Lady D. Wears Many Hats In The Dance World
By JUNE JOSEPH
Saturday, February 24 2001
Saturday, February 24 2001
Published on AllBusiness.com
Though the dance music industry is still very much male-dominated, women have made significant contributions both in front of the mike and behind the scenes. Females like Sonique, DJ Rap, Paulette "DJ Paulette" Constable, Sandra Collins, and Lottie have made great strides in correcting the club community's off-kilter male-female balance. So too, has Chicago's Lady D., who effortlessly assumes the roles of DJ, producer, and label executive.
"I began DJ-ing six years ago when I met a girl who told me she didn't know of any female DJs," recalls Lady D., whose birth name is Darlene Jackson. "She suggested I give it a try. It seemed like a great idea, so I quit graduate school, where I was studying to be a podiatrist."
While Lady D. says that "a great Chicago DJ by the name of Mel Hammond initially got me started in 1993," she admits that she didn't "touch any turntables" until two years later. "I certainly wasn't the first woman to make forays into DJ-ing—and I wasn't even entirely sure if I could do this. But promoters saw something in me and hired me for parties."
Since then, Lady D.—who is managed by Chaka T. of Numinous Management and booked by Sylia Yi of Clear Entertainment (both are Chicago-based)—has kept a busy schedule. Not only has she held down several DJ residencies at Chicago clubs, but her passion for music and club culture has led to innovative sonic unions, most notably a tour with alternative rock band Poi Dog Pondering, as well as a spot on the lineup for San Francisco's Noise Pop festival last May.
Her passion for club culture has extended to the formation of SuperJane, an all-female DJ collective that also features the talents of DJs Dayhota, Heather, and Colette. "My DJ style is pretty eclectic," notes Lady D. "Actually, I'm simply very versatile musically. I'll go from deep house to techno to tech-house to disco."
Additionally, Lady D. helms her own marketing company, For Soul Only (Forsoulonly.com), which markets and promotes recurring parties in the Chicago area. DJs like Hammond, E-Smoove, and Matty Jevon Jackson are integral members of the For Soul Only collective.
Lady D.'s also the label director of Strictly Hype Recordings (SHR), a record company that boasts nine imprints, including AfterHours, Dialogue, and Zodiac. In this role, Lady D. is able to flex her A&R muscles, overseeing remixes and productions from producer/artists like Miguel Migs and Peven Everett.
"Rather than embrace the most current thing, D. looks beyond that," says SHR president Paul Golec. "She's intellectual, full of integrity, and is always searching for the next new thing."
"I want to take labels like AfterHours to another level to make them more successful," Lady D. says.
"I began DJ-ing six years ago when I met a girl who told me she didn't know of any female DJs," recalls Lady D., whose birth name is Darlene Jackson. "She suggested I give it a try. It seemed like a great idea, so I quit graduate school, where I was studying to be a podiatrist."
While Lady D. says that "a great Chicago DJ by the name of Mel Hammond initially got me started in 1993," she admits that she didn't "touch any turntables" until two years later. "I certainly wasn't the first woman to make forays into DJ-ing—and I wasn't even entirely sure if I could do this. But promoters saw something in me and hired me for parties."
Since then, Lady D.—who is managed by Chaka T. of Numinous Management and booked by Sylia Yi of Clear Entertainment (both are Chicago-based)—has kept a busy schedule. Not only has she held down several DJ residencies at Chicago clubs, but her passion for music and club culture has led to innovative sonic unions, most notably a tour with alternative rock band Poi Dog Pondering, as well as a spot on the lineup for San Francisco's Noise Pop festival last May.
Her passion for club culture has extended to the formation of SuperJane, an all-female DJ collective that also features the talents of DJs Dayhota, Heather, and Colette. "My DJ style is pretty eclectic," notes Lady D. "Actually, I'm simply very versatile musically. I'll go from deep house to techno to tech-house to disco."
Additionally, Lady D. helms her own marketing company, For Soul Only (Forsoulonly.com), which markets and promotes recurring parties in the Chicago area. DJs like Hammond, E-Smoove, and Matty Jevon Jackson are integral members of the For Soul Only collective.
Lady D.'s also the label director of Strictly Hype Recordings (SHR), a record company that boasts nine imprints, including AfterHours, Dialogue, and Zodiac. In this role, Lady D. is able to flex her A&R muscles, overseeing remixes and productions from producer/artists like Miguel Migs and Peven Everett.
"Rather than embrace the most current thing, D. looks beyond that," says SHR president Paul Golec. "She's intellectual, full of integrity, and is always searching for the next new thing."
"I want to take labels like AfterHours to another level to make them more successful," Lady D. says.
