs, like DJ Kiss and DJ Reborn. I then went on facebook and started a DJ Lady Lane page, I began using Pod-o-Matic and put up a mix.
But then I realized I needed more space, and that this would require another investment. So my when my dad realized how things were going, he volunteered to help. After all of that, I contacted DJ Reborn, who is the NICEST person. She is very busy, but got back to me and said I could open for her!
But I ended up going to California and getting an agent, so then that changed things completely.
More after the jump!
Retail DJ: What about prior to the move? Were there any other parties you played?
DJ Lady Lane: Well, I had started getting regular gigs in Brooklyn, like Sputnik, one of the gigs you actually came to! From that gig, Big Black let me open for DJ Reborn and MC Lyte. That’s when I got to meet DJ Reborn in person as well as Special K, who is awesome and has so much energy! That event was great because DJ Reborn actually then had the opportunity to hear me, which is important.That’s the thing. It’s hard sometimes to help new DJs because they could suck ass or they could be really great, but either way, it’s a big risk.
The thing that I really cherish and appreciate New York for is that people were giving me a chance here. They would just say, “Ok, come in.” I also thought, if a person has enough courage to just call, how much can they suck, right? I would even just walk into places and ask that summer as well. From that, I ended up meeting Sookie at Night of the Cookers in Fort Greene and started playing for her new party with a relaxed, at-home feel called “Sookie Sundays” at Recoup in the Lower East Side. That place is totally a hidden gem. Everyone there was really cool, with very good energy, so I asked to play there again and it worked out (even with me spinning a whole night one weekend because the resident DJs were enjoying the music so much). This was all around the same time when you and I went out and I almost lost my damn legs because you were dancing so much. I was like, “um, I need a nap!” But it’s also when you introduced me to Major Lazer, which I heard before, but never knew who it was! So it was all good.
I was also subletting a place in Clinton Hill at the time, and ended up doing the walk around bit again in the area. I went into Mirrors on Grand and introduced myself to the owner Michelle, who said I could play anything but hip hop. She just wanted to mix it up a little bit to expand her crowd base.
Retail DJ: Is it hard being away from all of that again, considering the connections you had made, now that you are living elsewhere?
DJ Lady Lane: Well that’s the crazy thing. I have run into people who have heard me spin on the most random occasions. It shows that the world is so small, you know? Even though I travel all the time and I sometimes feel bad for not having a rooted place, so to speak, those connections are still there. But that’s one of the things I love about New York. It’s been such an accepting place. Even down to the technical things, like my controller, which has, like, arcade buttons on the side. And the girl thing too…
Retail DJ: Well on that note, how has it been for you being a female DJ? I know in my personal experience as a woman who is interested in music, there is often a barrier of sorts, particularly when talking about music with men. They seem surprised that I know about certain things (i.e. genres, artists, etc). So what are some of the challenges you face as a female DJ?
DJ Lady Lane: Sometimes people are like, “Oh you’re a girl and you have this weird [controller] and there are no turntables and…what are you doing? I’ve had guys stand behind me for 15 minutes, just observing, to the point that I’ve had to turn around and say, “What are you doing back here? Can I help you?” People think that I don’t know what I’m doing. And in the end, people are like, “Oh, you’re a girl,” but it’s more that I am a DJ who happens to be a girl. It shouldn’t be a big thing.
I also like to put myself together well when I go out, so people will try to talk to me a certain way as if to hit on me, but if you command that respect from the fact that hey, I am here to spin the music, to make everyone have a good time, to make this something you will remember, then it’s not a problem. Only one, though, during my farewell party [for moving from NYC to LA] have I had someone talk to me to the level that led me to be like, “You need to back up.” But that’s the thing, as a female DJ, you will get hit on, and sometimes you’ll have people try to help you when you clearly don’t need any help. I mean, this is what I do, so I question how that person could even really help to begin with considering they have no idea what I am doing in terms of setup nor are they familiar with my equipment!
But I think it’s just out of habit. It’s like when they see a woman who is carrying a heavy bag or something, they feel the need to help her. Chivalry might not be dead after all. . . at least, if you want to get ass! [laughs] But there is also a level of condescension, people who somewhat question my skills like, “Oh, let’s see if she knows what she’s doing,” like I need to prove myself. But I don’t need to prove myself to anyone. I’m here to do the same thing that the other DJ just did, he just happens to be a dude.
