We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jarrell “DJ CEO” Greene. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with DJ CEO below.

DJ CEO, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve always been around music. My house was filled with it. My dad curated the music for any and every family gathering so the feeling that music gave me when with loved ones effected me greatly. I played instruments early like the Tuba, Baritone & The Drums. The summer going into my sophomore year in HS a friends father randomly showed me a tape of DJ Jazzy Jeff. I believe this was all God because it was at that moment I knew this was what I wanted to do. I still didn’t know that I could have a career doing it but I just knew this is what I want to do. I need to do this. Fortunately I had some OG’s in my building that were DJ’s and they let me come to the house like everyday and basically figure it out. Feel my way through the whole process. So it was the summer of 1996 that change my life forever.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I’m 41 years old. Born and Raised in The Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn, NY. If anyone knows anything about Clinton Hills in the 80s and 90s it was full of legends, soon to be legends etc. So in this neighborhood you had April Walker of Walker Wear, an iconic Hip-Hop Fashion Brand of the 90s. You had The Notorious B.I.G and all of Junior M.A.F.I.A, Kim actually lived in the apartment underneath me. DJ Mister Cee lived in the projects across the street from me. Gangstarr lived up the block from me. Branford Marsalis lived 4 blocks from me. You had Spike Lee, Rosie Perez, Chris Rock, Wesley Snipes, Matty C from the Source, it was insanse and I knew who none of these people were in the beginning lol. However being in such proximity I fed off of the creative energy that was existing in the neighborhood. There were people who were background dancers and road managers and tour DJs and A&R’s that all lived within 3 blocks of each other. This was the culture and community that shaped me even when I didn’t know.

As I mentioned before I knew I wanted to DJ but I never imagined having a career at it. I just knew I was going to the NBA. I played organized basketball since the 6th grade. Played varsity all 4 years in HS and then 1 year on the Division 3 level before transferring to Howard University where I studied Broadcast Journalism. Going to Howard was one of the greatest decisions I’ve ever made in my life. It was the first time I ever really felt challenged at anything I did. I always rhymed but when I got Howard I was like “Oh shit…these cats are nice”

The whole institution from the classroom to the social life pushed me to be great. Also during this time I reconnected with a long time childhood friend who was also a DJ but I didn’t know. His name is Henry Greenidge. I went to his house one day during the summer and I saw his set up and at this time I still never owned a piece of DJ equipment so any chance I got to DJ, even just for 5 minutes I was on it. So he was like “yeah, you spin too?” I was like yeah even though at this point I was on turntables maybe twice a year. So I started messing around and he’s like “yo you are nice. You wanna DJ my birthday party on Saturday?” I was like yeah, mind you this was on a Tuesday and I had no records of my own. So I DJ’d his birthday party and it was nuts. Can’t even tell you if I was good or not but everyone had a great time and from that point for the next 5 years we were DJ Partners. So Henry & I along with our core group of boys would throw about 2 House Parties every summer in Ft. Greene and they were LEGENDARY. We had everyone in there that is someone now from the likes of Claire Sulmers, Lynette Townes, Julee Wilson, Kevin Powell,

Once I graduated I moved back home to Brooklyn and worked in the TV and Film industry for a couple of years. I worked at the Food Network, MTV, VH1, TVOne, Discovery and BET. While at BET I started my own productions company and actually pitched a show that got picked up but the business of it all soured me. At the same time my DJ career was sort of starting to move somewhere. I was doing a lot of Afterwork Parties and throwing late night parties with my friends. Back to my boy Henry, this is where everything changes for me. At the time he was working at a bank and I was in tv. So when we would go to after work parties to play he would always been in a suit and I, though dressed stylishly was more on the casual side. In my mind I wanted us to look like a team and since he couldn’t change how he dressed for work I would wear suits on the nights we would go DJ. I immediately realized that the woman were taking notice in how we were dressed and a light went off. This is where I began branding myself. At the time I didn’t even really have a DJ name. I used the moniker Chief Roc because that was my emcee name but that name wasn’t fitting the new esthetic we were bringing in how we dressed. I sat and thought about it, I was the CEO of my own production company, I felt we were dressing like CEOs/Executives and thus DJ CEO was born and I added the tag line “Best Dressed DJ Period” because that’s what all the women were saying because no DJ’s were showing up like us at gigs. At this same time I begged and harassed the producers of Rap City to feature me as a DJ. After months of nagging they did and it was a great experience and a learning experience. I was on there with Juelz Santana and even he had to take notice to how I showed up to DJ. At this point I was naive enough to believe I was about to BLOW UP. I quit TV immediately and went into DJing full time. I was like yo I DJ’d on RAP CITY with Juelz, everyone knows who I am now. Boy was I wrong.

