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[INDEEP, "LAST NIGHT A DJ SAVED MY LIFE"] Last night a DJ saved my life

Last night a DJ saved my life from a broken heart

Last night a DJ saved my life

Last night a DJ saved my life with a song

ANGELA DAVIS: This morning, we are talking about music and the role that DJs play in lifting up music that can lift our moods. Good morning, everyone. I'm Angela Davis, and you're listening to MPR News. Thanks for joining us. This hour, we're going behind the scenes of the music world to learn about a job that truly fascinates me. What is it like to be a DJ today, to be the one whose job it is to get the party started and keep it going?

Over time, the industry has changed. There's lots of new technology at the hands of DJs, competition from music streaming services and many different ways that DJs now have to market themselves. And what was once a male-dominated field is now one that is seeing many dynamic women take control. Today, I have two women in the studio with me who are popular DJs here in Minnesota and who are hired by companies, sports teams, nightclubs, nonprofit leaders, and families to set up the music for special events, and then set it off. I can't wait to hear their stories.

And as I talk with my guests, I want to hear from you two. Do you have a special memory? Thanks to a DJ. What questions do you have about playing music professionally? The phone lines are open. You can call us at 651-227-6000, or call 800-242-2828.

Let me bring in our guests. Brittany Wright is here. Brittany is a DJ who goes by the name Miss Britt. You may have heard her playing music at Minnesota Timberwolves or Minnesota Lynx games, or DJing at a fundraiser for a nonprofit organization here in the Twin Cities. Brittany is also a poet and an entrepreneur who advocates for artists in communities of color, and she works as a program manager in the Governor's Children's Cabinet. Good morning, Brittany. Thanks for coming in.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Good morning. Thank you for having me.

ANGELA DAVIS: Yasmina is here as well. Yasmina is a Twin Cities-based DJ, whose passion for music spans across the genres of electronic, hip-hop and house. She has an event series called Unbothered that features local and national DJs, with the focus of paying homage to the Black roots of electronic music. Yasmina is also an arts and culture organizer, who has curated exhibits for Hennepin Theater Trust, the Franconia Sculpture Park, and the Walker Arts Center. Hi, Yasmina.

YASMINA: Hi.

ANGELA DAVIS: Hi. I made the mistake of thinking like, OK, you guys are not morning people. This may be hard for you, but you guys say that's not true. You're a morning person?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: I am.

ANGELA DAVIS: Miss Britt? OK.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Yeah.

ANGELA DAVIS: OK. And Yasmina?

YASMINA: I would say I am, too. Yeah.

ANGELA DAVIS: Yeah? OK, good to know. So did you like the old-school jam I started the show with? It's from 1982 by the group Indeep. It's called "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life." And I can relate to this thought that a DJ really does have the power to shift the mood and the vibe in the room and take the audience to another place mentally. And so my first question for each of you, have you seen that? Have you seen? People just change when maybe they're on the dance floor? Brittany?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Yeah, absolutely. I think that is the magic of being a DJ, and particularly a good DJ, is when you can read the energy in the room at the start, play a song and watch it shift, pay attention to the way people are responding to the music, the way that they respond to one another, when certain songs play, how they respond to the transitions. it matters.

ANGELA DAVIS: So DJs are watch. Good DJs are looking. You're watching us.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: People watchers, but also, I think good DJs are empaths, and they're feeling how other people are feeling in the room.

YASMINA: Yes.

ANGELA DAVIS: Yasmina?

YASMINA: Yeah, I would agree. I mean, I just recently played this gig that I've been doing at the Loring Park called DJ in the park. And I remember I did it this past Thursday. And by the end of it, I closed it out with this song by Mariah Carey called "Make It Happen."

ANGELA DAVIS: I know that song.

YASMINA: Yes, it's such a--

ANGELA DAVIS: Inspirational.

YASMINA: It's such a good one and such like perfect way to end of the set. But I just remember, as soon as it was over, folks were coming up to me like, it's been a long week. I've had a long day. It was also gloomy and raining outside, and people still showed up to just dance in the rain. And they were just like, thank you so much. You don't know how much I needed this. This lifted my spirit, like to be in the park, to hear music, to not be like in the club. It's a different kind of experience that a lot of folks said that they needed. So it definitely does. And people will let you know, too. You'll hear it.

ANGELA DAVIS: Yes.

YASMINA: Yeah.

ANGELA DAVIS: We come up and say thank you when it's been a good experience.

YASMINA: Yes, they'll say thank you. They'll send you messages. It's an exchange that is very, very real.

ANGELA DAVIS: During the course of the pandemic, over the last few years, I've had many conversations about the healing power of music. And I'm just curious. Have you found just in your personal lives, does music have a healing quality for you?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Yeah, absolutely. I'd say, I started out healing myself through music, and I just happened to become a DJ along that journey. But I listened to music of all genres, and so it's allowed me to be able to find myself in different spaces and to connect with different people. There is a song for every emotion. I remember specifically, I'm a doula, and I play music when people are in labor and delivery.

And I also suggest to moms who are going through postpartum, if you need a minute to yourself to just collect yourself before you have to go about your day, play one song and give yourself the grace of that 5 minutes to fall apart or rock out, or whatever you need to do, and then go back to your newborn and go and slay your day. And it's been a winning recipe for me and many of my clients as well.