But I don’t understand where it became just a “male” thing. It has been a male-dominated vocation…
Retail DJ: Music period. . .
DJ Lady Lane: Yeah, which, to me, is surprising. It just seems like mothers are always singing to their children and there is some sort of rhythm or musicality that goes with childrearing and motherhood. So it’s strange. But it’s as if it’s ok for a woman to be a singer, but the technical part is left only to men. And it’s that “techie” thing that throws people off. They’re like, “Why do you know how to use a computer??!?!” even though that’s something I’ve always loved. I grew up playing with Legos, and there was one point when I just started tossing Barbie to the wind in order to play with other things. I just reached a point when I was like, “I’m done with the dolls!” I loved Legos K’nex, even though they’re a scam. I remember watching the commercials wondering how the cars could move, only to find out that you have to buy the motor pack—parts sold separately. Every Christmas, I’d wonder, “Why’d I get the starter kit AGAIN!?!” [laughs]
In my family, I am the one who always fixes everything. I’d put together bookshelves with my dad, entertainment units by myself, fixing up the TV, programming the VCR, everything. So it’s something I always loved to do as a child, so this technical aspect of music really interests me.
Retail DJ: Could you list the equipment you use presently?
DJ Lady Lane: My setup consists of a Vestax VCI-100 Special Edition Ean Golden Arcade Style controller, an audio card that goes into my main card slot, a Macbook Pro, and my superdrive, which people should know they must replace and back up regularly. I have a Stanton laptop stand to keep my computer from overheating. I also use an Indigo DJX and Traktor Pro. So yeah, that’s my setup. It’s all simple and small in a way that I can put it all my “Mary Poppins bag,” as I call it. When I do gigs that are outside of clubs, I use a Bose Compact L1 system, which produces crazy sound. It’s just one piece. And every time, consistently, men at parties will come up and ask, “Where is the other speaker?” [laughs] I played at Yahoo Park in Santa Monica for a beautiful organization called Camp Laurel, which helps families with children who have HIV/AIDS through support and family-based activities. I used this speaker while playing there, and it filled the park with sound, even with the system only up about half-way. I think it’s a great system for mobile situations, especially considering I am DJing by myself and need to be able to carry everything on my own.
Retail DJ: Do you have any party preferences?
DJ Lady Lane: I really like working with non-profit organizations because you can really tell that they appreciate the work you do. Sometimes I find that at other parties, someone is always going to complain. You can’t make everybody happy. Though, I should say I have also noticed a big difference in playing on different coasts. East Coast music and West Coast music are different. It’s one of the reasons I was happy I had contacts to help with the transition. I spoke with DJ Lady Sha on the recommendation of DJ Reborn.
Retail DJ: Did anything ever come of that connection?
DJ Lady Lane: During the conversation, she realized that I wasn’t a turntablist. And she explained that working with vinyl was really the way to get respect in California. What’s interesting is that Oakland, L.A., and San Francisco are really three different places, musically speaking. I felt like San Francisco is the most in-line with New York and more accepting of digital-[controllerist] DJs. With DJ Lady Sha, I was really upfront with her and told her that I respect the art form of turntablism, and actually found myself drawn to the idea of DJing early on as a result of that, however, this is my budget, and that is what I have to work with.And I appreciate the craft, and understand why some people get frustrated when they heart “digital DJ”, especially considering some people go up there with their iPods and their laptops blasting iTunes, fading in and out.
People fail to realize that there is a more complicated aspect of digital controllerism that involves practicing, doing work, producing, beat matching. I have to beat match because I don’t like synching programs. At the end of the day, it’s a computer program, and it doesn’t know how the song goes, but I know how the song goes! In the beginning, I thought it was cool, but then I realized that just because two things are going at the same speed, it doesn’t mean they make sense together. I was explaining to her that things get confused because people don’t realize that technology is not all that’s involved. She said that she completely knew and understood, but it’s the audience. Sometimes tradition beats out technology. Even with Serato Scratch, it’s on the basis of turntablism –you’re using “turntables,” your using your “crates,” but in digital form.
