Getting to Know TJ Mizell, A$AP Ferg’s Tour DJ and Son of Jam Master Jay
The saying goes, “It’s Tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that’s right on time, it’s Tricky.” But for some, it’s just genetic. Meet TJ Mizell, the son of legendary DJ and Run–D.M.C. founder Jam Master Jay. While TJ may be second-generation hip-hop royalty, the low-key 24-year-old is carving a path all his own in electronic music, starting behind the turntables.
Despite the natural assumption that everything he learned about the decks came from his pops, TJ is actually self-taught and honed his skills when he interned at NYC’s Scratch DJ Academy. Fast-forward four years and a few viral videos later, and TJ now boasts a coveted gig as A$AP Ferg’s official tour DJ and is currently on the road with Jack Ü, Zeds Dead, Kiesza and more on the Full Flex Express Tour this summer. When he’s back from the road, TJ will be gearing up to conquer household stages as he stars in the brand-new WE tv series Growing Up Hip Hop, which gives an inside look into the lives of TJ and co.
I sat down with TJ and grilled him about his best DJ tips, what it’s like to play with Run–D.M.C., and what he’s currently working on in the studio.
How did you get linked up with A$AP Ferg?
Three years ago, my manager had this really dope idea to bring my turntables out into the street and do a DJ routine. The songs we ended up remixing were “Purple Swag” and “Peso,” which were A$AP Rocky’s first banger record. We ended up being at some of the same parties, and they’d point me out and say, “Yo, that’s that kid TJ who did that dope routine.” Two years later, Ferg saw me in the green room at Barclays Center [in Brooklyn] and told me he wanted me to be his DJ. Another two months go by, and then Ferg calls me and asks if I have a passport; he says, “Word, we’re out to Poland in two days.”
When you were living in Virginia, did kids in your school know who you were and who your dad was?
My mom always raised us with the mentality of, “We are who we are, but more importantly, we’re normal people, too.” So we really never walked around telling people who we were. We also realized if people figured out who we were and who our father was before having a genuine relationship with us, we would see the difference. We moved to Virginia because our dad was murdered, so there was a lot of negative energy revolving around that in New York. I remember my mom had put up all his golden records and plaques in the basement to always remind us of what he did and to be proud of that. I remember friends coming over, seeing them, and becoming really dumbfounded. People would be friends with me for years and not realize, eventually saying, “Bro, how didn’t you tell me who your dad was?”
Do you have any pro tips for kids trying to get into DJing?
Tip 1: Go to the Scratch DJ Academy.
There are so many locations—New York, L.A., Miami, Atlanta, Chicago—and we’re trying to go international, as well. It literally takes you from knowing nothing about DJing to knowing everything about DJing—even things like marketing yourself as a DJ, getting into the right clubs, and producing on Ableton.
Tip 2: It’s all about practice.
It’s about repetition and muscle memory, especially on the turntables.
Tip 3: Love what you spin.
It’s not that much fun to DJ stuff you’re not passionate about.
Tip 4: Be hip to your music.
With things like SoundCloud, people are releasing new music every day. You can be a DJ that is breaking new records, and that’s what DJing used to be all about. Be up on your SoundCloud hustle, because kids are literally giving you their tracks for free. Follow up with those kids, and check out the DJs they like. That’s how I play my game with streaming services like Audiomack.
Your dad didn’t teach you how to scratch, or anything about DJing. What would he think of what you’re doing now?
I was just on the phone with a family friend, and he said, “You just got back from Australia? If your dad was to just see this shit right now, he’d be trippin’. These are the kind of conversations I would have with him back in the day. I feel like I’m talking to your dad.” I think my dad would be really hyped.
Your dad was big on blurring genre lines. What are your predictions for the next wave of genre-bending in music?
I feel like music that uses live instruments will come back. It’s always been about beats in electronic music, but now people are making songs and getting vocalists. I was a huge fan of From First to Last, A Day to Remember, the Used, and all those guys. It’d be so ill if the singer of Saosin and Circa Survive, Anthony Green, just hopped on an electronic record, like what Ellie Goulding is doing for Calvin Harris. I’ve always wanted to get Anthony Green on a record; that would be so dope. That’s the first time I’ve ever said that in an interview, but that shit would be fire.
What are you working on in the studio?
I love DJ/producer duos—like LOUDPVCK, Gladiator and Flosstradamus—because of all the energy they’re bringing to their records. I also like the songwriting and jam-band-type feeling, so I want to fall somewhere along that middle line. It is definitely some hard, bassy tracks with dope vocalists. Very hyphy.
What is your role in the Full Flex Express Tour?
As Ferg’s DJ, I control all the music and work on what energy level we want to bring the crowd to. Ferg is a super influential person—just his thought process and the things he thinks about society—and he likes to share that during the set. We usually make some time for that. He’s so versatile and just bounces all over the spectrum of electronic music.
You’ll be starring in an upcoming TV show called Growing Up Hip Hop, on WE tv. How did that come about?
I got approached by Angela Simmons. We’ve always had a cool relationship growing up; she’d always be at the Run–D.M.C. shows. We were hesitant at first, but eventually figured out it could be a great tool to bring awareness to the Jam Master Jay Foundation and everything that the homies are doing. Made some really great relationships out of it with fellow cast mates like Boogie Dash, Romeo Miller, Kristinia DeBarge, etc. It’s nice to find people who kind of go through the same things you do. We’re all kids with this one thing in common: Our parents were all pioneers in the music industry. It will be cool for people to see that, too, because often people think we get things handed to us on a silver [platter]. Not saying having a father or mother who is a legendary figure isn’t helpful, but with this group of people we don’t really use that. Everyone’s making their own name for themselves.
What’s it like playing with Run–D.M.C.?
I went on tour with Run–D.M.C. in 1997, when I was 6 years old. I can still remember how much they changed the world. We went to London, and people were just shocked and obsessed with Run–D.M.C. I remember watching my dad walk through the crowd, and people just falling over. Being a part of that now and being onstage with them is just insane. Before Run brings my brother and me out onstage, he talks about us and our dad. He talks about how he was taken away from us, and how this is what they made and how they influenced modern music. At those times, it really hits home, like, “Wow, this is my dad,” and I always feel his presence really strong in those moments.
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