ANGELA DAVIS: So, Brittany, working as a doula, working as someone in the community that's trying to uplift other artists, working as a DJ, is that typical for many DJs that they have many other professions, many other walks in life?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Yes, because most people don't pay DJs very well.

YASMINA: Yeah. Yeah.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: You got to have a side hustle or two. Yeah.

YASMINA: Me too. Yeah. I think like a lot of DJs are passionate about other things, and I think that just DJing alone, for me at least, it's not sustainable to my mind, body, health. I actually need to be active in other parts of my life so that I can get inspired as a DJ. I think that's also-- because I would imagine you feel the same way, too, like the work that you do outside of DJing directly inspires how you're going to--

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Yeah, absolutely. It's a good balance for me. I feel like they feed off of one another because my day job is very intense and very like, I have to do a lot of critical thinking, and it's nonstop for 8 hours. And then in the evening, I have this space where I can dance and sing and listen to music and relax and be a different version of myself.

And so I feel like having that balance allows me to honor the different parts of myself. And I get to be the full expression of myself. And I don't think DJs a lot of times get to show that they are more than a DJ, and I feel like we're changing that.

ANGELA DAVIS: I think some of the best DJs are the ones who are able to make these human connections, like they have life experiences, right? And do you think that your own life experience has-- makes its way into how you approach being a DJ. Yasmina.

YASMINA: 100%. My obsession with music and DJing started out of me being the only girl in the family. My mom worked really hard every day to take care of me and my brothers, and I was using music and art as a tool to distract and regulate and--

ANGELA DAVIS: Express yourself.

YASMINA: And express myself. And I found that I felt this deep obsession to music that was different from those that I was close to. And it just led me into DJing so easily.

ANGELA DAVIS: So let's talk about some of the-- who's hiring you? Some of the places that you guys play. And Yasmina, you have been a DJ at events at First Avenue in Minneapolis, and I found a description of you on the First Avenue website, where they called you a dance floor therapist. A dance floor therapist. Have you seen this? And they say that you are most known for curating vibrant nights centered around music and dance. And so why do you think you're viewed that way as a dance floor therapist?

YASMINA: I think it goes back to the first question you asked us about DJs being-- providing the sense of healing and expression for people, because that's what it is. Dance floor therapy, it's so real-- to get on the dance floor, to get loose, to provide these tracks that have these sonics that just hit people's bodies. Yeah.

ANGELA DAVIS: There's that phrase "dance like nobody is watching."

YASMINA: Exactly. And I think I really love being able to do that for people at my sets and the parties that I play.

ANGELA DAVIS: In your introduction, I said that you have an event series called Unbothered. Unbothered-- one of my favorite words right now-- that features a local and national DJs. And so tell me about that. What is this Unbothered series?

YASMINA: So Unbothered started out of me going to different parties in the city that were more electronic focused and realizing that there was just a lack of soul and African presence. Even just like femmes, I was always around a lot of men and just music that didn't really sound good to me, but I was like, oh. But apparently, this is the space I'm supposed to be playing in if I like electronic music. And also, too, at that time, I was also struggling to be taken seriously as a DJ and to find my place because there wasn't really a lot of examples yet for me.

ANGELA DAVIS: So not a lot of women.

YASMINA: Not a lot of women.

ANGELA DAVIS: And you're a Somali-American woman.

YASMINA: Right. Exactly. I'm a Somali-American woman. I'm Muslim. Ultimately, I'm Black, and you see that. I just like that experience, especially within the electronic realm, is that I am usually one of the fewer people in the room that looks like me and just is there. And so when I was starting Unbothered, I was like, OK, I want to create a space for people to explore electronic music but in it with a decolonized perspective, because as we know, the roots of that were very Black, Brown, queer, and trans-centered.

And then as it became more commercial, it became this very white cis-hetero vibe. And a lot of the OGs that I look up to and their music, it's very rooted in the Black sound, and it's soulful. And it's good. It's funky. And I was like, I want Unbothered to be the space to explore that and bring DJs who are channeling that, and also for people to be unbothered.

You should be able to come out, party, dance like no one's watching, and be able to meet other people. And it should be a little bit of everything for you in the best way. And in order to do that, you also have to come and be unbothered. So it was kind of just like setting a tone.

ANGELA DAVIS: And so you're providing some historical context for this genre of music that many people love and may not know the full history of it and the range of it.

YASMINA: Right.

ANGELA DAVIS: All right. Miss. Britt, I run into you a lot at nonprofit fundraisers. I'm often called upon to be an emcee, and I'm like, oh, there's-- the DJ is a Black woman. I remember. I was like, oh, my gosh. And I remember thinking like, that's really rare to see, unfortunately. So what is it like when a big nonprofit reaches out to you and say, we'd like to bring you in to DJ our event? What's that conversation like? What are they telling you they would like?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: A lot of times, they're not saying much outside of we want you to bring yourself into the space. And typically, if there is not a conversation or a clear invitation to bring my full self into the space, I will not go into the space. And so this experience of being a DJ and being a Black woman in this space has really allowed me to have clear boundaries on who I will and will not work with and to be very clear. Don't hire me for a Juneteenth event if you don't want to hear music that uplifts Black people and Black culture, or hire me as a Black woman to tokenize me, but not to bring the culture and the added value that I bring when bringing my full self into a space.

