Koffee ChitChat
Koffee ChitChat
Beats, Faith, and Family: A DJ's Journey
What happens when you're born into a family of powerhouse singers, but you're the one who can't carry a tune? For Valencia Smith, better known as DJ Jodi Jo, that dilemma became the catalyst for discovering her true calling behind the turntables. In this heartfelt conversation, we explore how a music-loving girl from Louisiana's 318 area transformed from playing songs on an iPad to commanding dance floors across the region.
DJ Jodi Jo takes us through her remarkable journey, from those early days when two uncles recognized her budding talent to her breakthrough moment at a Shreveport casino when she realized DJing could be more than just a hobby. With candid humor, she describes growing up in a family where "all them Smiths be singing" at church and community events, while she handed out programs from the sidelines. That musical heritage, though initially intimidating, ultimately inspired her to find her own unique path of expression.
The conversation delves into the rich musical landscape of northern Louisiana, where zydeco rhythms energize crowds at everything from nightclubs to children's birthday parties. As a 4'10" female in the male-dominated worlds of both technology and DJing, Jodi Jo shares her ongoing challenge of asserting her expertise without reinforcing stereotypes. Her approach to music selection—balancing her personal love for 80s and 90s classics with contemporary trends—reveals a DJ committed to reading rooms and energizing audiences rather than simply showcasing technical skills.
Throughout it all, faith remains her anchor. "Whatever talent God blesses you with, he's going to get the glory," she explains, framing her career as a divine calling to bring joy and positivity to communities. Whether she's discussing how TikTok helps her stay current or reflecting on her unexpected success, DJ Jodi Jo's authenticity and passion for music shine through—proving that sometimes the most meaningful contributions come from following the unexpected path.
Want to experience DJ Jodi Jo's unique musical vision for yourself? Follow her on Instagram @DJJodiJo and Facebook as Valencia Smith to catch her next performance!
Hey y’all hey, don’t miss the next episode of Koffee Chitchat!!
Hey y'all. Hey, it's your girl, Paula, with another exciting episode of Coffee Chit Chat. We have a very special guest in the house, but before we introduce her you guys know how we do it let's shout out the coffee of the week, which is 8 French Vanilla. Anyway, today we have DJ Jody Jo in the house. She was born and raised in the 318. And, in case you don't know, that's Louisiana. Dj Jody Jo has always had a passion for music, fun and laughter. Growing up, she stayed at her house and was always filled with artists ranging from Johnny Taylor to Jay-Z to Jaheim, just to name a few. Just to name a few. Coming from a musically inclined family on both sides, but not having a voice for singing like the others, she knew she had to find something to express her love for music. So the DJ began, and this was something fun that she thought that she just wanted to do with two of her uncles. But here we are. So let's welcome Felicia Smith, better known as DJ Jodi Jo, to call for Chit Chat Welcome.
Speaker 2:Hey y'all. Thank you so so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 1:We are excited to have you and, by the way, she is my little niece's cousin. Yes, ma'am, okay y'all. So you mentioned that two of your uncles played a key role in your DJ journey.
Speaker 2:How did they guide or inspire you in your career? So, starting off, like I said, I always had a love for music and so I would just connect to a speaker, play from an iPad, and they started watching me, they started noticing, and so my uncle was like you should really look into DJing. I was like okay, whatever, not really thinking about it. And then another uncle came and was like no, you really should look into DJing. And so he started sending me things like the controllers, the speakers, this and the other, and finally he just said you need to do it. I said okay. So I started buying things little by little, about the controller, about the laptop, about this, about that, and they both just showed me I guess, quote unquote the business of how the BPMs were, what this would do, what that'll do and just how to navigate the business of DJing.
Speaker 1:I love that, love it, love it. And you came, and I know I can speak from this side of the family, a very loosely inclined family on both sides. Can you tell us more about how your family influenced your journey into music and DJing?
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, like you said, my cousin. You know my mom's side of the family. Everyone can sing. I have my Aunt Sarah who can sing, my Aunt Kathy who can sing. I have a cousin, it was a powerhouse. But my dad's side of the family super, super talented.
Speaker 2:It's to the point where when we have events or we have funerals, the family is the choir. They come and sing and I'm never able to be a part of it. My mom always says all right, sit down. You can't have the programs. I never could sing, but I do believe if you need a good, strong tenor, I can hold it down. I could fill in, but just seeing my family and hearing the story, that was a big thing. I would always hear, um, when my dad's side of the family was coming up oh, we're going to church Cause we want to hear those Smiths sing. All them Smiths be singing. I would always hear that and I'm like, wow, and I was able to hear. Like my uncle Riley or my cousin, my aunt, uh, kathleen, I was able to hear them. I'm sad to hear them today, but I just know back then it was nothing short of amazing.