I think sometimes people fail to take me seriously because I do so much. They say, “So…you’re an actress who DJs or a model who acts or…?” But I think you can do everything at 110% if that’s the type of person you are and if that’s something you’re passionate about. I didn’t do one thing as a fall back. I am still an actress, model, DJ, athlete, all at once. Going back to the celebrity “DJs,” I think it pisses me off because there seems to be a lack of skill…BUT, our society is allowing them to do this, so why shouldn’t they take advantage of that? I never faulted Paris Hilton for doing what she did. She was smart. She’s a businesswoman. She is making money off her name and face—if people want to give her sponsorships, why not? It’s a business. But the thing that pisses me off is when that cuts into things that involve a craft. It’s insulting when people don’t respect that more. You are at one of the highest levels of interaction with the public and you’re going to come in here with your laptop, pressing play, and then sit there and Blackberry the whole night out? I think that’s ridiculous. Go study what you’re doing! Take it seriously! Then use that as your skill. Using your name? Cool. But once you get in there, you’d better rock the sh*t out of it.
Retail DJ: Speaking of being on auto-pilot, a lot of people work in mixes these days, making it harder to take requests. Do you have any songs that people request of you quite a bit?
DJ Lady Lane: At house parties, Beyonce is always requested, especially “Single Ladies,” to my dismay, because it’s always the married women with kids who request it! For some reason, men always come up and suggest things that they think will “get people dancing.” I just think, “Thanks so much. I know what I’m doing!” [laughs] I think the biggest lesson though, is that you have to know your crowd, even if that means putting on things you don’t like. For example, the “Cha Cha Slide,” no matter the coast, is a crowd favorite. I don’t even like it.
Retail DJ: What’s something that’s frequently requested at club events?
DJ Lady Lane: At every single gig that I’ve done, there’s always some guy who will request Wu-Tang! [laughs] They either say they want something by Wu-Tang, Ghostface, or Raekwon, always! The funny part is that it’s always the most inappropriate party song! No one can dance to that song! Not every Wu-Tang song is one you can get down to!
In clubs, they put you in places that make it harder for people to request songs, which I actually kind of like, because it can get annoying at times. But at the beginning, when you first start out, it’s really good to take requests because you get to really know what people like. It’s some advice Beverly Bond gave me: Always take requests in the beginning and don’t get insulted because it can actually help you gauge your crowd.
But music is different now, and people are hungry. The radio is sh*t now. When I first came to NYC and would listen to Hot 97, I remember DJs like Beverly Bond, Cocoa Chanel, Jazzy Joyce, and shows like Angie Martinez and Stretch Armstrong and Lisa Evers’ Street Soldiers. I would turn it on and be like, “Yes!” It was amazing. Now, because everyone’s under the same Clear Channel bullsh*t, it’s the same thing on every station, all of which are owned by the record labels. I don’t always need to hear conscious rap. I don’t have a problem with empty, fluffy, pop-y music. I don’t think that’s bad; it’s just nice to hear something different. But public radio is the savior.
Retail DJ: What do you listen to on a regular basis? What’s on heavy rotation for you musically?
DJ Lady Lane: I always listen to KCRW online and from France, Radio Nova, which plays a lot of Brazilian music, which I love! I also love traveling, and dancing to house music in Europe is always something that pops up. But there is hip hop that I love too, and it’s something I always go back to. I feel like hip hop is a little sick right now, but she’s “getting better.” Right now, I’m into Kascade’s “Move for Me.” It reminds me of a song I was into around my junior prom. Also, “Could You Be Loved?” by Bob Marley. . . Major Lazer’s “Pon de Floor” and “Hold the Line” with Santigold. Crowds love that song too, especially the version of it that I remixed. That song allows me to do lots of crazy things.
Retail DJ: You know Switch is coming soon. He’s half of Major Lazer, but I think you will miss it!
DJ Lady Lane: I know… [sigh]. I also like “You’ll Find a Way,” the Switch and Graeme remix. I also used to use Black Eyed Peas (pre-Fergie) to get ready.
Retail DJ: YES!!! I was talking to my friends about Joints and Jam the other day and they had never heard it. I was in shock.
DJ Lady Lane: I also love “The Weekend,” a song I found on a random mix, by Michael Gray. My last one is by Mike Delgado, ”Byrdman’s Revenge.” My last one is a Buffalo Bunch song. I used to intern at The Fader, which influenced my music taste quite a bit. I would go through the demo cds and filter out the good and bad ones. There were lots of bad ones, but some were really good!