And so it's usually more logistics than anything, I feel like. For the most part, the nonprofit's approach me and corporate clients very, very respectfully. Sometimes when you get into the nightclub space, it can be a little more challenging. But I mean, I did a community event that did not. The event itself went well, but there was someone who was very, very aggressive. And I had to get security.

ANGELA DAVIS: Because of the music you were playing, or just because of your presence?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: I think he was just aggressive, in general. And unfortunately, it was directed towards me. And I think being a woman-- and I'm very petite. I think sometimes people think that they can get over on you. It's a very male-dominated, very patriarchal industry. And so I very much so have to be very clear on my boundaries and what I will and won't tolerate, and to build systems of support for myself so that I can be well in the space.

ANGELA DAVIS: But I think about a lot of the galas when I get invited to them. So that's pretty much the program is like. There are speeches. There are awards. There's the fundraising part. And then it's like, and now we're going to open up the dance floor. And so when the program is turned it over to you, what is your thought as to how do I make this night rewarding for these people? What are you thinking?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Yeah. I think if people have been sitting down for a long time with a program where there's been a lot of speakers, you want to get the energy in the room to shift. You want some high energy. You want folks on the dance floor. And so I'm thinking about what are my opening songs that are going to draw everybody and make them want to be on the dance floor. And then from there, I can feel out the crowd and decide how I'm going to transition to get them to stay.

ANGELA DAVIS: And I mentioned that sometimes you're the DJ at the Timberwolves and Lynx games.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Yes.

ANGELA DAVIS: And I'm thinking about the music I've heard at the games. So that's a very different approach because it's really short segments of songs. So tell me what that's like.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Very much so. All of the sports teams that I DJ for are very different. With the Lynx, I do player warm-ups, and then I typically do the Lexus lounge. So I'm on the court while the players are warming up. So it's amazing to see the players dancing and interacting. Some will come up to the DJ booth and dance with me. And they get hyped for the game. And then they go on to see them dominate on the court and to win.

And so it's really cool to witness the sisterhood and to-- they'll come up and request songs. And they have their favorites. And then the Lexus lounge inside the Target Center before the games is more of just like a lounge and vibe for VIP ticket holders, essentially, to get hyped up for the game. But Timberwolves is very different.

The Twins is very different as well. With the Twins, you typically have someone in your ear telling you in 30 seconds, I'm going to throw it to you, and I need you to play 2 minutes worth of music. And so on the fly, you are coming up with that. There's a camera in your face. You're on the jumbo screen. It's very, very fast paced. And so it just requires you to know your music, to know your audience and be ready to execute at the drop of a dime.

ANGELA DAVIS: Wow. Talk about the job of a DJ changing over time. Let's take some phone calls from listeners. If you are just joining us, we're talking about being a professional DJ. We're going behind the scenes of being a DJ, talking with two women who play at events all over the Twin Cities. And I want to hear your stories, too. Do you have a special memory? Thanks to a DJ. Are you a DJ?

What questions do you have about what it's like to be in charge of the music? Give us a call at 651-227-6000, or you can call us at 800-242-2828. Miss Brett and Yasmina, we're going to talk to some listeners. This phone call is from Rochester. Dan's on the phone. Hi, Dan. Thanks for listening this morning. What did you want to share with us?

DAN: Good morning, Angela. How are you doing?

ANGELA DAVIS: Well. Thank you.

DAN: I'm a DJ of over 20 years, DJing around the Twin Cities for a long time. I had a residency at Craig's for a long time, playing old R&B, soul music. I was at the Independent for a long time. Friend of mine just messaged me and said, you guys were talking about DJs this morning, so I figured I'd reach out and connect with you guys.

ANGELA DAVIS: And so what was your experience like or has it been like for the last 20 years? Dan, have you enjoyed it?

DAN: Oh, it's one of the funnest jobs you can do when you connect with a room of people. It's a lot of fun. I came to music as a musician and fell in love with vinyl records and collecting records. And as I started DJing back in the early 2000-- just really enjoyed connecting with a room of people and trying to find what it was that was going to make their tap their heads and tap their feet, nod their heads, and have a good time.

And I always approached music from a historical context. And there's an old saying that the winners of the great wars get to write the history books. And I realized at some point that the losers of those wars get to make great art. And the Black-American experience has overcome tyranny and oppression, oftentimes through art and music and dance.

And I developed a pretty large African-American following when I was at Craig's and really fell in love with the old-soul music. And I was a big Beatles fan back in the '90s. And the Beatles opened you up to everything that came before and everything that comes after them. There's this bottleneck in music history. Everything before the Beatles is in their sound, and everything since the Beatles have some Beatles in it.

The Beatles opened me up to Ray Charles and Little Richard and Chuck Berry, and eventually going back to guys like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. And I just fell in love with jazz and recognized that it was the voice of the people without a voice. And the American history books tell one side of the story, but art often tells the other side of that story. And without history, you can't contextualize what art is expressing.

ANGELA DAVIS: Thank you. That's Dan in Rochester. They're talking about history and art, two things that both of you are interested in. And Yasmina, I mentioned that you're a curator. And so tell me about the work that you're doing in curating these exhibits.

