Idris Elba and DJ Jazzy Jeff have both mastered the art of controlling party crowds on the one’s and two’s. DJ Jazzy Jeff remains one of hip-hop’s most accomplished deejays and has performed at a superior level for the last 25 years.
While deejaying at Remy Martin’s launch party at Compound in Atlanta on Sept. 18, DJ Jazzy Jeff set the mood by playing the perfect mixture of hip-hop, pop, soul and R&B. He took partygoers on a journey that began with old school hip-hop songs by Run DMC and Slick Rick and blended new school tracks by T.I., Drake and Trey Songz.
While Elba stayed away from the turntables during the Remy Martin launch party, he’s also known as a highly revered deejay. During a sidebar, he joined DJ Jazzy Jeff in a lesson on both deejaying the perfect party and the future of the artform. –amir shaw
What are the secrets to deejaying the perfect party?
Idris Elba: First of all, the sound system has to be right. If the sound system isn’t working right, you can’t get the party cracking. If you have the right music, you can set a party off. As a deejay, you have to be comforting. You have to show that you are there to entertain and the crowd has to have confidence in you.
DJ Jazzy Jeff: You have to make the people have a good time. If someone in the crowd is having a bad day at work or going through stuff with their mates, I allow them to escape for two hours.
What is the future of the hip-hop deejay?
DJ Jazzy Jeff: Hip-hop deejays are bigger than ever. It’s crazy because you got spots in Atlantic City and Las Vegas and there are a bunch of clubs that have hip-hop deejays. And you also have games on XBox and Playstation like DJ Hero that’s inspiring a new generation of deejays. So, I think that the sky is the limit.
What kinds of songs do you play to get the party started?
Idris Elba: It depends on the party and the city that I’m in at the time. If I’m in London, I’ll play a lot of house music because that’s still big over there. But if I’m in New York, I’ll play something by Jay-Z.
