Disney princess stories have a built in sense of fantasy and reality mixed into them. They're filled with odds stacked against the female protagonist but through some relatable virtue, she overcomes those odds and lives happily ever after with the prince. For DJ Princess Cut, the plot is the same except the prince in her case is the DJ game.
DJing was not the originally intended route for the Atlanta native. DJ Princess Cut had plans to put her Psychology degree from Georgia State University to practice but experimenting on some unused turntables at a local bar changed all of that. She became hooked on the idea of controlling the music and vibe of a room. The physical vinyl feel added an extra draw for the hands on Princess Cut. You may even catch her pulling out a crate or two at a live show today. And even though she didn't have a proper mentor or class to attend, she let her passion direct and drive her to inevitable progress.
As vinyl turntables gave way to CDJs and eventually control vinyl, Princess Cut had to adapt to the times. It didn't always turn out pretty, as she made rookie blending mistakes and letting the needle skip. But she wasn't easily discouraged and motivated herself to learn more: "I learned DJing from watching other DJs in the club and I was able to practice in the clubs. And yes I still watch YouTubes of other DJs till this day. There’s always something to practice and learn." It was a relatively small chip on her shoulder as she tried to progress in a male dominated industry.
Soon enough, DJ Princess Cut found a lane for her to claim. After meeting with Tupac's group, the Outlawz, she found out that they happened to need a DJ for their tour overseas and based off of her strong reputation in the DJing circuits, she joined them on the road. That wouldn't be the last time that she joined a big name artist on tour. Her resume has come to include the Goodie Mob, The Dream, and most recently, Oprah on her Life You Want tour. While she made the Goodie Mob connection through Khujo and mutual friends, the common thread in all of her big time gigs is her hard work and dedication to her craft. As a result, she's built a name for herself: "I made the connections by being in the streets-on the scene-just doing my thing, and definitely word of mouth and referrals as well. When your work ethic and skills show, opportunities will find you."
Oprah's tour, which she is still on a high from, gave her a unique experience unlike any other:
It was great to be recognized and also to impact lives just from doing what I love. Playing for crowds as massive as 10,000 – 20,000 people is a life experience that gets my energy going like no other. But the tour was mainly different in that it was so empowering and the point was to empower, with a mostly female crowd. There were quite a few men in the audience as well though."
Outside of DJing for some of the biggest names in the entertainment world, DJ Princess Cut has also created her own label and TV channel on YouTube. And even though she gets enough props as a DJ ("I think at this point the DJ has reached superstar level. There are DJs that make more than singers and rappers nowadays."), she won't stop there. Her constant drive to find new avenues to explore led her to the new platform of interviewing your favorite artists like Big Boi and Big K.R.I.T. on Sweetbox TV. It's also a platform for new artists as she spotlights the up and coming talent. At the same time, Princess Cut is currently working on building up her catalog of remixes and original production.
If you've heard of Sweet Box Jones and not DJ Princess Cut or vice versa, you should know that they're the same but different. While they are the same person, they are two different personalities. You can catch DJ Princess Cut spinning some European Dance music, and then you'll see Sweetbox Jones is all about Hip-Hop, from the old school southern classics to the new underground. When asked who would win a hypothetical battle between her two alter egos, she replied with, "That’s a hard one! I’m going with Sweetbox Jones though, She just brings that extra flavor. Let’s try that out [laughs]."
Last Call
1. What is your favorite movie of all time?The Last Dragon
2. As a young DJ, who was the one DJ you looked up to?DJ Jelly
3. As a DJ, what's your biggest pet peeve?My biggest pet peeve is to be asked (while I’m standing there DJing with equipment), “Are you a DJ?”
4. What is your current DJ set up at home?Technic 1200’s, Pioneer CDJ’s, Rane TTM57SL mixer, and a Pioneer DDJ SX2
5. What's your favorite record of all time?Tupac – "If My Homies Call"
Keep up with DJ Princess Cut on her Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. She's also a part of the Hoodrich DJ collective as well as Sirius XM and Atlanta's Hot 107.9 FM. Her upcoming shows are as follows:
- 3/18-3/19: Neiman Marcus (Atlanta, GA)
- 3/20-3/21: SXSW (Austin, TX)
- 4/8: #HoodHouse (El Bar, Altanta, GA)
- 4/30: Office Lounge (Anchorage, AK)
Bryan Hahn's alter ego is the Old Spice man. He's on Twitter: @notupstate.