YASMINA: Yeah. So some of them have been exhibits. Some of them have been installations in exhibits. And so curation within music for me is like, who am I getting to open the night up? What is their style? What do they play? How can they set the tone for the room? Then it's like, all right, who's going to play in between the middle DJ and then the headliner? Those three slots are really important to me. I try to keep the lineups that I curate smaller so that the DJs who do play have more room to really flex their muscle and tell a sonic story.

ANGELA DAVIS: Just this month, you partnered with our colleagues at Carbon Sound and the current for a Juneteenth celebration. What did you do there, and how did that go?

YASMINA: Yes, I collaborated with Carbon Sound, and we were celebrating lots of things. It was their second anniversary, Juneteenth, pride. And so me and Julian, who is with Carbon Sound. We teamed up, and we brought a DJ from Detroit by the name of Black Moonchild. She is a producer and a DJ, primarily making like techno JIT music.

And our idea around that was like, OK, it's Juneteenth. We want to honor Black-American artists who are pushing that sound forward. We talk about a lot of the older Black American DJs, but let's bring someone who is young, who is femme, who is doing their thing in their own way. So we brought her on. I opened the night up.

ANGELA DAVIS: And how do you decide when you say I open the night up? So then how do you decide? What's going to set this off?

YASMINA: I think for me, it's just the context of the headliners. So I knew that Julian mainly plays techno Black Moonchild plays techno, club. So I was like, OK. At first I was like, should I play a techno set? But I was like, hmm, no. I think the crowd's going to get that for 4 hours. So let me open up with some cute house music. I was playing a bit of more acid house, which was fun. Yeah, I just was like, OK, I'm going to keep the BPM below 130 and stay between this 120 to 125.

ANGELA DAVIS: I don't know what that means.

YASMINA: So that's the beat per minute.

ANGELA DAVIS: OK.

YASMINA: Mhm. It's like the tempo that kind of like a flex.

ANGELA DAVIS: So we won't hurt ourselves.

YASMINA: Right.

ANGELA DAVIS: Older folks.

YASMINA: Right.

ANGELA DAVIS: Excited to be there, but we want her. So, Brittany, when I think of big fundraisers, you have a very wide range of people, different ages, folks who may have a lot of different interests. How do you decide? How do I open this up when I'm looking at all kinds of people who have-- probably all different types of interests in music and some may be very limited.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Absolutely. Yeah. My clientele is very, very diverse, and I sometimes have events where all of those different people from different age ranges and different walks of life are in one space. But music can be very universal. Again, going back to the empathy piece, I think I'm really good at reading a person and being able to say, I think that they'll respond to this type of music, or as I'm playing this song, I'm paying attention to who is responding and how.

And so it's a delicate balance of keeping the people who are with you, so to speak, the people who are vibing to the music and who have connected and engaged, keeping them while also continuing to build and connect with those musically, who maybe aren't as drawn in yet, or who haven't begun to move, or who are still networking and not as into the musical space.

And it's also about just having a diverse playlist. I did an event yesterday at a block party, and I played a lot of gospel music and a lot of Christian rap. And then I did the Lynx game the night before, and it was like lots of R&B and hip-hop.

I did an event at First Avenue the night before, and it was like soul and funk, like the Minneapolis sound, to honor Prince for the 40th anniversary of "Purple Rain," and being able to play all of those genres and genuinely loving them, not making it feel like a chore. Because sometimes being a DJ, you're playing to the crowd and not necessarily playing for your own heart and soul. And so being able to have a genuine love for all of those different types of music and for all different types of people really makes it a beautiful experience.

ANGELA DAVIS: What about weddings? Have either of you done wedding receptions?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Yes.

YASMINA: Yeah.

ANGELA DAVIS: You've got all the different generations represented. How do you approach doing a wedding reception? Are you looking to the bride and groom. They probably give you some direction. Yasmina?

YASMINA: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I did a wedding last month and decided that it would be my last because--

ANGELA DAVIS: A lot of emotions?

YASMINA: Yeah. I mean, it was a beautiful wedding, and I did get a lot of direction from the bride. But ultimately, I think I realized my expertise is not that. I actually can't be that flexible. And I don't want to be.

ANGELA DAVIS: Brides like to give direction.

YASMINA: You know. [LAUGHS]

ANGELA DAVIS: A lot of us. We've waited a long time to be heard.

YASMINA: Yeah. The thing is, is like, I've been collecting thousands of dance records. So when I get called to do a wedding gig, it's like I am putting in overtime to make sure I have all these tracks. And I just realized. I was like, I'm not the best for this. I should stop taking this. But that's a good thing to know. When you're choosing a DJ, find out, what do they enjoy doing? What kinds of events do they like? Any wedding reception?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Yes. I did a wedding, actually, last weekend in Wisconsin, and it was two incredible women, really amazing brides. And we had a production call prior to the actual wedding day. And so we went over like, what are the songs you absolutely want to hear? What are the songs you absolutely don't want to hear. What are the special songs for like when you're dancing with your parents?

They did this beautiful decade dance, where they had their grandparents come out and dance first, who had been married for 60 years. And then you added cup. I like, OK, couple's been married 50 years, 40 years. And all these couples started flooding.

YASMINA: That's smart.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: It was a beautiful moment. And so that was another way to get multiple generations.

ANGELA DAVIS: So then you play the music from the years, or the era?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Well, there was a specific song that I think it may have been their grandparents wedding song. And so like I called up, if you've been married 60 years, come join the floor. And then I would call out a few seconds later, 50 years. And more couples would come 40, 30. And by the end of the night, everyone's on the dance floor. And so it was a nice, little cheat code to get everybody up and moving.