Speaker 1:Awesome, and you know what. You just led right into the next question about those memorable moments growing up that led you to, uh, pursue this career. So you just share a few of them. Is there any more you'd like to share?
Speaker 2:Just watching them. Uh, I mentioned my cousin, lat being a powerhouse, an amazing singer. She was doing a show. She's doing something one day and we say in the country you stand flat footed and sing. And so she stood flat footed and she sung and I was like, oh my gosh, and the way she grasped people's attention, the way she just stands there and she sings, and the way she grasped people's attention, the way she just stands there and she sings. I'm a firm believer in whatever talent God blesses you with, he's going to get the glory, he's going to see it. So I kind of battled with like, okay, well, how is God going to get the glory? I can't sing, she's singing and people are singing that and seeing God's glory. Well, then God said you can do it through music, it can still be done. And so I was like, well, I want to do that, I want to bring people laughter, I want to bring people joy, I want people to see God through me, bringing that laughter, bringing that joy. And so it was through DJing.
Speaker 1:Awesome, I love it, love it. And you mentioned that you didn't have a voice to sing like others in your family, but you found another way to express your love for music to sing like others in your family, but you found another way to express your love for music. Can you walk us through that moment when DJing became something more than just fun, a fun hobby, you know, like playing at, like maybe a birthday party or something, where you said hey, I may be able to do like a side hustle with this.
Speaker 2:I was I think I was like a year, maybe two years in, still not really I took it serious, but I still didn't know what I was able to do. And we were out one day I had left and at that point I was getting little quick events like, hey, can you come fill in here? I made a name for myself but it still wasn't like a stamp in the city of Shreveport. So I was doing some events and at the last minute minute we end up going to a casino here in the area and they have like this little club on the inside, slavery Lounge, and so the band was performing where the band didn't have a DJ in between the sets and the guy I knew, the band member, the lead band member, and he said, hey, where's your DJ and stuff. I was like, oh, it's in the car, go get it. I'm gonna to pay you on the spot. I need you to come fill in. Oh, wow, I was super nervous. I was so nervous, crowd full of people.
Speaker 2:I've done big events, I've done big stages, but it's always like a cold thing. I always have somebody there with me, have someone to lean on my best friend, who's also a DJ. He was there, but I had to hold down the show and I was so nervous. And when he the band went on the next break, I dropped the first music and it went from there. I was like, oh, I could really do this. And seeing the crowd engage and people coming up to me and the manager of the club gave me her information, I was like, oh, this can be really something big. And at that point I knew I could really do more with this. So that was your aha moment. That was the aha moment.
Speaker 1:Yes, I love it and, growing up in the 318, did the local music scene influence your style or the way you connect with others through your uh dj sets?
Speaker 2:yes, um, the 318 has a such, such, such good, rich music taste. I love it to the point where, um, there was this old club I talk about this all the time there's this old club in shreveport called coco fellas. I hate I didn't get to experience coco fellas. I hate I didn't get to experience Coco Fellas. I hate I did not get to experience the whole millennial in the club era, because now we just stand around, we don't really dance in my age bracket and those younger than me. But the 318's music is so great, it's so dope, it's kind of underrated.
Speaker 1:I man, it's so dope like I can't even put into words how much talent that we have here and um.
Speaker 2:We support each other. You know you have some issues. Some people come up and it's like. I'm not supporting that person for whatever reason, but Shreveport supports each other. We're gonna play your music and play your tracks. We're gonna have a good time to it. Um, and it's really. It's really a different culture, really different vibe. We always talk about Atlanta. We always talk about Los Angeles and New York and what their artists bring to the table.
Speaker 1:318 in the south as a whole, I feel like has a lot to say has a lot to bring to the table because even uh, I know we're talking 318 because that's northern Louisiana, but when you think about the 504, which is New Orleans, baton Rouge, that southern region, oh my gosh. Yes.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, and we are some Zydeco people To say we're up north Louisiana. You would have thought we were like borderline to the 504, because we Zydeco everywhere we go there's not even you can't drop a beat. One of my closing songs at an event is always going to be do what you want and the amount of response that I get. The people lose their mind. I did a book, a kid's first birthday party, and I was like how can I close? How can I close? That was the first time I did it. I closed it with do what you want.
Speaker 1:And those people lost it. They had the tiles and they were fanning a person hiring a DJ for a one-year-old birthday party.
Speaker 2:It's serious, yeah, so that is very interesting.
