GROUNDED: DJ ROOTS

ATLANTA, GA | DJ ROOTS

INTERVIEW KIM “GOODLOOK” SEABROOK

VALIDATED: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF HIP HOP AND HOW DID IT IMPACT YOU IN THAT MOMENT?

DJ ROOTS: MY FIRST MEMORY OF HIP HOP WAS LISTENING TO COMMUNITY RADIO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ON THE WEEKENDS WHEN I WAS VISITING MY DAD’S HOUSE. AT THAT MOMENT, I REALIZED HOW MUCH I HAD BEEN MISSING OUT ON WITH MAINSTREAM RADIO AND THE FLORIDA MUSIC SCENE IN THE 90’S. LISTENING TO BLACK SHEEP, EPMD, AND GETO BOYS HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THAT 69 BOYS AND 95 SOUTH WAS A FAR CRY AS TO WHAT DOPE HIP HOP REALLY WAS. I WAS 13 YEARS OLD.

VALIDATED: TELL US ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER AND HOW DID YOU ACTUALLY START DJING?

DJ ROOTS: I STARTED DJING AFTER MY DAD WAS KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT WHEN I WAS 17. IT WAS A COOL HOBBY TO KEEP MY MIND OFF THE GRIEF I WAS SUFFERING. I WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO DJ CULTURE AT RAVES AND THEIR AFTERPARTIES. THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE TURNTABLES SET UP AND WE WOULD SPIN UNTIL THE SUN CAME UP AND INTO THE NEXT DAY.

VALIDATED: WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF BEING A FEMALE DJ AND HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THEM?

DJ ROOTS: BEING A FEMALE DJ USED TO BE A LOT EASIER THAN IT IS NOW. BACK IN THE DAY, PEOPLE WERE MORE OPEN TO FEMALE DJS, BUT IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE OVER THE YEARS WITH MALE DJS AND PROMOTERS SHUTTING US OUT MORE AND MORE. AS A SEASONED DJ WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, I OVERCOME THIS BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES VERY RECENTLY WHEN I HAVE HAD A LUMP IN MY THROAT AND QUEASY STOMACH AT THE OBVIOUS HATE AND SHADE MALE DJS, I THOUGHT I WAS COOL WITH HAVE THROWN AT ME. I REALIZE NOW THAT I WAS NEVER A THREAT TO THEM BEFORE, BUT NOW I AM. I JUST PUT ON MY RESTING BITCH FACE AND KEEP IT MOVING AND TAKE MENTAL NOTES NOT TO EVER REFER THESE PEOPLE FOR ANY PRESS OR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.

VALIDATED: IN 2013 YOU LAUNCHED RUDE GIRL RADIO, WHAT WAS YOUR INTENTIONS WHEN BUILDING THAT PLATFORM AND WHERE IS IT AT TODAY?

DJ ROOTS: RUDE GIRL RADIO BEGAN WHEN A REPRESENTATIVE FROM DESERT STORM RADIO APPROACHED ME TO HAVE A RADIO SHOW ON THEIR STATION. MY INTENTIONS WERE TO BE ABLE TO BUILD MY BRAND AND SHOW OFF HOW DOPE I REALLY WAS. I HAD MADE A LOT OF MISTAKES WITH FRIENDSHIPS AND TRUSTING THE WRONG PEOPLE IN THE DJ WORLD AND THEY STOLE MY SAUCE AND TRIED TO BLACK BALL ME, AND RUDE GIRL RADIO WAS THE OPPORTUNITY I NEEDED TO BREAK THROUGH, AND IT WORKED. TODAY, RUDE GIRL RADIO IS ABOUT SUPPORTING WOMEN IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, SPECIFICALLY BLACK WOMEN. I KNOW THAT IF IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR ME, I CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE HOW HARD IT MUST BE FOR THE YOUNG GIRLS WHO REACH OUT FOR ME TO HELP THEM GET THEIR STORIES TOLD AND THEIR MUSIC HEARD. THE PLATFORM SPECIFICALLY FOCUSES ON “THE STREETS” AND ALL THINGS GANGSTER BECAUSE THESE TOPICS ARE NOT JUST FOR MALE DJS AND HOSTS. FEMALE DJS BREAK RECORDS JUST LIKE MALE ONES DO.

