We were lucky to catch up with John West recently and have shared our conversation below.
John, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
The Underground Parties and DJ Residency
For the last 2 years, I was the resident DJ for the Claremont Colleges and went to organize and plan parties for the Claremont community. Senior year I stopped DJing for big events and started throwing Basement parties. My friends and I created a Speakeasy vibe that practically never got shut down. These underground parties would have to be my meaningful events because they created a boiler room vibe. It allowed me to truly express myself and test the limits of what good music is in Claremont. Claremont hasn’t always allowed me to truly express my authentic unfiltered music taste, but these random parties were the best experience.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
South West Entertainment LLC (SWE) is an event and entertainment group founded in 2017 by Dj John West Jr. SWE started as just a DJ business but over the last few years has grown into a full event production organization providing graphic design services, photography and videography service, dj and sound engineering services, and resume and college attainment services. SWE aims to help uplift and reinforce Black and Brown voices, narratives, and creations. By providing social events throughout the country, SWE works to actively engage marginalized youth by hosting social events throughout the city. We are a business for the people and for a purpose. It is time to put art, passion, and creativity back in the community.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Man, the biggest lesson I had to unlearn was to keep your personal and business finances separate. The backstory? For the 1st year of my business, I did not have a business account. I was spending both money at the same time. Basically not taking money investing into the business and messing up my tax situation for a year. Lesson learned, don’t mix business with pleasure.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Access and Community! The thing I love about being a Black creative is the way there is this super network of really talented Black people. Being able to work with people who understand how important art and creativity are is crucial for artists. There are people to bounce ideas off of, people to collaborate and build projects with, and people to just learn from and inspire. Being able to connect with someone who can plug you into other opportunities is amazing. In my experience, Artists invest in each other and many try to support each other.
Contact Info:
- Website: djjohnwest.com
- Instagram: djjohn.sw
- Facebook: John West Jr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-west-jr/
- Twitter: @djjohnwestjr
- Youtube: South West Entertainment and Events
Image Credits
Most photos taken by @_tshoota