Being the tour DJ for Jack Daniels Tennessee and Honey sponsored Jack ‘N for beats competition has to be hard work. Imagine having to choose instrumentals for thousands of rappers across the country, while still having the responsibility of keeping the party live and jumping in the midst of this contest. We caught up with DJ B Man recently and asked him how he did it.
Tell us about yourself.
[i’m an] avid bike rider (bicycle), bottled water connoisseur, gym rat, teacher, nature and music lover that just happens to love the art of deejaying. [Those] are just a few things that describe DJ B Man.
What would you say is the most difficult thing about being a Dj?
The most difficult thing I would say is trying to keep everyone happy. There have been times when i’ve done events that were multi-racial or differences in age or all in one. Those types of events can be challenging at times because certain people might want to hear one thing while others want to hear something else.
What inspired you to pick up this skill?
My uncle was and still is a DJ. I learned from him. He and his friend “Derrick” would leave dj equipment over my granny’s house and the one piece of equipment that caught my attention was the turntable. The red light and dots on the platter intrigued me because once the platter started spinning, the dots would make this illusion as if the platter wasn’t spinning at all. Later on I would learn it was the Technics SL1200 MK2 and that it would be a huge part of my life.
How did you connect with Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey for the Jack’N for Beats competition?
I was approached by Jeff Mims about the program when it was in it’s first year. He’s the Marketing Director of SMG marketing which is the foundation of the JackNForBeats program. He pitched the idea to the CEO of SMG (Johnnie) and here I am years later. Me working for JackNForBeats came from Jeff and Johnnie listening to me in clubs.
You clearly have a vast knowledge of old-school and new-school music, not just rap. Where did you get this musical knowledge from and what makes it so easy to incorporate it into your mix?
Honestly, it was my mom and sister. Growing up, whatever my mom would listen to, I would listen to. Since my sister was older, I would listen to what she liked because we shared the same bedroom so as a kid, I was getting old school and new school of different genres.
Who would you say is your biggest influence as a DJ and why?
Biggest influence is Dj Jazzy Jeff, hands down. After watching him cut up and transform “It takes 2” on Showtime at the Apollo, he became my “sensei.” It was amazing to see someone break down a song like that.
Technique 1200’s or Serato?
What if you use both at the same time? I will always be a Technics 1200’s guy but Serato has its place too.
How do you feel about celebrity DJs?
I mean I get it, clubs are in the business to make money so if they bring in a celeb, that will draw the people in. Now the celeb dj’s with skills i’m all for; it’s the ones with no talent or skill that I can’t accept. Those are the ones that look at this as an easy way to get money but don’t understand the art or skill involved.
What is coming up for DJ B Man?
The sky is the limit but what I can speak on are more club dates and teaching the youth how to deejay.
You can reach DJ B Man on Twitter at deejaybman
Instagram/Twitter: @precise_chi
Eddy Lamarre aka Precise is a hip-hop artist-writer-actor from Chicago. The Chicago Reader recognized “Ladies Love Mixtapes” his latest release as one of the best projects of 2014. Listen/Buy Ladies Love Mixtapes at: https://precise.bandcamp.com/album/ladies-love-mixtapes-the-ep