YASMINA: I love that.

ANGELA DAVIS: Again, we're lifting up DJs this morning, learning what it's like to be a DJ, going behind the scenes of this profession. I want to hear from you, too. Do you have any special memories tied to an event where there was a DJ who got things going for you, or created a special moment for you? What questions do you have about playing music professionally? You can call us at 651-227-6000, or call us at 800-242-2828.

Brittany and Yasmin, let's take a phone call from Saint Paul. Jackie's on the line. Hi, Jackie. Thanks for listening this morning. What did you want to tell us?

JACKIE: Oh, good morning. I was just looking so forward to the show. I have a memory that goes way back, but it's still fresh in my mind. I moved to Northern Wisconsin about 25 years ago, and somehow I got hooked up with WOJB, which is a community radio station on the Indian Reservation. And they trained me. And I had my 2-hour show on Friday, and it was called Patchwork.

And I focused on female music. And I had more fun with that. I think I did that for about six or seven years. And then sometimes I thought I was a CNN reporter and I would call my son from Japan. And I remember I called him at the time of the tsunami so that we got a first-hand account of what had happened.

I mean, I just had more fun in a community radio station. Doesn't have probably quite as many parameters as you would have on a regular radio station. So I did my own thing. And I just thought that I was this big disk jockey. And I just had this 2-hour show, but it just was just more fun.

ANGELA DAVIS: A lot of fun.

JACKIE: Yeah.

ANGELA DAVIS: So, Jack, I'll tell you a secret. This is my dream job. I think when I'm done working in news, I would love to be a DJ at an island resort or something. I've thought about this because it does sound like it is fun. But I want to ask you, Brittany and Yasmina, what's the downside of this work? Is it maybe the hours? Is it that it's unpredictable? Or is there a downside?

YASMINA: Yeah, there are a ton of downsides. I think me and Britt were talking about that earlier. So I think just to start physically and mentally what it can do to your body, like standing on your feet for hours, or even just like the interactions that you're having in the space, trying to hold it all together, just like what that does. You could be having the worst day ever, and then you got to go perform.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Because we're watching the DJ when I-- I want to see the DJ having fun.

YASMINA: Right.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Right.

YASMINA: And so I think that and navigating sobriety in spaces like that, where people will be quick to offer you alcoholic beverage, or even drugs before they offer you water.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Yeah.

ANGELA DAVIS: That happens?

YASMINA: That happens.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Often.

YASMINA: And navigating parasocial relationships, people who think they know you because they come to all your gigs, and they're having these expectations out of you. And it's like, I don't know who you are. But no shade. Keep coming to dance.

ANGELA DAVIS: What are some of the downsides?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Yeah, it can definitely be really uncomfortable for me. I always think about coming into the space and having really good energy and having a good time, like you said, but the reality is you are a full person living your life. And so you may be going through the worst situations behind the scene in your personal life, but you're still expected to show up to work and do your job.

And when you're working a desk job, it may be easy to sit in a cubicle and go about your work. But when you're a DJ, it's performance. It's energy. People want to be happy, like you are the life of the party. And so you're sometimes having to compartmentalize your emotions or experiences so that you can show up and be effective in your space. And that can be very taxing to present very publicly a particular mood or state of wellness that is not actually authentic to what you're feeling in your body, or navigating illness, having to lift heavy equipment.

A lot of times, the sexism and the racism is absolutely rampant. When I first started DJing, I had someone put something in my drink one time and passed out. I have had promoters hire me to do gigs and assault me. You're in an environment sometimes, especially in nightclubs, where people are not always sober, and they're not their best selves.

And some people are going out to have a good time. And other people are going out to escape, or to put on a facade that is not actually in alignment with who they authentically are. And so sometimes people don't show up as their best selves. And so the example I mentioned, people can get very aggressive with you, or harass you all night to play a particular song that's not something that you or anyone else wants to hear.

And so you really have to consistently navigate your boundaries, consistently advocate for yourself. Because most of the time, especially as a Black woman, you're getting undercut. People are offering you less, expecting you to do more, to not know your worth. And so you have to be willing to go against the grain and say, I'm willing to turn down this opportunity so that I can take care of myself, or I'm just not going to allow people to undervalue me when I know what I bring to the table, and having to stand firm on that at the expense of being called difficult, or all of the labels that Black women get. It's just part of the territory.

ANGELA DAVIS: We're going behind the scenes of being a professional DJ today. What's it like to be in charge of the turntable, to be the one whose job it is to get people on the dance floor and keep it going? I have two DJs in the studio with me today, who play at events all over the Twin Cities, and I want to hear your stories and your questions as well. Give us a call at 651-227-6000, or call us at 800-242-2828.

We're going to take a pause for a news break. And on the other side of news, we're going to hear a little music as well. But right now, I want to get up to date on what is happening, a busy newsday. Let's talk with Phil Picardi. Hi, Phil.

PHIL PICARDI: Good morning, Angela. A train bridge has collapsed near Sioux City, Iowa. That's due to flooding that has led to evacuations and the death of at least one person. Heavy rain has caused flooding in Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. Entire neighborhoods and at least one whole town in Iowa have been evacuated.