Retail DJ: So segueing a bit into fashion, I noticed you were wearing some earrings that I initially thought were clip-ons, which was thrilling because I am trying to bring clip-ons back! I want to start with trends. There are some things out there that I absolutely love and that I can’t stand. So for you, what are some trends you love and those that you hate?
DJ Lady Lane: I am not sure if I love it or hate it yet, but this random 90s hip hop movement that’s come back is funny to me. You know? A la Tribe Called Quest, Do the Right Thing, high-top fade, three-cuts in the eyebrow style stuff. I almost feel like I am seeing all these Duane Wayne-looking kids pop up all over the subway! I have seen Africa pendants again!
Even musically, you have groups like Claire Hux and Ed Orable, who sing about high top fades and rock 90s clothes…
DJ Lady Lane: Exactly, and people like Spank Rock and Amanda Blank. It’s a mix of late 80s and early 90s, and we are seeing reincarnations of Salt N Pepa in a of female MCs. Even internationally, you’ve got groups like Bonde do Role of Brazil recreating that sound.
Retail DJ: Well, right. Funk Carioca in general is based on the Miami Bass music of the 1990s, so that’s why there is such an apparent connection there.
DJ Lady Lane: Yeah, I have noticed that trickle down effect a lot in other countries. In terms of things I do like, I enjoy seeing people be more free in their style and not sticking to a trend. I for one am not into conformity. However, there are just things that are there that everyone ends up wearing. For example Uggs! I used to hate them, and I still think they’re f*cking ugly, but they are so warm! I put my feet in them and thought, “Oh my JESUS!” I’ve had other boots, but it’s not the same.
What I don’t like? I don’t like Urban Outfitters anymore. This whole “I am a clean pauper” scene is bad. The reason I am wearing these distressed jeans is because they are really distressed. I don’t see the point of dressing like you’re starving when you’re not. I don’t like the terms either, like “Boho.”
Retail DJ: So what about your personal style? How would you describe it?
DJ Lady Lane: I think style is about trial and error. I used to not be into makeup and doing my hair and stuff, out of lack of interest in it, but in general, I’ve gotten more into putting myself together. Thanks, Mom! [kaughs] But I will say, the East Coast and West Coast are two very different places. In NYC, I can go around wearing my natural hair, even in acting, and people will accept that and it’s cool.On the West Coast, because of film and TV, it’s highly presentation-based, you have to be able to compete with the people around you. If I don’t look as good or better than that girl, I am not.going.to.get.that.job. It’s a package. In many ways, you become your own brand, and that branding, for better or for worse, differs by place. In, general, people have treated me differently dependent on my hairstyle(s) [which is ridiculous]. I just feel like at this point, I am trying to accomplish a certain thing. I am putting together a certain product. I can do whatever I want when I get to a certain comfort level in terms of people being open to me as a person.
I get bored easily, and I like to make a lot of changes. Even in the past few months, I have changed my mixesin terms of how I want to present myself. My physical presentation is also a representation of my music. It’s something I want to be polished, but at the same time, it’s a live mix. Sometimes, I have to smooth over the sound in Logic, turning up the levels, etc. But I want my music to be clean, so that’s why I practice so much. I want my presentation to be clean, so that’s why I put myself together the way I do.
I don’t have one way of dressing. I just pull from different things. I wear things that are comfortable and whatever looks good, and I love colors. At the end of the day, people will never perceive you as you want them to, no matter what you do. My presentation is important to me because of how I feel about myself, not what other people think. If I’m happy with it, it’s cool.
Retail DJ: Do you feel like you dress differently if you’re DJing vs. going out?
DJ Lady Lane: Yes. This is a perfect question! In the beginning, I was trying to find my groove here. As a DJ, you’re standing for a very long time, so I tend to wear things like flats, but normally, I might have worn a boot with a slightly taller heel. Then for one party, I wore these really tall Miss Sixty shoes, and the whole night I DJed in them, but then, I was like, “What the f*ck was I thinking?” I couldn’t walk by the end of the night because my ankles were buckling all over the place. On top of that, I had left my flats in the car! And the car was on a hill!
