In case you haven’t noticed, women are breaking barriers across industries—science technology, and film, just to name a few. So it comes as no surprise that the following women are crashing the, once male-dominated, DJ scene. From hip-hop to house music, here are 8 women cutting up turntables around the globe.
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1. Olivia Dope. A triple threat, to say the least, Olivia Dope is a classically trained dancer, fashion maven, and a highly sought after DJ in NYC. She’s spinned tunes for Jennifer Hudson, Rita Ora, Essence Magazine, celebrity designers The Blonds, Lil’ Kim, Angela Simmons, Jones Magazine, and Russell Simmons’ RUSH Philanthropic Arts Foundation.
Follow Oliviadope_ on Twitter and Instagram.
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2. DJ Kiss. With a star-studded client roster that includes Oprah Winfrey, Naomi Campbell, Alexander Wang, Sean “Diddy” Combs, and many more, DJ and personality, JaKissa Taylor-Semple, is a pop culture and fashion force to be reckoned with. Beyond breaking barriers in the DJ booth, she has modeled for brands, such as Gucci, NARS, Nordstrom’s, Farfetch, Dannijo, Aritzia, and the NFL Women’s Apparel line.
Follow Kiss the Deejay on Facebook and Instagram.
3. DJ Eque. The Texas, born beauty was once told by the infamous Luther Campbell, a.k.a Uncle Luke, “you’re too pretty to be a DJ,” when he met the world renowned DJ Eque at a video shoot. But after hearing her play, he instantly signed her up as his official tour DJ. As you can see, the rest is history.
Follow DJ Eque on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
4. DJ Spinderella (Dee Dee Roper). No female DJ list could be complete without including Grammy Award winning DJ Spinderella. Initially she started out as a member of the iconic rap group, Salt-N-Pepa, with the rap trio selling over 15 million albums and singles worldwide. Over 20 years later, the rapper, writer, and full-time mom, is still rocking the turntables.
Follow DJ Spinderella on Facebook and Twitter.
5. DJ Cocoa Chanelle. This artist is known for being a radio personality and DJ on New York’s HOT 97 and Kiss FM, the rapper, producer, was the first DJ ever employed by BET for their talk show, “Teen Summit.” She also received the Black Girls Rock Award, and was noted by Vibe Magazine as one of the Top 17 DJ’s in the country.
Follow DJ Cocoa Chanelle on Facebook and Twitter.
6. MC Lyte. A pioneer in the hip-hop industry, MC Lyte has successfully reinvented herself from lyricist to philanthropist, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author, TV host, and DJ. The unstoppable Brooklyn born trailblazer has paved the way for many women to carve out their own lanes to success.
Follow MC Lyte on Facebook and Twitter.
7. DJ Diamond Kuts. The Philadelphia native, and well-known mixologist, landed a stint on BET’s late night show ”The Deal,“ toured with Lil Mama, and was the first and only female DJ to have a slot on the 8th ranked national radio market, Philadelphia’s Power 99.
Follow DJ Diamond Kuts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
8. DJ Jazzy Joyce. Bronx-born DJ Jazzy Joyce is known for her collaboration with Sweet Tee, for the hit song “It’s My Beat,” and later with Digable Planets, for “The 9th Wonder.” She also held down a post as hip-hop DJ, and producer for Hot 97, in NYC for over 10 years.