The cargo ship, Dali, headed out of Baltimore for Virginia this morning, nearly three months after it lost power and crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The collision caused the collapse of the bridge and the deaths of construction workers, filling potholes on the bridge deck. The Dali is headed to Norfolk for removal of the remaining containers and additional repairs.

Russia's Southern region of Dagestan is holding the first of three days of mourning following a rampage by Islamic militants, who authorities say killed 20 people, most of them police, in attacks on a synagogue and churches. Sunday's violence was the latest officials blamed on extremists in the predominantly Muslim region in the North Caucasus.

A fire likely sparked by exploding lithium batteries swept through a manufacturing facility near South Korea's capital, killing 22, mostly Chinese migrant workers, and injuring eight more. Officials say the fire began today after batteries exploded while workers were packaging them on a second floor of the factory. China has a sizable ethnic Korean minority, and in recent years some have migrated to South Korea to seek work.

And South Korea says North Korea has resumed launches of balloons, likely carrying trash toward South Korea. The South's military says the launches came days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a defense deal. It's not sure how the military will respond. More news ahead on MPR News. The time now is 9:40.

SPEAKER 1: When they were all started and I stood in the middle of 43 Harley Davidson motorcycles, I immediately felt powerful. I felt masculine. I felt tough.

SPEAKER 2: The bike riders sets out to capture a mood and a moment when our culture was changing. We speak to the film's director, Jeff Nichols. That's next time on 1A.

[THE STOOGES, "DOWN ON THE STREET"] Yeah, deep in the night, I'm lost in love

[MUSIC PLAYING]

ANGELA DAVIS: Yes, that is 1A way coming up next at 10:00 AM here on MPR News. Then at noon, be sure to listen to Minnesota Now, hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Tomorrow morning at 9:00, we are getting ready for this week's presidential debate between Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump. They will face each other Thursday night, live on CNN. And polls are showing that this is a very close race. But will this debate affect the way people will vote in the November election?

Tomorrow morning at 9:00, MPR News Politics Editor Brian Bakst is guest hosting, and he and his guests will talk about what to expect in Thursday's presidential debate, the history behind the platform. And we'll get a look at how candidates prepare for presidential debates. That's what you'll hear tomorrow morning at 9:00. Remember, if you ever missed one of our live 9:00 AM shows, you can still listen to the conversation on my podcast. Just search for MPR News with Angela Davis, wherever you get your podcasts, and listen when it's convenient for you.

SPEAKER 3: Programming is supported by Great River Energy, a not-for-profit wholesale electric power cooperative, providing 27 Minnesota member co-ops with reliable, affordable, and cleaner electricity. More at greatriverenergy.com.

SPEAKER 4: Programming is supported by the University of Minnesota, where the spirit of discovery is curing diseases, fighting climate change, helping Minnesotans age healthier, and educating the next generation of leaders. Search Dear MN To learn more.

[ZHANE, "HEY MR. D.J."] What we're going to do now is go back

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Everybody move your body

Now do it

Here is something that's going to make you move and groove

Hey DJ, keep playing that song, all night

On and on and on

On and on and on and on

Everybody

ANGELA DAVIS: Now back to our conversation about what it's like to be a DJ. We're going behind the scenes with two women who are professional DJs here in Minnesota. Yasmina is here. Yasmina is a Twin Cities-based DJ, whose passion for music spans across the genres of electronic, hip-hop, and house. She has an event series called Unbothered that features local and national DJs, with a focus on paying tribute to the Black roots of electronic music. Yasmina is also an arts and culture organizer, who has curated exhibits for Hennepin Theater Trust, Franconia Sculpture Park, and the Walker Art Center.

And we have a second guest, Brittney Wright, who goes by the name-- Miss Brit is here. You may have heard her playing at Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx games, at Twins games, or DJing at a fundraiser for a nonprofit organization here in the Twin Cities. She's also a poet and an entrepreneur, who advocates for artists in communities of color. Brittany also works as a program manager in the Governor's Children's Cabinet.

As I talk with them, taking your phone calls as well, do you have a special memory? Thanks to a DJ. Or do you have questions about what it's like to be a DJ? Call us at 651-227-6000, or you can call us at 800-242-2828. Let's take a phone call. In Minneapolis, I believe this is Kena on the line. Good morning, Kena.

KENA CATMAN: Good morning. What to do?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Kena.

YASMINA: Hi, Kena.

KENA CATMAN: What are your doing, Yasmina, DJ Miss Brit?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: She is also a DJ.

KENA CATMAN: You're so loved. And I have a question for y'all.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Uh-huh. Go ahead, Kena.

KENA CATMAN: OK. So I'm a DJ as well, and I've been on community radio as well. Shout-out to the person who called earlier, who was on community radio. Shout-out to KRSM, KFAI. But I wanted to know about requests. I want to know how y'all feel about requests because I have learned so much from taking requests. And I've also been so derailed by requests over the years. So I really want to hear your perspective. And I love you so much. Shout-out. And great to hear y'all on the radio. That music break could have been longer.

[LAUGHTER]

ANGELA DAVIS: Feel the same way, Kena. All right, so the question of requests. And I've been at many events. I'm like, ooh, I wish I could hear my jam before I leave. How do you feel about taking requests? Yasmina?