Shoes are super important because I am standing, I have to lug all my gear, I dance while I DJ, etc. I want to wear something that will allow me to walk at the end of the night. Also, I will now stay away from tube tops. I don’t want to spend the whole night wasted by pulling up my top. Things with straps are awesome. I love dresses. I also like Free People though I am not into Urban Outfitters. I like Zara. I also like American Apparel tights. Nowadays, quality is more important than quantity. And for some reason, Bloomingdales is trying to make me a poor woman! I love them because they have insane sales. Thank God I don’t have a real credit card [laughs]. I don’t need any more debt beyond NYU (thanks, NYU!). I’m also into street fairs. I like buying jewelry at vintage places and on street fairs. I went to Nigeria recently and brought a ton of precious stone jewelry, all of which that has a really interesting history and is well-made. I just don’t really like shopping in stores, and I hate malls.
Also, while I don’t NEED pockets, they are always good for holding things like your business cards to pass out to people as you play.
Retail DJ: And your card is really cute!
Yeah, it’s a cassette tape. It brings it all full circle.
Retail DJ: So what about lugging your stuff? You mentioned earlier that you use a “Mary Poppins” type bag. Who is that by?
DJ Lady Lane: Betsey Johnson. I love it! I bought it at Saks. It’s magenta and black with a lace motif and made from raincoat material. It’s waterproof, which worked out perfectly. But it’s been taking a beating, so I went and got an actual piece of luggage, instead. I find that a lot of the DJ bags are not fit yet for digital controllers.
Retail DJ: So thanks so much for sitting down with Retail DJ tonight! I want to find out for the readers where we can find more DJ Lady Lane?
DJ Lady Lane: I have a blog called “Immigrants Don’t Go to Therapy: Beats, Rhymes, and Life Lessons.” (www.djladylane.blogspot.com). You can also find me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/djladylane. I have connected to people I least expected to through Twitter. I am also on facebook: www.facebook.com/djladylane. If you want to listen to my music, you can go to www.djladylane.podOmatic.com. There, I have my 5 word mixtape, which is a set based on the first 5 words that pop into your head. Then I ask if you want a genre or if you want a wildcard (which I pick). Then I ask you for your info, a pic, if you have a cause, etc, I put that all together, make a mixtape out of it, and put it on the site.
Retail DJ: Is this free?
DJ Lady Lane: Yes, it’s all free. I believe that there’s great music out there that’s not getting to people because they don’t want to or can’t pay for it. It’s a way to spread information, to educate people about music. I am not trying to make a profit from it. I love hearing from new artists too and they send me things that I add into the mixes. I am also partial to helping African artists and other countries. Sometimes, it can be hard, if you are not BASED in America, to do well here. Everyone knows Sade and Fela, but there are so many more artists out there who are worth learning about (Ayo, Asa, Nneka, Wale, Famis, etc). So I try to work that into my music as well. Also, I think DJs are some of the best resources for music and worth looking into whenever people have the opportunity. You can learn about so many other artists that way.
You can also visit www.renaanakwe.com to find out more about me as a person. I’m all over the place—an actress, DJ, model, former athelete. I am not even sure what to call myself anymore.
Retail DJ: You’re a Jill of All Trades.
DJ Lady Lane: Yeah! I like that!
Retail DJ: Ok, last question of the night? Are leggings pants?
DJ Lady Lane: No, absolutely not! [laughs] I am guilty of doing it here and there, but only when clubbing. On an every day level, on the whole, leggings are tights with no feet. Put some damn pants on. People, stop walking around naked.
But on a serious note, I want to thank everyone who has been so supportive, my friends, family, management. I am thankful that my family has been so supportive. It’s a stereotype, but it’s the norm that in most Nigerian families, you become a doctor or a lawyer or engineer or something that will help you sustain the family. I hear so many people who get to that level, unhappy, and then say, “Oh I wish I done this or that.” I don’t want to get to the point where I am saying I wish I had done something or I could have. I want to be able to say, “I did it, it was fun, and that was a part of my life.” I like having chapters, not a wishlist.
*photo courtesy of Mali Woods/U-neon Entertainment
- Retail DJ
may live anywhere in the U.S., and communicate via e-mail and phone. In the past, fellows have worked with writers such as Ron Hansen, Valerie Sayers, Scott Cairns, Diane Glancy, Brenda Hillman, Janet Peery, Ingrid Hill, and Marilynne Robinson.
