DJ JayCeeOh isn’t one of those DJs who just punches a few buttons, dude is the real deal.
The on the come up L.A.-based spinner is the winner of VH1’s Master of the Mix, Smirnoff’s official DJ, mixtape king and overall industry tastemaker. With his mixture of house, trap, rap, and indie, JayCeeOh (real name Jake Osher) gets every crowd at the club turned all the way to one hundred – every single night.
I hit up iHeartRadio in Las Vegas this weekend, where JayCeeOh was the fest’s official DJ at the iHeart Village, the day-long festival addition to the star-packed two night show. Throughout three different sets during the day, JayCeeOh spun a raucous mixture of hits and classics, mixed so effortlessly, 40 minutes of pure dance exuberance went by in a flash. Just ask all the kids who were voguing and battle dancing to his tunes at 4pm after a long day out sweating in the sun. They weren’t about to go home while JayCeeOh was on the turntables.
JayCeeOh discovered DJing in 8th grade. “A friend of mine had a video of these guys; a DJ battle competition. I saw it and that day, I stole my parents turntable, he stole one of his parents’ turn tables and we started trying to scratch any record we could find,” he says. “I fell in love with it, saved up for my own equipment and quit doing everything else. I used to skateboard, write graffiti, all my hobbies took a backseat once I fell in love with DJing. It’s starting to pay off.”
Doors really opened for him after winning VH1’s reality DJing competition series Master of the Mix, which is sponsored by Smirnoff Vodka. So not only did I get to watch JayCeeOh tear it up this weekend, but I also got to sip on some of the brand’s new flavors, like this amazing Cinna-Sugar Twist Smirnoff Vodka or Wild Honey, which tastes like heavenly alcoholic juice, without being too sweet. Pretty jealous JayCeeOh gets to drink this all time as Smirnoff’s official DJ, thanks to taking home the top spot on the show.
“I thought I had a really good chance of doing this and not only making the show, but winning the show,” he said. “The whole experience was really intense. It was a new experience and it was crazy, but I was prepared and knocked it out of the box… It was like boot camp, but I definitely came out of it for sure, super more confident.”
JayCeeOh’s easy confidence is evident when he’s at the table, totally focused on crafting a unique amalgamation of genre-defying mashups and mixes. With the right ear for sound, it’s no wonder JayCeeOh has been making his mark in production as well.
“I started producing a long time ago. It took a backseat to DJing, because producing is more of a long game. You make music and try to get songs made and work with artists and it may or may not come out for years. But if you do hit it big with production, it’s a game changer.”
His knack for production and curation comes across through his popular mixtapes, The Super 7, a set of tapes that feature everyone from DJ Jazzy Jeff to Gaslamp Killer. If you haven’t heard, check ’em out here.
JayCeeOh looks up to guys like A-Trak and Diplo, but he doesn’t really model himself after any one person.
“I’m all over the place, because of the type of gigs I do, or the type of music I produce. I’ll make a big room house record that sounds like something Zedd or Calvin Harris would make and then I’ll make a trap, rap record that guys like Flosstradamus or Diplo would make and then I’ll make a straight hood hip-hop remix with MGK and French Montana. And then I’ll make an indie dance remix.
Music right now, it’s very overpopulated and oversaturated, but when you’re able to sift through it, there’s a lot of good progressive stuff out there and I try to draw from the best of everything and incorporate it into my sound.”
JayCeeOh even captured the attention of our man Sammy Adams. While opening for him on a tour date in NYC, Jay turned a dead room at Terminal 5 into an all out rager. Obviously, Sammy’s team recruited him on the Boston rapper’s tour and the two even crafted two mixtapes together: Into the Wild and OK Cool.
Hitting his stride, JayCeeOh just released a remix with MGK, Clinton Sparks featuring Macklemore and 2 Chainz, and is gearing up to drop his own record on A-Trak’s very own label, Fool’s Gold.
And do yourself a favor: check out JayCeeOh at a club or venue near you, because you’re guaranteed a good time.
“Touring is always exciting and different,” he says. “Every club you go to, it’s a different situation, a different crowd, a different room. Because I’m such a versatile DJ, they may be expecting one thing from me, when I was thinking I’m gonna go in a different direction. I have to be on top of my game and read the room, every gig I go to. That part of it is always different, being able to travel and meet people. It’s a rewarding experience.”
If you missed it, listen to JayCeeOh’s original iHeartRadio mixtape here, with artists ranging from Katy Perry to JT. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook/Soundcloud to keep tabs on the guy. You’ll be glad you did.
PHOTO CREDIT: Erik Neisted, iHeartRadio, GlobalGrind