Speaker 1:So what's the role of community in the music you play? So we kind of like, kind of hit on it a little bit.
Speaker 2:Wait, say it one more time.
Speaker 1:The role of the community. In the music that you play, what's what's kind of like the role of the community the community is very important.
Speaker 2:um, because what you, the community, is very important, because what you're around and what I'm bringing into your community, you want positivity. As you know, I'm from Cachata. A big thing, we've got a new mayor, we have a lot of great things going on in Cachata and so a big thing that they're pushing is positivity Awesome, no negativity. So, with some positive music, with some positive, upbeat things going to come in and bring a new light in, there are some music that some songs that DJs say oh, you play this song, it's guaranteed to be a fight.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's true, but depending upon the setting, sometimes you do have this song you just want to rap bar for bar, word for word. I'm not trying to fight anyone, or I do want to do the electric slide to candy by cameo. It just depends on the setting and the community and what you want to make out. The community, like I say, cachetta is going into a huge positive direction. So they know for a fact okay, we're here to have a good time. Whatever song you play, we're going to dance, to want to sing, to do anything like that.
Speaker 1:so to me they were hand in hand the dj has to come with the vibe and the community has to come out ready to have a good time awesome and, like we talked about earlier, we know that over the years djing has definitely changed, you know, from basically seeing a dj when you go out clubbing or whatever or maybe some major birthday milestone. But you know it's changing over the years from little bitty kids having DJs at their parties. But what's your take on the evolution of technology in DJing and how has it impacted your approach?
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, I don't. And what's funny is a lot of people don't know this. I have a degree in technology, I work in computing information system, so I get to see both sides of it. It is so crazy how things are going to evolve and how they have. I look at old videos of old DJs and I always say this I love the 80s, I love the 90s.
Speaker 2:I don't know how you all got through those times. My dad had told me one time how y'all got it so easy. We had to go to the library, look up this number, then go find that book. If that book didn't have it, go back, look it up, do this. And I was like you can't ask Alexa, the change and the dynamic, just from going to the library to doing DJing here, doing this, doing that, the computers and the processes it's changed drastically.
Speaker 2:I don't know where DJing and how the technology is going to go, but it's going to be easier than it's going to be harder because it's not going to be as simple as pressing a button. And that's another big thing I learned. You have to get people more. But just pressing the button, just transition to the songs. You have to entertain them, you have to keep them on their feet, you have to mc um. So I do see technology playing a pivotal role and a pivotal point in um, changing the dynamic, making it somewhat easier right but it's still going to be harder so you still got to have that human part in dj.
Speaker 2:Okay, yes, you can have the biggest board, you can have the best board out, but if you can't connect with the audience, if you can't connect with your people and relate and, as we say, read a room, it's not gonna matter.
Speaker 1:It's not gonna matter at all so what would you say like some of your major challenges, uh in djing, and how did you overcome?
Speaker 2:oh my gosh, a huge, major challenge. Um, it's crazy. I thought about this yesterday. Both industries that I work in are male-dominated industries working in technology, working as a DJ so a big, big challenge that I faced. I know you guys can't see me, but I'm like 4'10", 4'11".
Speaker 1:I'm a good girl.
Speaker 2:I'm short and I'm a female. So a big challenge that I faced was asserting myself and not necessarily pushing off dominance, but saying, hey, I'm a female, I'm new, I'm pretty dope and I'm here to stay, and not coming off as that typical mean Black girl. You know, you, I've been in events. I've been in situations where they'll immediately go to the male DJ and talk to him, but I'm the lead DJ at the time and so I'm looking like do I snap? Do I say something? Do I approach you or I wait for you to come to me?
Speaker 2:I did an event recently. Me and another male DJ were doing a set and they kept coming to him, talking to him and I don't know Every DJ booth is different coming to him, talking to him and I don't know every DJ booth is different, but it was a small space there, so they're walking past me, they're talking to him and I told him I was like I wanted to say something, but I didn't want to be rude. I didn't know how you felt about people coming to you. He was like no, you should have said something. It is annoying trying to get people to talk and do this, and which is why a lot of people do the whole call DJs, like hey, talk to this person, this person talk to me, but as a female, not everybody's gonna come to me, not everybody's gonna realize oh, you're a DJ so that that was the hardest thing and I'm still learning, I'm still navigating um how to conduct myself and how to speak to people, because it's so easy to say to snap.
Speaker 2:Let's just say that it's so easy to snap, it's so easy to say wait a minute, I'm in charge here it's so easy to show them and tell them who you are, but I've learned to just sit back and when you need me, you're going to come to me, so it that was the biggest challenge okay, and I guess I wouldn't have even thought about that.