YASMINA: I would say that, normally, the gigs that I play, it's just not like the etiquette. People won't ask for requests. It's like band. But when I do community events, if the track that's recommended makes sense and I have it on my USB, I'll play it because I also think it's also about equipment.

Normally, I'm playing on a XDJ or CCJ. So that means I'm bringing a USB. There's a collected amount of music on it. I plug it in so I can literally only play what's on that USB. But if I have my laptop and controller set up, I can be more flexible about requests. But most of the time, I'm just not taking them. Yeah.

ANGELA DAVIS: Not for you?

YASMINA: No.

ANGELA DAVIS: No?

YASMINA: Overall.

ANGELA DAVIS: Brittany, what about you? What happens when someone asks you to play a certain song?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Yeah. Well, first piece, Kena, thank you so much for calling. I adore you. Everyone, look up Kena Catman. She is fantastic. And when it comes to request, I will remain open. I think when people are requesting music, if anything, it's data. It's telling me what this particular person wants to hear. If the request is in alignment with where I'm going, where I'm at musically, or where I'm willing to go, I will play it. If it's completely off and inappropriate for the setting or for the mood that the majority is experiencing, then I will not play it.

So to Kena's point around, sometimes a request can derail you. I mean, I've been playing a soulful, jazzy, like Lalah Hathaway, and then someone will come up and request a Taylor Swift. That is not appropriate. That is not an alignment. But perhaps if you requested like a Jill Scott or an Erykah Badu, that would make more sense. And depending on what's happening in the room, if I have time and capacity to engage, I'll say, you know what? I'm not going to play that song, but I'll play this other song that's really similar. I'll play this other song by this artist that maybe matches the BPM that I'm at so I can continue to transition.

ANGELA DAVIS: The beats per minute.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: The beats per minute. Exactly. Exactly. Which is a really great indicator. It's not the only thing that you need to use because I also blend by key signature, but there are different ways that you can make songs sound really good together. So if what they're requesting can sound good with where we're at and I feel like the rest of the room will appreciate it, I will honor that. And sometimes I just say OK, and then I don't play it.

YASMINA: Yeah.

ANGELA DAVIS: What is the training involved right now? Because I've said, I would like to be a professional DJ one day. How would I get the training? And tell me about the technology that's out there now? Because I see this stuff you can buy on Amazon. But what route would you recommend for someone who's seeking some their own expertise? What's out there?

YASMINA: I think it depends on what type of DJ you want to be. I mean, I started off on Serato, which I think is like one of the more accessible programs and also expansive. They're like, who taught you? I taught myself, actually, and like YouTube university. I tried to go to a DJ school. It didn't like that.

ANGELA DAVIS: They exist?

YASMINA: They exist. That learning structure didn't work out for me. So it was really just like hands-on fieldwork. I was going in the DJ booth. I was watching the DJ do the mixes and the transitions. And I'm also hitting up DJs and being like, hey, can we jam? Let's play together in a more intimate setting so I can learn from you. Yeah.

ANGELA DAVIS: And so DJ schools, if I'm looking at equipment online, What would you suggest, Brittany?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: I also did not go to a DJ school. I am somewhat self-taught, and I say somewhat in the sense of there were a lot of DJs who came before me who really poured into me, even if it was just allowing me to stand in the booth and watch. So I would say, if it's something that you're seriously passionate about, build relationships with people who are already doing the work.

You just stand, just stand and watch. And then go out and get some equipment, and practice, practice, practice at home. Do not put yourself out there or be in a rush to put yourself in a public space because you only have one shot to make a first impression.

YASMINA: Exactly.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: And especially as a woman and a Black woman, I feel like we have to work twice as hard for half the credit and pay. And so I think spend the time and fall in love with it. Teach yourself. There are plenty of tutorials. But I think the biggest teacher for me was just other really great DJs who I built relationships with-- Vance, Egypto Knuckles, Willie Shu. DJ Shannon Blowtorch was the first woman that I ever saw a DJ in person.

ANGELA DAVIS: Yeah.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Shannon Check, I call her my DJ mom. She books me for gigs, where she was like, we're just going to experiment. Let loose and feel comfortable. Experiment. This is like the space to do it, or we'll have jam sessions at our house. I was a part of a DJ Collective for a long time that we called Open Decks. And so all the DJs would come and bring their turntables. And we would just freestyle and improv and practice scratching and mixing. And iron really sharpens iron. And so I think the best thing that you can do is build healthy relationships in the industry.

YASMINA: Yeah.

ANGELA DAVIS: Right. Let's take another phone call from a listener. Lisa is on the phone. Lisa, what town are you calling from?

LISA: Cedar, Minnesota.

ANGELA DAVIS: Cedar, Minnesota. Hi, Lisa. What did you want to ask or share with us?

LISA: Well, I just wanted to share about a DJ that's very important in my daughter's life. My daughter is disabled, and she's almost 24. And we have been going to dances weekly, sometimes twice a week since she was about nine. And this gentleman has been providing dances. He's about 80 now, and it's called Our Friends Dance Place. All these years, he's had a dance in Forest Lake. And then there were some other locations before the pandemic.

And currently, he has one in Blaine as well as Forest Lake. And so we're going twice a week. And he plays all their requests. It's all for people with disabilities any age. And they pay $5 to get in. And care providers don't pay anything. And they're at Legions and VFW. And so they keep the prices down for us to be able to buy food because a lot of these folks, they're on low income. And he's just amazing how he manages everything. His name is John Thorpe, and we call him DJ John.

