Why do you need a DJ name (and how do you find a good one)?

Message

wspeid · #31 Post by **wspeid** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:29 am

Sometimes its a matter of proactive necessity.

Unfortunately, I was the second person named Bill (amongst 3) to join our local scene and people got us every manner of confused until the night someone refer to me as, "Not so Tall, Not so Bald" DJ Bill. Sadly that mouthful stuck for a while.

However, once Tall, Bald Bill got called up for active duty I lost my over-shadowing reference point and happily decided it was time to shape a new moniker that didn't contain, "not so", "nearly", or "almost but not quite" anything but actually identified me as an individual.

So, thanks to a little alliteration along came over the top persona Billy Bakelite, who's a heck of a lot memorable and outgoing than Bill "who doesn't have anywhere near as good a Charleston as that Bill over there, isn't the same guy as Pony-tail Bill, nor is as bald as Tall Bill".

Low and behold... end of confusion!

Bill (now 1 of 4)

Lawrence · #32 Post by **Lawrence** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 5:54 pm

wspeid wrote:Sometimes its a matter of proactive necessity.

Unfortunately, I was the second person named Bill (amongst 3) to join our local scene and people got us every manner of confused until the night someone refer to me as, "Not so Tall, Not so Bald" DJ Bill. Sadly that mouthful stuck for a while.

However, once Tall, Bald Bill got called up for active duty I lost my over-shadowing reference point and happily decided it was time to shape a new moniker that didn't contain, "not so", "nearly", or "almost but not quite" anything but actually identified me as an individual.

So, thanks to a little alliteration along came over the top persona Billy Bakelite, who's a heck of a lot memorable and outgoing than Bill "who doesn't have anywhere near as good a Charleston as that Bill over there, isn't the same guy as Pony-tail Bill, nor is as bald as Tall Bill".

Low and behold... end of confusion!

Bill (now 1 of 4)

That's a lot different than choosing a kitchy name for promotional purposes.

We had three "Matts" who were very active in the "scene" here in Austin. We chose the highly unusual and creative tactic of using their LAST names to distinguish between them.

The more creative you are, the less you need to force it into places it need not be.

julius · #33 Post by **julius** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:59 pm

Why do hip-hop/electronica DJs have nicknames? Because the very first "name" DJs in the 70s had nicknames such as Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash. There is a long tradition of nicknames in African-American culture. Pretty much all electronic music DJs owe their existence to these founding fathers.

Swing DJs are overwhelmingly the product of middle-class white families, a culture that doesn't emphasize nicknames as much. Swing DJs owe their existence to, well ... music geeks who happen to dance. Having a "serious" nickname would be perceived as an attempt at street cred. You'd probably get laughed at.

djstarr · #34 Post by **djstarr** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:48 pm

julius wrote:Swing DJs are overwhelmingly the product of middle-class white families, a culture that doesn't emphasize nicknames as much. Swing DJs owe their existence to, well ... music geeks who happen to dance. Having a "serious" nickname would be perceived as an attempt at street cred. You'd probably get laughed at.

You could always be DJ "Dr. J". ha ha.

Good point Julius. One of my friends recommended that I call myself DJ "Bizzy Bee". Right. Perfect for a middle aged middle class white female DJ.

Lawrence · #35 Post by **Lawrence** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 1:20 pm

julius wrote:Why do hip-hop/electronica DJs have nicknames? Because the very first "name" DJs in the 70s had nicknames such as Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash. There is a long tradition of nicknames in African-American culture. Pretty much all electronic music DJs owe their existence to these founding fathers.

Swing DJs are overwhelmingly the product of middle-class white families, a culture that doesn't emphasize nicknames as much. Swing DJs owe their existence to, well ... music geeks who happen to dance. Having a "serious" nickname would be perceived as an attempt at street cred. You'd probably get laughed at.

Don't be trippin me in front of my homies, esse!

Me an' ma bruthas down in accounts re-ceiv-a-ble gon' roll up and shiv yo ass, yu keep talkin' dat sheeit! I'm home-blood frum da streets of North Sub-urb-an Chi-town! Dats right, just cuz my old man he real mean with da Benjamins, don't mean I ain't got my skizzle on!

Haydn · #36 Post by **Haydn** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 4:13 am

julius wrote:Having a "serious" nickname would be perceived as an attempt at street cred. You'd probably get laughed at.

A few DJs I know have DJ names and it seems to work for them.

Platypus · #37 Post by **Platypus** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:37 am

Those of us growing up in tough neighborhoods don't necessarily want to use our childhood nicknames as our DJ names.

Lawrence · #38 Post by **Lawrence** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:52 am

Platypus wrote:Those of us growing up in tough neighborhoods don't necessarily want to use our childhood nicknames as our DJ names.

You sure? I think "DJ Larry the Hairy Canary Fairy" would get me some decent play time.

Well... at least maybe in London.

wspeid · #39 Post by **wspeid** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 12:31 pm

Remember those stories we heard as kids about the family who announces their daughter's wedding in the newspaper and while they're all out at the rehearsal dinner some professional thief, who's realized everyone would be out for the night, robs them blind. Same concept...

I've now had enough strangers come up to me saying, "hey I recognize you from your photo!" that I prefer it if some 'nefarious evil-doer' is looking through the phonebook for the Bakelite family who'll be out at Saturday night's dance for the evening.

But sadly that's probably just another sign that I'm continuing my slow evolution into my dad by picking up yet another one of his neuroses. Next thing you know I'll be buying broken Craftsman hand tools at yard sales and returning them to Sears while yelling "That's not my problem, it says lifetime guarantee and I want a replacement".

Bill

Bill

Eyeball · #40 Post by **Eyeball** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:59 pm

wspeid wrote: I'll be buying broken Craftsman hand tools at yard sales and returning them to Sears while yelling "That's not my problem, it says lifetime guarantee and I want a replacement".

Had my father been a crook and had thought of that, he would have done it, b/c he seemed to be returning tools to Sears every Saturday. The family saga of the riding lawn mower that kept dropping in price each week is legend.

On Saturday, he even brought in a tool from Greece that we do not have here in America. He wanted to brag about it and show it off!