The next few years were the hardest of my life. I was barely DJing. Maybe once a week making chump change. It was hard. But it was a lesson in it. I learned the business, the importance of marketing and being consistent and staying on brand. I had big ideas and visions. I knew then being a talented and gifted DJ wasn’t enough for me to be successful. I had to brand myself to stand apart. So from 2006 on I focused on making sure everyone knew I was the Best Dressed DJ Period and everyone bought in. Around 2010 I had another turning point in my career. I partnered up with my now good friend Mike Mancini and we created an event called the Influence series. Now Mike was running with a completely different crow and also the brand ambassador for Belvedere. He opened me up to so much different music and different types of people that it changed how I DJ’d and dressed forever. Prior to this I didn’t have style. Moreso I committed to a type of fashion and that was just suits but now I’m defining what my style is and I’m really getting noticed. Also instead of only playing the same things all the other black DJ’s in the city were playing like Hip-Hop and R&B, Reggae, the same 10 Old School songs & Soca, now I’m incorporating artists like Kenna, Christian Rich, Peter Hadar, Duck Sauce & Vikter Duplaix. And when I play old school, now I’m not just playing MJ, Prince and Frankie Beverly, now I’m playing George Benson, The Temptations & Billy Ocean. I’m becoming good friends and partying with other DJs that are pushing me with their talents like DJ MoMa, DJ M.O.S & DJ Dubz. So at the influence series on a Monday night in Soho you might see anyone from DJ Cassidy to Elliot Wilson just hanging out. I figured out my lane and I was never changing it again. Because of the Influence Series my first international gig was in Turks & Caicos with the OneGroup at Bagatelle.

Since Then I’ve traveled the world sharing my gift. I’ve DJ’d for the Kennedy’s, I’ve DJ’d with Q-Tip, DJ Scratch, Talib Kweli & Mel Starr. I’ve DJ’d for Fat Joe. I’ve DJ’d at Sugar Ray Leonards house for a Birthday Party that had ICONs in attendance like LL Cool J, Magic Johnson & Smokey Robinson. I’ve done it all and the perfect combination of a Godly Gift and authentic branding and taking me places I’ve never imagined.

Not only am I highly respected international DJ but in 2020 I took my passion for style and created my own lifestyle fashion brand Lafayette & Grand. I have everything for Men, Women & Kids from Hats, and Jackets to Luxury Sneakers and heel. The website is LAFAYETTEANDGRANDCLOTHING.COM

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

Being a creative, especially at a high level is a gift from God. Most people who are not creatives don’t understand that and many people in artistic positions for the clout or the attention definitely don’t understand this. So part of my mission is to broadcast and push the narrative of that the sharing and receiving of this gift should be a spiritual experience. I tell people all the time I don’t play music I play vibrations. I have a huge respect for the energy that music carries and the energy people carry. It’s also why I smoke weed before every set because I want to get out the way. So when I DJ you aren’t getting me you are getting my spirit because that’s what you deserve.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Time isn’t real. As an artist you are always eager to get to the finish line in the context of business. i.e rich, famous, being revered and respected by your peers and fans, etc. Like Erykah Badu said “I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit” So I’ve learned that being focused and intent on walking and working in my purpose that time doesn’t even matter to me anymore. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be when I’m there.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @DJCEO
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBestDressedDJ/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarrell-dj-ceo-greene-1085712
• Twitter: @DJCEO
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDktbnHa3u0scu7USG3N1VQ
• Other: instagram.com/lafayetteandgrand www.lafayetteandgrandclothing.com