| Bulkhead (Keyport, NJ) 2010 - Present House / Hip Hop / Party Classics / Reggae Sugar Shack (Highlands, NJ) 2009 - Present House / Hip Hop / Party Classics / Reggae HIT MIX @ 5 ON HIT 106 (106.3 / 106.5 fm) 2009 - present Top 40 / Hip Hop / Party Classics On The Deck (Atlantic Highlands, NJ) 2009 - present Top 40 / Hip Hop / Party Classics Flo Bar & Lounge (Elizabeth, NJ) 2008 - present House / Latin / Hip Hop / Classics Joe Pop's (Long Beach Island, NJ) 2006 - present Current Top 40 / Party Classics |
| Jenkinson's Night Club (Point Pleasant, NJ) 2006-2009 Commercial House / Party Classics Dreemz Ultra Lounge (Philadelphia, Pa) 2007 Hip Hop / R&B / Reggaeton The Steak Exchange (Hazlet, NJ) 2003 - 2007 Top 40 / Party Classics L.A.’s Nightclub (Manahawkin, NJ) 2007 Top 40 / Party Classics Stingrays/Birch Hill (Old Bridge, NJ) 2000 - 2003 Dance / Hip Hop / Reggae |
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| What made you want to become a DJ? Ever since I can remember, I was listening to hip hop and radio deejays from the tri-state area. When I turned about 13 I was able to buy my first cheesy set of turntables and mixer and since then, I’ve always been behind them. It’s a natural feeling and more fun than I can express. Do you have any other jobs aside from DJing? For the past decade, I’ve been going to school for several different majors, but now I’m set to become some type of teacher in a public school. I’ve been working my a$$ off (in school) and am very close to the pay off with graduating. Is there a frequently requested song that you absolutely cannot stand? Out of the thousands that have been requested, not one individual song comes to mind. More annoying than that I think are the people that ask to hear a song twice in one night and by saying “I wasn’t here, so you can play it again” or “no one will even notice” just really ‘grinds my gears’ as most deejays know. It’s funny, there’s actually a house track by Andre Harris called 10 Things Not To Say to a DJ and that was two of them. Have a listen. Do you consider yourself successful? Yes and no. I have fulfilled my dream of being a DJ to a certain point. As far as life is concerned, I am on some level of success but will never settle. I want to provide everything that will make my wife and family happy. Success can never fully be achieved because there is always something better. What’s the funniest transition you’ve made from one song to another? While DJing a party in Jersey maybe 10 years ago, I went from Vanilla Ice’s Ice Ice Baby to Sisqo’s Thong Song. The party went nuts with their hands in the air and when it was all over, people came up to me asking me to make them a mix cd with that mix in it. Where is your favorite place to spin at? As of now, the most fun I've had in my career would at Jenks in Point Pleasant, NJ. One night during my summer residency in 2008, I was spinning for over 3500 people there. One word. Insane! What is one thing that you dislike about the Nightclub / Bar / DJing industry? Politics. I can't stand them. When I first began DJing, I was all about the music and nothing more. As time went on, the stories, gossip and b$ began from others and I slowly began turning away from wanting to deejay. Obviously I came back and it's worse than ever. I just want to mix for people and help everyone to have a good time. That's it. |
| What is the strangest or funniest request you ever received? At a 40th birthday party in Highlands, NJ, a drunken guy (that was related to the birthday boy), came up stumbling and asked me for "Shout" by Tears for Fears. So I played it a few minutes later and it completely cleared my dance floor. I was very unhappy. A few minutes later, they were back up again and he came up to me for the 2nd time. He asked for it again and I explained that I just played it. To make a long story short, he wanted the song from Animal House and “thought” he was right. Point being; people need to trust a DJ. It’s our job to know music! Before a gig, you do layout your sets (playlist)? No. I may put a few songs aside to play either because they’re new or I haven’t played it in a while, but I don’t have a predetermined set. That’s what an ipod is for. I know of many deejays that do and people can tell the difference. I live in the moment and mix the same way. Do you use headphones when you work? Why or why not? Preferably yes, every time no. If you have them, there is no reason not to use them. The point of headphones is to preview the music about to come in. Mixing beats together should require hearing the music. Looking at a screen on your laptop and mixing takes the essence out of DJing. When I DJ, I don't go in there with my set already chosen. I normally react to the crowd and the energy that is going on in the room, therefore headphones definitely help to improve my transitions throughout the night. It also helps when taking requests. What is your favorite music to spin? Ouch. Good question. Although I try to stay away from personal favorites while DJing. Years ago, I would have said my favorites lie somewhere in between old school hip-hop and house. Within the past four or five years I have broken the mold of being labeled as a "hip hop" or "house" deejay and instead, have spent hours learning music from all genres and adapted myself to play everything. With the change in music, not many people want to hear just one style for the night which deeply effects what I can play. In one given night, I could be rockin AC/DC and go into some classic Biggie and follow that with the Bee Gees. That's just how I roll. What if anything has recently changed within the party scene? Above all else, the music and people. Never before have men and women in their 40s, 50s and upwards, come up to me while mixing and asked for the Black Eyed Peas' "I Got A Feeling," Pitbull's "I Know You Want Me", or even Akon's "Sexy Chick ." Now, the requests happen on a regular basis. And don't sleep on them either, they dance just as good as you can [smiling]. |