VALIDATED: YOU HAVE HAD SOME MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS BUT TALK TO US ABOUT FUTURES SONG "MASK OFF" AND IT GOING 4X PLATINUM. WHAT ROLE DID YOU PLAY?

DJ ROOTS: THE ROLE I PLAYED IN FUTURE’S “MASK OFF” WAS BEING AN INFLUENTIAL DJ PLAYING THAT RECORD IN THE STRIP CLUBS HERE IN ATLANTA. I WAS A RESIDENT DJ AT ONYX AT THE TIME, AND THE FIRST DJ IN ATLANTA TO HAVE A SHIFT AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO PICK THAT RECORD AS THE ONE I LIKED OFF THE ALBUM. THE STRIP CLUB DJS HERE IN ATLANTA (COALITION DJS) ARE THE DJS WHO BROKE FUTURE, SO HE ALWAYS GIVES US OUR CREDIT. I AM CLOSE WITH HIS MOTHER, SISTER, AND EVEN DJ’ED HIS BROTHER’S WEDDING IN 2017.

VALIDATED: TODAY YOU ARE TOURING WITH ZAYTOVEN A SUPER DOPE PRODUCER. I HEARD THAT HIM AND A FEW OTHER PEOPLE KIDNAPPED YOU (JOKING) AND THAT'S HOW THE CONNECTION CAME ABOUT. TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP AND HOW IT STARTED AND WHERE IT’S AT NOW. 

DJ ROOTS: ZAY AND I’S RELATIONSHIP STARTED OFF AS ME DJING FOR EVENTS WE WOULD PLAN WITH HIS MANAGER ROLAND WILLIAMS. I WOULD DJ FOR THE ARTISTS AND HE WOULD HOST. WE DID THIS AT SXSW FOR SEVERAL YEARS, A3C, AND OTHER NOTABLE FESTIVALS. OUR BOOKING AGENT GOT THE IDEA THAT HE SHOULD LEARN HOW TO DJ SO I TAUGHT HIM, AND I WOULD BE BOOKED AS HIS OPENING DJ. I NEVER TOLD ANYONE, BUT IT WAS A LITTLE DISCOURAGING TO HAVE WORKED SO HARD FOR SO MANY YEARS TO BE THE OPENING ACT FOR A CELEBRITY TO TAKE THE SHINE AND THE MONEY, BUT THAT IS WHAT SEPARATES ME FROM OTHER DJS IS THAT I KNEW HOW TO PUT MY EGO ASIDE BECAUSE I CAME OUT ON TOP IN THE LONG RUN. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE NOT BEEN DOING EVENTS. ZAY DOESN’T LIKE DOING VIRTUAL EVENTS, SO WE HAVE BEEN DOING APPEARANCES, FILMED A MOVIE, AND BEEN WORKING ON ENDORSEMENT DEALS FOR HIM WITH OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM.

VALIDATED: GIVE US A LITTLE HISTORY ON THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE AND PRODUCED THESE PAST FEW YEARS. 

DJ ROOTS: I HAVE RELEASED SEVERAL MIXTAPES OVER THE YEARS, FROM DANCEHALL, EDM, CHRISTIAN HIP HOP, AND RAP MUSIC. MY FAVORITE MIXTAPE WAS DEFINITELY ZAYTOWN SORORITY, WHICH WAS AN ALL-FEMALE MIXTAPE THAT BROKE ARTISTS LIKE SAWEETIE AND KASH DOLL. I RELEASED 3 COMPILATION ALBUMS, RUDE GIRL RADIO VOL 1, 2, AND 3, AND I HAVE HAD A MAJOR ROLE IN THE RED BULL CULTURE CLASH 2018 AND SEVERAL OTHER HIGH-PROFILE EVENTS AND PROJECTS INVOLVING ZAYTOVEN, INCLUDING THE ALBUMS A-TEAM. THAT WAS THE FIRST ALBUM I RECEIVED A&R CREDIT FOR.

VALIDATED: YOU HAVE BEEN DJING FOR OVER 20 YEARS. WAS THERE EVER A TIME THAT YOU WERE DISCOURAGED AND IF SO, WHAT WAS IT THAT KEPT YOU GOING?

