DJ Rap is synonymous with jungle and drum & bass, but that’s only part of her story.
In Part 2 of our conversation, we go beyond jungle and uncover the other side of DJ Rap’s extraordinary career.
She talks openly about signing to a major label, the backlash she received for stepping outside the boundaries of jungle, and how her career suddenly exploded in America. From Coachella and performing alongside David Bowie and Green Day, to New York Fashion Week and landing a huge Calvin Klein campaign, this was a completely different world.
But behind the success were some difficult lessons. DJ Rap explains why she believes she had the wrong management around her, why Sony wanted to turn her into a pop artist, and how an electronic album she wanted to release was rejected.
We also dive deep into something many UK clubbers may not realise:
DJ RAP PLAYS HOUSE.
She spent years playing house across America, held a residency at Crowbar Miami, played marathon sets including eight hours at Burning Man, and has been producing and releasing house music for decades.
DJ Rap explains why she’d love to return to the house circuit, her passion for classic house and the Toolroom era, and why being booked for the right crowd in the right room makes all the difference.
Plus, we talk about her 22 years in America, returning to the UK, rebuilding her career, creating her online community, the story behind the name DJ Rap, promoters, social media and the records she’d choose to close the perfect night.
This is DJ Rap: Beyond Jungle.
00:00 They Wanted Me to Go Pop
03:20 Major Label Backlash & Leaving Jungle Behind
06:45 Coachella, David Bowie & Green Day
10:15 Sony, America & the Calvin Klein Campaign
14:30 22 Years in America
18:10 Coming Back to the UK
21:15 Where the Name DJ Rap Came From
24:00 Beyond Jungle: DJ Rap Plays House
28:00 Crowbar Miami & Burning Man
32:15 DJs, Promoters & Playing to the Right Crowd
35:10 The Last Record of the Night
