California Dreamin

I've have had Cali calling me for years, and I really think this summer I'm gonna answer the phone.  I've done all I could do in Colorado, so now it's time to move in a different direction.  Some people head to "Hollywood" to try to become stars, and others like myself know things are more serious "life wise".   At the end of the day it is really about doing what makes you happy, and not concerning yourself about what your "haters" think. 

DJing at Skate City in Littleton Colorado

The Future of Turntablism

The new technologies that are available to djs now is insane.  There's no way someone could have told me 20 years ago, that djing would have progressed from the days of Grandmaster Flash to where it is now with Serato Scratch Live, Traktor etc.  I'm still blown away by what some guys and girls have been doing on turntables these days, and there's not going to be any slowing down anytime soon.   I still enjoy watching myself dj, so I haven't lost the love for it yet. I do feel burned out though, just because of how much red tape there is in the industry now.  These days I'm trying to rekindle the fire that started 20 years ago. So enjoy a little video that a dj associate of mine created for me.

DJ Branding

I've had some time to think about the importance of branding since my Executive Leadership Online class assignment on the topic passed a few weeks ago.  I know that the image of a dj is just as important as the music that he/she plays behind turntables.  I'm currently trying to figure out the most creative way to brand myself, but so far it's been an uphill battle, because I'm a multi-layered individual.

I'm a hybrid of various musical genres that I both play and listen to privately, but how to properly market this conglomerate of tastes in music has been frustrating.  I believe every dj is unique and should have a marketing campaign behind them to showcase their talents.  At this stage of my career, I feel it's time to take matters into my own hands and create my own marketing campaign.  I'm not sure at all how this will happen, but I'm going to work at it constantly until I get a result.

The first thing I'm going to try and do it re-invent myself musically, which will be an interesting process to say the least.  I've recently been turned on to Dubstep, which right now is taking some time getting used to it.  Most of it I don't care for, but there are some serene style songs that I have heard that I like alot.  I have already been djing Hip Hop, Disco, House, Funk etc for years, but I am curious to see how adding Dubstep to my sets will work with my audience.

The other thing that I've been pondering, has been how to gain the interest of booking agents and venue promoters that work in this genre to take me on as a client.  I didn't realize how long Dupstep's been around and how most people are just now hearing about it.  The European market has been huge for this genre since 2002, and it's just now really beginning to make waves here in the states.  I'm hopeful that I'll be able to network with some Dubstep djs that I can spin with, and to gain a new following through adding this music to what I already play currently.

I want to seperate myself from the average dj, and I know doing so is a serious undertaking that will take some really hard work at this stage.  I believe I can do it, but the most important thing for me at this point is to leave a legacy behind when it's all over.  Many djs have come and gone before me, but I truly want to be one of the few that had remained true to why I became a dj in the first place.

It's always been about the music and not about popularity contests for me.  The music's always been good to me, so I believe I should be good to the music as well and represent it correctly.  These are the kinds of things that float though my mind on a regular basis, and I'm always trying to merge these ideas together to create something special.

Once I figure out how to combine my love for KISS and my love for hip hop djing, I believe I'll have a unique marketing approach that hasn't been seen or heard before.  If there's anyone online who would be willing to help take on this task will be much appreciated, because we all know nobody can do anything great alone.

How It All Started.....

Born in Denver, Colorado in the northeast neighborhood of Park Hill on May 3rd 1974, DJ Whizlam has always had music in his life. DJ Whizlam was raised on the sounds of the 70's greats like Zapp featuring Roger Troutman, Maze, Bob James, Cameo, Earth Wind & Fire, Parliament-Funkadelic and others.

Already a fan of "tha funk", young Whizlam's musical world was turned upside down in 1978 when he saw the rock band KISS on television for the first time. From that moment on, KISS served as Whizlam's primary inspirational influence.   A natural born DJ/Producer, young Whizlam would spin records at parties that his mother would hold almost every weekend.

He reveled in the ability to make people change their moods by the music he would play, and also how he had the whole party under his command. This love for being the sound party provider reached its climax in the winter of 1979 when Whizlam heard the hip hop classic "Rapper's Delight" for the very first time. From that day forward, Whizlam would spend the next 6 years learning more about the culture of Hip Hop.

Whizlam cites "Leader of The Pack" by UTFO featuring Mixmaster Ice, as the deciding factor in him choosing the turntables as opposed to the microphone in 1985. He saw the DJ as the most important element in Hip Hop just as the founding forefathers intended. Other major DJ influences include; Grandmaster Flash, Terminator X, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Magic Mike, DJ Sugar Shaft & DJ Quik.

After his middle school years from 1987-88, Whizlam moved from Park Hill to the area of Montbello. During high school, Whizlam made a name for himself spinning at house parties & clubs all around Denver (91-94). It was around this time where Whizlam took the leap from DJ to producer (97-07). It is from the diverse list of geniuses listed above that helped mold Whizlam's unique production style and sound.

September 2010 brought an interesting new venture in Whizlam's life, in which he became a part of the Denver based Livewire Urban Radio family. He was personally selected to take over The CEO Show, which originally was hosted by DJ D. Johnson who created the show.  To continue on with the spirit of authentic djing, DJ Whizlam ran with the show from September 2010 to February 2011.  Since then, Whizlam's hosted nearly every show on Livewire, and has made an unforgettable inpression on everyone associated with the hottest urban station in Aurora,CO.

DJ Experience

Radio Experience

Livewire Urban Radio

September 2010 – Present (9 months)

I host my own internet radio show on Wednesday nights from 6pm-8pm mountain time, which primarily focuses on the artform of hip hop djing (scratching, mixing etc). The respect for the dj has become very weak in the new milennium, and I feel it's my responsibility to help keep it alive. The show can be watched online at www.livewireurbanradio.com.

Performance Experience
The Boulder Fox Theater

Blue Ice Lounge

The Boulder Theater

Juneteenth

The Black Arts Festival

Met Radio 88.3fm

Eclipse 88.5fm

Metro State College of Denver

Montbello High School

George Washington High School

Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom

Club Incognito

Coors Amphitheater (aka Fiddler’s Green)

Club Bobo’s

Club Lynx

Colorado State University

CU-Boulder

Cassleman's Live Entertainment Venue