DJ ROOTS: I NEVER WAS DISCOURAGED AND ALWAYS HAD THE PASSION AND DRIVE TO KEEP GOING UNTIL I GOT TO THE BIG LEAGUES. THAT WAS WHEN I STARTED TO QUESTION AND SECOND GUESS MYSELF. MY FANS AND THE YOUNG WOMEN WHO LOOK UP TO ME ARE WHO KEPT ME GOING.

VALIDATED: HOW DO YOU BALANCE BEING A MOTHER AND BEING A DJ? 

DJ ROOTS: I BALANCE BEING A MOTHER AND A DJ JUST LIKE ANY OTHER MOTHER WITH A CAREER. THERE IS SOME KIND OF STIGMA ABOUT MOMS WHO WORK IN CLUBS AND THE NIGHT LIFE AND IT’S BULLSHIT BECAUSE NOBODY EVER ASKS A DUDE HOW THEY BALANCE BEING A DJ AND A DAD AND THAT IS MAINLY BECAUSE THERE IS A WOMAN SUPPORTING THE SITUATION AS A FAMILY. THIS ROAD GOES BOTH WAYS AND THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE MY SON’S DAD HAD TO BE THE ONE TO WATCH HIM WHILE I WAS WORKING. WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT IT’S COMPLETELY OK FOR A MOTHER TO HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF CAREER THAT A FATHER DOES. HE USED TO TRY TO PAINT A PICTURE LIKE I WAS NOT THERE FOR MY SON, BUT I AM SURE MOST PEOPLE SAW THROUGH THAT BULLSHIT. IN ACTUALITY, IT IS VERY EASY TO BALANCE BECAUSE IT IS NOT LIKE A 9 TO 5 OR 40 HOURS A WEEK AWAY FROM YOUR CHILD. WITHOUT AN UNDERSTANDING COPARENT OR STRONG FAMILY, IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR A FEMALE DJ TO TOUR AND TRAVEL. I AM LUCKY THAT I HAD THAT SUPPORT, EVEN IF THEY THREW SHADE AT ME AT TIMES FOR BEING GONE. BUT I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW MANY TRIPS AND EVENTS I SAT OUT OF BECAUSE MY SON CAME FIRST. THAT IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA A CERTAIN WAY BECAUSE PEOPLE HARDLY NOTICE IF YOU AREN’T EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME.

VALIDATED: HOW DID GETTING A MARKETING DEGREE BENEFIT YOU IN THE BUSINESS AND HOW WILL IT BENEFIT OTHERS YOU ARE MENTORING?

 DJ ROOTS: GETTING A MARKETING DEGREE CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR ME. IT ATTRACTED THE PRESS I LONGED FOR AND HELPED ME GET MY CLIENTS REAL RESULTS. MY DREAM IS TO USE MY DEGREE TO TAKE THINGS TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND GET A PRESTIGIOUS LABEL JOB WITH THE HEALTH BENEFITS AND 401K I DESERVE. I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 23 YEARS. IT IS TIME TO THINK ABOUT HOW I AM GOING TO RETIRE IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS OR SO ON SOME REAL SHIT.

VALIDATED: AT THE END OF IT ALL WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR LEGACY TO BE? 

DJ ROOTS: MY LEGACY HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE SHINING LIGHT ON THE UNDERDOG, SPEAKING OUT AGAINST INJUSTICE, AND EMPOWERING YOUNG WOMEN.

VALIDATED: ANY ADVICE FOR THE FEMALE DJS OUT THERE?

DJ ROOTS: YOU NEED TO DECIDE ARE YOU A DJ OR ARE YOU A MODEL. THIRST TRAPS AREN’T AS CUTE AS YOU THINK THEY ARE. THEY GET YOU THE WRONG ATTENTION. SHOW ME YOUR DJ GIGS AND SKILLS, NOT YOUR ASS.

 VALIDATED: PLEASE TELL US HOW WE CAN FIND YOU, HOW THEY CAN BOOK YOU, ETC. 

 DJ ROOTS: VISIT MY WEBSITE HTTP://DJROOTSQUEEN.COM.