| If there were a celebrity for whom you could work as a DJ, who would it be? Great question. I would have to say the guys from Superbad, actors, writers, directors and all. They seem like the nicest, funniest guys I could imagine playing for. There are many fake people out there and when they are off camera they’re completely different. I hope it’s not true for these guys [Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow and his whole crew also]. Without a doubt, some, if not the funniest dudes ever born. What are your thoughts on Lady GaGa? One word, weirdo. I have heard people in the media proclaim her to be the next Madonna, but I think that’s an insult to Madonna. Madonna did ground breaking work for like 15 years, Gaga has talent, but Madonna “owns the rights to talent.” She [Gaga] sells a a lot of music and I am very happy for her and her success, I don’t want to speak ill of her, but she has a long, long road to travel before I will put her close to Madonna. On a side note, didn’t she show up somewhere wearing a bird’s nest on her face…Seriously??? Do people ever hand you money when they request a song? And does that work? Yeah, people [guests] have tried to hand me as much as $20 in return for a request, and I give the money back to them. For clarity, I WILL play anything I am told to by the clients that have hired me, but am selective when it is someone else…I have to be. Depending on the song and the crowd at the time will depend on if I will play the song. It’ s not the money that I want; it’s the great crowd reaction. I can’t just play anything at any time, a crowd doesn’t flow like that. Who would I prefer to have as a fill-in for me? "Never have I heard such a question before." Depending on th venue and event, my selections vary. Certain deejays are better mixed with certain parties. I have my people that I would refer for a wedding, others for a bar, and others for a nightclub. It all depends on the situation. What’s the best dance anthem of all time? Michael Jackson's “Billie Jean.” People love it. It is soooooo well known but somehow never got played out. For some reason, maybe this is a song that reminds people of Michael before all of the bull$hit began with him. Either way, that track will never go out…well maybe if it gets covered by Adam Lambert [laughing]. Why do deejays play their music so loud? I can only speak on my behalf, but before I had years of experience, I too thought that louder was better. Now, I know that is completely wrong. Most deejays also don't take the time to do sound checks while an event is happening. Having people dancing in front of the speakers or sitting down reflects and distorts sound where the deejay may constantly turn it up. If they [the deejay] does not monitor the levels throughout the night, you wind up with music that is too loud. |
| What or when would you say the best music was made? Without a doubt, the 70s is the best. Motown is probably the best era for music and creation. Although many, many groups seemed similar, Motown was a fun type of music. Seriously, great mood, I could listen to Smokey, the Four Tops, the Temp[tation]s, Marvin Gaye and things simply get better. If you're ever in a depressed mood, throw on “Cruisin” by Smokey Robinson and then see how you feel. If you had to listen to one band/artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Without being biased, I would say Run DMC for a group and DJ Jazzy Jeff as a DJ. Run DMC ran hip-hop back in the day for a reason. They didn’t need to curse [that much], demean women, or make million-dollar videos to sell music; just tight, simple beats and insane lyrics. Jazzy Jeff on the other hand, is a king and a pioneer on the tables. If I am correct, he was the first DJ to take the live stage for the Grammy’s more than 10 years ago with his partner, The Fresh Prince and tearin’ up the tables on national television with their single "I Wanna Rock.". How did your stage name come about? Simple, it’s my last name. I’ve been called Menson since I was 13 working at McDonalds. It began because my older brother worked there. When I was hired they called me “little Menson,” so as I grew up, “little” went away and Menson stuck. Even my family and wife call me Menson. I don’ t have a first name anymore. I might change it legally one day =) Who’s the most overrated musical act out there today? In all honesty, I don’t go to many venues or see live acts; the only knowledge I have of live acts are deejays at nightclubs/bars or the MTV Music awards (laughing). There are plenty of jockeys around here that can hold a beat, scratch a record and play samples of “put your hands in the air.” I DO think that it’s a joke when live TV broadcasts a group like the Black Eyed Peas with David Guetta acting as if he is doing anything behind the deejay booth but playing an instrumental. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth and discredits deejays across the world. Let’s be honest, unless you’re an extremely talented DJ such as Jazzy Jeff, the late or great DJ-AM, a band, or a rapper, you’re not an act; you’re a DJ. If you have a choice between an explicit or clean edit of a track, which one would you play if young children were there (such as at a wedding)? First off, I know without hesitation which of my tracks have curses and I am knee-deep in the process of replacing explicit ones with radio or clean edits. I have personally been to events where the deejay has played curses and I needed to do a double-take when I heard them. Although most younger children won't notice, others do and it will reflect on one's reputation. That is something every deejay should keep in mind and follow suit. |
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Q & A with DJMenson