ANGELA DAVIS: And he's a gift.

LISA: Got a lot, but his last name is.

ANGELA DAVIS: He's clearly a gift. Thank you, Lisa. Before we run out of time, I want to hear some of the songs that you two consider your go-to jams. I asked you, what is the song that gets people on the dance floor? Yasmina, I'm going to go first with your song. This is a song that you've identified that you say you play. It's called "Down South." The artist is Alexis Curshé?

YASMINA: Yeah.

ANGELA DAVIS: Yeah? And so we have a clip for it. We're going to play. And after we listen, I want you to tell me about why it works magic.

[ALEXIS CURSHE, "DOWN SOUTH"]

All right, that's a sample of a song that Yasmina plays, "Down South" by Alexis Curshé. We have windows all around the studio. I'm like, oh, yeah, it started in my shoulders. Then it moved on down to my hips. Yes! OK. So this is one of your go-to songs?

YASMINA: Yeah.

ANGELA DAVIS: Tell me about this.

YASMINA: A lot of the parties I play at, they usually bring in their own sound systems. And so I'm always thinking about music that's going to sound really good on amplified sound. You're touching the highs, the mids, and the low ends.

ANGELA DAVIS: I felt like it was going through me.

YASMINA: And can you imagine, just like a big sound system all around you, just like you'll feel it in every part of your body? But I like that track because-- I think a lot of people know me more to play a lot more soulful house. And that's more dark. It's like acidy, and it's sexy.

ANGELA DAVIS: Adding it to my playlist.

YASMINA: Add it. And it's produced by a Black woman from the South, so.

ANGELA DAVIS: Downtown.

YASMINA: I love it.

ANGELA DAVIS: Brittany, your song, this one-- I hope I get the title right-- "Bloody Samaritan" by Ayra Starr. And let's hear this, one of your songs, one of your go-to jams.

[AYRA STARR, "BLOODY SAMARITAN"]

I'm feeling vibes on vibes

I'm a ticking dynamite

I blow your candlelight

You know I'm just that type

No, them fit kill my vibe

Them no fit kill my vibe

Them no fit kill, them no fit kill, them no fit kill my

Wise man said, follow the stars

There you shall find a piece of advice

If you hate your enemies, enemies shine

If you're not a friend of me, enter the light

'Cause you can never kill my vibe

Got here with no sacrifices

Everything was taken, still had to make it

Vibe killer, me I no go take

Vibe killer, bloody Samaritan

Protect my energy from your bad aura

Na my pastor say I be my--

ANGELA DAVIS: All right, we talked about DJs setting a vibe. What is it about this song, "Bloody Samaritan" by Ayra Starr, that you enjoy playing, Brittany?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Yeah, I really love this track. And there's a remix that also features Kelly Rowland from Destiny's Child, so definitely recommend hearing that version as well. But the Afrobeats and Afropop scene has come to the United States, has existed long before it became popular here. But I feel like people are more receptive to that sound long time ago. I don't want to date myself too much, but I used to-- I studied abroad in South Africa.

And so I heard a lot of different music while I was on the continent that really spoke to me. And that really felt like home in a way that many other genres of music, like R&B and soul and gospel did. And so culturally, it's beautiful for me. But then lyrically, this particular song is talking about having a positive vibe, not letting the negativity stop you.

There's a spiritual metaphor talking about the bloody Samaritan, and it comes from the Good Samaritan story in the Bible, but also recognizing that in being a good Samaritan, sometimes you do get bloody. It's not easy to play the good character in a story, but it's still worth it in the end. And so just the idea, lyrically or sonically, of pushing out those bad vibes and consistently being a good person in spite of the bumps and bruises that you get along the way. It makes me feel good. And the Lynx love it, too. I got to say that.

ANGELA DAVIS: That spider gem?

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Right.

ANGELA DAVIS: Well, our time is up for the hour. I want to thank our guest today. I love that we had the opportunity to meet two dynamic women who are DJs here in Minnesota. We've been talking with Yasmina, a Twin Cities-based DJ. Her event series again is called Unbothered. It features local and national DJs with a focus on the Black roots of electronic music.

And Brittany Wright, who goes by the name Miss Brit, you can hear her DJing at fundraisers for nonprofit organizations and at parties across the Twin Cities and at professional sports games. Thank you for being with us today. This conversation was produced by Nikhil Kumaran. And be safe, everybody. Join us again tomorrow morning at 9:00. I'll let Usher take us out.

BRITTANY WRIGHT: Thank you.

YASMINA: Thank you so much. I love this song.

[USHER, DJ GOT US FALLIN' IN LOVE"]

DJ got us falling in love, let go

Falling in love, oh

So dance, dance like it's the last, last

Night of your life, life, gon' get you right

'Cause baby, tonight

The DJ got us falling in love again

ANGELA DAVIS: Programming is supported by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, a tribal nation that is the largest employer in Scott County and one of the largest charitable givers in Minnesota. More at shakopeedakota.org. Support comes from the George Family Foundation, in its 30th year of fostering wholeness and mind, body, spirit, and community, by developing authentic leaders and supporting transformative programs serving the common good. Georgefamilyfoundation.org.

Thank you, DJ, haha