Today we’d like to introduce you to Coco-Z.
Hi Coco-Z, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I started out as a hip-hop dancer loving the DJ. I use to make dance mixes from mixtapes I collected from local DJs. DJs such as Scratch Master L, DJ Lokey, Rad & Quick, and DJ Innovators. I thought about being a DJ then but I didn’t think I would be good. I am a great dancer and I was making a name for myself in that field. While pursuing my dance degree at the Ohio State University, I got in a car accident and injured my knee. Due to my injuries, I had to switch gears in school. I started a personalized study program where I decided to learn everything I could about entertainment. I studied theater, dance theater, choreography, videographer, and photography. I graduated with my degree in arts then came back to Cleveland to pursue my master’s degree in I.T. While in grad school I was missing my arts roots tremendously. I’ve been dancing since I was a child and not being able to do it how I once was left me feeling like something was missing. I then began exploring with different arts. I performed poetry, I rapped, I even made beats but it’s just wasn’t the same feeling as dancing. A close friend of mine who is like a brother to me had been DJing for a while and had a name for myself in the city. He should me how DJing had become digital and gave me the software. Since I’m a tech geek I decided to see what I could do with it. I like it and learned how to work the software. Next thing I know I created my DJ name Coco-Z the Mix Mistress (at the time) and was looking for a graphic designer to make me a logo. Soon after I dropped my first mixtape as a DJ which was March of 2010. Later in my dj career I dropped the Mix Mistress and started using DJ Coco-Z because everyone remembered Coco-Z while most would misinterpreted the Mix Mistress.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road at all. People will question whether or not a female is good in a male-dominated industry such as entertainment. I’ve always been into music and was following hip-hop. I watched the evolution of the DJ from records to MP3s… One of my favorite groups is Salt-N-Pepa. I loved the whole group from the artist to the DJ. I noticed how the industry was mostly male. Therefore, I knew I would have to show and prove, but that’s always been my motto anyway… “I can show you better than I can tell you”. When I realized I was able to develop my DJ skills in a timely manner my focus was showing people I was good and not telling them I was good. I wanted to let them form their own opinion about me as a DJ. When people hear Female DJ the first question is do, she knows what she doing, or is she good. Many people judged me before they heard me spin but I didn’t let that stop me. It just made me go harder. A few years into me starting my DJ career I entered a DJ battle and won 2 battles in one night against all men. That put my name in the streets and people started to take notice.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an open-format DJ. I’m known for my DJ skills and my knowledge of music. I’m most proud of the DJ brand that I’ve built. My master’s degree taught me about business and marketing. That’s been a great tool in helping built my DJ brand. What sets me apart from other DJs is I know how to read the room and I DJ from a patron’s point of view. For example, some DJs slam records as their style of DJing which is not how regular people listen to music. Slamming records is when a DJ will play 60-90 secs of the song then switch to another song. People don’t listen to music like that. When people come out, they want to hear their favorite song and sing along with it.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I’m hoping we can get back to music with higher vibrations. I’d like to hear more feel-good music and more diversity in styles of music. As far as the DJ industry I feel like the female DJ is going to be more visible and less stereotypical. I’ve been seeing a lot more female DJs represented on TV and movies. That’s a great start.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.djcocoz.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/djcocoz
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/djcocoz
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/djcocoz
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCg-QaD0PtF-gN0v4CJC6Evw
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dj-coco-z-cleveland
- SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/djcocoz
- Other: www.mixcloud.com/djcocoz
Image Credits
Lawrence The Shooter
A Kreative Kage
