Daytonian DJ Smooth receives national coverage
Who is D J Smooth? That question was posed in an online story at The Hype Magazine in mid-April. My curiosity was piqued further when I discovered The Source also featured the industrious Daytonian on March 4.
I decided to dig deeper and learned D J Smooth is 2020 Trotwood-Madison High School graduate Jalen Hooker. He began D Jing at 15 and has done private parties, concerts, weddings and other public gatherings. He works days as a general contractor, doing home renovation and building new homes, while also studying audio production through an online program with Full Sail University.
Hooker, who is managed by his mom, Angela Harris, recently discussed his mentor Eddie “D J Authentic” Davis, online schooling and future plans.
Friendly connection: “My friend’s dad is a D J. He’s called D J Authentic, and he’d have house parties all the time. We’d get invited out, and I’d sit back and watch him D J. I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool.’ He was mostly playing R&B and hip-hop, and I was excited by how he was entertaining the crowd. After that, I asked him if he’d show me some things, and he taught me how to do it.”
Holiday debut: “I told my mom I wanted D J equipment for that Christmas that was coming up. She got it for me, and then my first D J gig was our family party that Christmas. I played Christmas songs and it took off from there. It just became fun, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Wide appeal: “My set is different every time, but it’s a mix of R&B and hip-hop. The majority is older songs. I’ve done a couple of weddings. I D J’d homecoming for Trotwood and did something for the middle school. I’ve done church events and some big shows.”
Virtual learning: “I started doing Full Sail online two years ago, and it’s inside-the-studio work. It’s showing me different ways of mixing, engineering music and making beats. I have one more year to go. It’s hard some- times, but it’s going well. I’ve never been to a real studio to get that experience. I know a couple of people that have their own studio, and I want to get in there to see how it feels. That would be great.”
Looking ahead: “I’m going to keep D Jing events. I want to produce other artists and maybe produce myself in the future, too. We started a company called J Smooths Entertainment, and we plan to sign some artists and promote live shows, as well.”
More info: facebook. com/jalen.hooker.1232.