The Tribune

By LESH

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

AFTER spending all his spare time straight out of high school perfecting his craft, DJ AI’s hard work did not go unnoticed. Even though he started at 100 JAMZ in 2003 as a live broadcast engineer, it later opened the door for him in 2005 to become an on air mix deejay.

Sharing his story with In Ya Ear, DJ AI said: I started off just loving music and my older cousins, they were in the deejay business and I just would help by lifting the record box and things like that. It became almost like a second life. I got inspired by my good friend the Mighty Pencil, and we played in Eleuthera. He didn’t know I was familiar with playing and he invited me to the club, and it just went from there.”

DJ AI said his first official event playing as a deejay was held in Exuma, where he played for a few Italians. He said his most memorable experience would be a “pretty cool” function he did for Magic Johnson a few years ago.

“I also deejayed at NBA player Mike Miller’s wedding. I was contracted with a company at the time and they hired me to do the wedding and it went from there. It is sort of different but once you have a knowledge of music and a knowledge of your crowd, then it is very simple,” said DJ AI.

It was a highlight in his career, but DJ AI said at the same time it was just like he was playing for a regular crowd. The 100 JAMZ deejay has also had the opportunity to play internationally, in places such as Las Vegas, London and Canada.

In his early deejaying days, DJ AI said it took a while for him to find a name. While he got a few crazy ideas from friends and fans, he decided to go with the initials of his name.

When it comes to taking his career further, DJ AI said it is the crowd that keeps him going.

“I like to see my crowd moving, I like to see the interaction. Regular days I’m just laid back, but to watch and see people have fun, dance and do crazy stuff, is very inspiring,” he said.

DJ AI said party lovers can expect to have over the top fun when he is the deejay. He said they can expect to hear things they would not usually hear on a day to day basis. “It is all about music and getting that experience of having a good time,” he said.

Since he started playing on the radio, DJ AI said what he enjoys most is the different responses he gets from listeners. “Sometimes you hear ‘oh you suck last night,’ and that is where I know I need to work on this. And there are others that tell me that they had a ball listening in to the show. Walking out of the station after my show, I have had taxi drivers pull up to me and ask for recordings of the show. There are a lot of different things that go with being on air,” he said.

DJ AI is also part of an entertainment based group called

“Play House.” Speaking about the group, he said: “It started out with me and my big brother Joe Koolz. We were doing a lot of stuff trying to get out there to change the game a little bit. The group expanded and the promotions grew, so there is a lot you are going to see that Play House is going to bring to you in the future.”

He encouraged deejays to stay humble and focused, and not to be caught up with fame, fashion and the fast life.

“To be a good respectable deejay you have to know music in order to branch out and be successful, because there are a lot more deejays out there,” said AI.