Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony, Erikson and Renell Jean.
Anthony, Erikson, and Renell, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started Djing when I was 16 , my dad who is also a DJ would set his equipment up in my room when we lived in Dorchester , and I would watch him and found it fascinating how would make his mixes. But before I started Djing I would go to the Bahama Beach Club with my Dad carrying his records. So I got to see up hand how crowds reacted to his mixes and other Dj’s. Djing runs in my family from my dad (Renell Jean) to both my brothers (Kevin & Erikson Jean), even my uncles and cousins are Dj’s and recently in the last two years my brother-in-law. Around the age of 16 I started to play with the Idea of Djing, especially after we moved to Hyde Park. I would go down to the basement in the dead of winter and try to blend music together and make my own mixes, man they were crappy lol but I was trying. Around 2006 the time I was 21 I started taking it seriously and my dad had me djing on Friday and Saturday nights for a restaurant in downtown called Peking Tom’s & from there I went to The Blarney Stone in fields corner. I think for about a few years I faded away from music dealing with failure from leaving school and my cousin and grandfather deaths, Between 2007 and 2012 I became a bouncer just to stay near music and the club scene ,in 2012 I met my wife Olivia and I started to pick Djing back up , now I was rusty like really rusty , had to learn how to mix and what song to play at the right moment , so I started djing my friend’s house parties to stay on top of my craft. July 2012 we found out that we would have an addition to the family , a baby girl Savannah Elizabeth Jean , so I knew I had to support my family , and I told my dad I need to dj more . So he got me gigs at Sissy K’s & the Wild Rover on the Happy Hour shifts to start out and build my confidence up. I soon moved to the prime hours of 9pm to 2am with the DJ name “Dj Unchained” (yeah corny I know). So after doing nights there I got to Dj with my dad& my Youngest Brother Erik at College events like the Harvard v.s. Yale Tailgate parties. with my skills increasing I also did a Halloween event for Harvard University in Annenberg Hall , which by the way was the biggest crowd I ever had till this day 2000 plus people, that night was mind blowing . I hooked up with a Dj names Scorch and he got me gigs at the Green Briar bar in Brighton, The Harp in Downtown and Ned Devines in Fanueil Hall. Through Dj Scorch, I also met with two other dj’s Damien & Glenn and took some gigs at Shennanigans in South Boston & Assembly in North Quincy, I then hooked up with a good friend Dj Brogs who was a Dj when I was a bouncer at Sissy K’s, he formed his owned company ‘Mass Rhythm entertainment’ and asked if I was interested in doing weddings. I was nervous but I accepted the challenge and I had my first wedding in 2016 for a friends of ours and it went well and after that more wedding started coming in and this year alone I have about 7 weddings with the potential of 3 more . I also do private events for Lasell College from the freshman orientation partied, boat day, senior soiree and boat cruise. Earlier this year I connected with another Dj Crew ‘Dj’s of Boston’ ,with the help of my friend Dj Caso & my brother in-law Dj- B-Kay, taking my skills to The Greatest Bar, Kelly’s Cellar in Quincy, Vanderbilt Kitchen and bar, & Mija’s Cantina and Bar. My Dj life has been a Journey and still is, I want to continue my career and get better, my overall goal is to become a music producer, create my own sound and wave.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My Journey as a Dj has been far from smooth , my struggles usually are with myself and self-doubt , I’ve struggled with that most of my life. I would have night s where I wouldn’t know what to play , like my mind would go blank or nights I didn’t really want to be there because I know it wasn’t a good crowd and no one would dance even when I’m playing all the hottest tracks. I have dealt with managers telling me what I can and can’t play because they don’t want to attract a certain crowd. I have dealt with some patrons coming up to me telling me cause I’m black all I do play hip hop too much or play my song next and if I don’t they get mad and either come to me and ask ” why I didn’t play their song ” I simply just say I’m not an IPOD or a Jukebox and that if you want to hear your favorite song right now put your headphones on and listen on your phone”. But that’s usually if they are really in my face and belligerent, otherwise I tell them I will play the song in soon. I’ve had guys on St. Patrick’s day boo me cause I would play songs they wanted ,I once had a girl close my laptop during a set cause I asked her to hold on while I’m mixing the next song , then I would take her request.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Dj’s On the Move story. Tell us more about the business.
The Company “Dj’s on the Move” is actually, my father’s Renell Jean aka Dj Nelski. I have been working alongside him and my brothers for the past 6 years or so. We are a bout family, we want to make sure your night goes smooth. When you walk in the door and sit at the bar, your feet are tapping to the music and throughout the night the rest of your body follows. We Specialize in Private events like Birthdays, Graduation parties & anniversaries, we also do Weddings and corporate and college events. When I Dj I like to take the crowd on a roller coaster ride, start the night off mellow, by the middle of the night we are at the highest point and then send you home ready to cuddle (lol). Most people that I DJ for love the music era from 2000 to 2010, there were a lot of good hits during that time, so when you drop that song at the right moment you can feel the energy that they are releasing. I’m most proud of my Family, we don’t egos and think we are better than each other, even though we all have our own skill set. the thing that sets us apart from other companies is we are actually a family, we don’t have to say we are like family , we are willing to negotiate a fair price to fit the customer’s needs, at the same time they also recognize we are a business and need to make a profit too.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I have had a lot of good luck in the past few years with the people I have met and networked with. I have met music producers, radio dj’s bumped into Boston Pro Athletes over the years. but all that doesn’t come with the its fair share of bad luck from being fired early on in my career and losing out on events because of family obligations , but I don’t really regret that , it taught me lessons along the way. Not every night or event is going to be good. One thing I regret is not DJing while I was attending Mt Ida College, I missed an opportunity to further my skills as a dj and potential music producer.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 8572222579
- Email: djhavak2385@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dj_havak
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/anthonyjean2385/posts
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Djhavak
- Other: https://www.mixcloud.com/anthony-djhavak-jean/dj-havak-mix
Image Credit:
Mass Rhythm Entertainment, Christopher Huang photography , boston vip list
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