Speaker 1:Now I'm thinking, yeah, because it used to be where it was a male dominated industry and a lot of females now are coming into DJ, so that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Yes, oh my gosh, I didn't know. And when I started taking the series and I would look up video, I was like wow, there are a lot of female DJs who are really doing this and that also motivated me. Like don't worry about that, just keep going, you can do right right.
Speaker 1:So how would you say you stay connected, uh, with the music that you play? Is there a certain feeling or emotion that you try to evoke in your audience when you are performing?
Speaker 2:I try to stay connected with the music by tiktok by social media and it's so hard because I hate the mumble rap again. I, I'm an 80s and a 90s lover. Um, I listen to johnny taylor at least three times a week. I I, uh, I was messed up when angie died. I've been listening to her on repeat this entire week. I know recipes, yes, recipes, angie Stone. So it is kind of hard to listen to the new music, but I have to. But TikTok helps me out a lot. I have younger cousins and nieces and nephews. They'll send me things and so I know recently I've done basketball games and so just looking out at the crowd, at the teams, the game is intense. Of course you want your team to win, but on those breaks you don't want to just sit back, and so I'm watching them and I'll play a track and seeing them hop up on the floor and trying to dance. You have like a two minute break and those kids are hopping, trying to dance. I'm like, oh, okay, so I got to keep this going.
Speaker 2:I got to keep that going and so just the feeling of seeing people enjoy and dance, especially, like I said, in the middle of the game, and a high pressure situation, high temp situation, is always amazing, and so you, just you, have to build it off that and, like I say, read the room.
Speaker 1:Okay, like is amazing, and so you, just you have to build it off that and, like I say, read the room. Okay, like, connecting with that energy, my energy matching your energy. Okay, I love it, I love it. So what's next for DJ Jodi Jo, any exciting projects or collaborations you're working on, and where do you see yourself taking your music in the future?
Speaker 2:I honestly don don't know, and I hate to say that, and I'm not and I won't say I'm not a person that doesn't plan, but I am a person that says, okay, I do want to accomplish this, I do want to do that, but I never know where God is going to take me. I'll say, like last year I said, okay, god, do this DJ thing If it's in your will, I want to be booked at least once a month, every month in that year, and there were times where I only had one weekend off in a month and so I was like, okay, okay, god. So this year I switched my prayer around and he's doing some things and I'm just, I'm letting him work and I'm following. I never know when I'm going to get a call. I never know when. You never know when your name is in the room that you're not in.
Speaker 2:So, I always say whatever God has for me to go, because I never expected to go this far. I'm grateful for my family and my uncles pushing me to do this, but I didn't know God had all this and stuff for me. I didn't know it could have gone this far. I do see I would love to do more. I would love to use my voice and bring this joy to the world, but it's whatever God has for me and I'm gonna follow him. I'm gonna do his will.
Speaker 1:That's my goal of it so god man makes the plan, but god orders the step I love.
Speaker 2:Oh yes, ma'am yes ma'am oh yes.
Speaker 1:So okay, let our audience know, let the chit chappers know how they can follow you or maybe come to an event you all can follow me on facebook valencia smith.
Speaker 2:Uh, that is my. That's where the chicks come into. That's my name. Uh, for those y'all don't know, jojo is a family nickname combined from my middle name and my dad's name, and then the family calls me jody, so I just put the two together and that's where DJ Jodi came from. But, uh, you can follow me on Instagram at DJ Jodi Jo. Um, hopefully y'all don't know this. Paula throws the best parties. Hopefully this year I'll be out there in their area going to parties at their house and y'all can catch me there. Oh, thank you.
Speaker 1:Yes, ma'am, but yes if you are a traveling dj, paula will definitely get you, because I you know me yes, ma'am, we call her the louisiana hustler.
Speaker 2:So she put her hands on something. It's gonna be good and I tried my best to be a part of it.
Speaker 1:Thank you, thank you, I feel the same way about you dear I love love your music, Brittany, and I always say Jodi Joe is a old school, she has that old school spirit.
Speaker 2:It's like an old soul I was, it was Brittany was at college graduation and we got in the car and I was playing Regulate, my one GMA dog, but it was like jojo of all the songs. Why would you play this? I don't know.
Speaker 1:I'll change it if you want me to, but yeah oh yeah, we obviously she has that also and we are so happy to catch up with you and we took time out of your busy schedule to chat with us on Coffee Chit Chat. So, guys, the quote for the week is by the great Stevie Wonder Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand. Tune in next week for another exciting episode of Coffee Chit Chat.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1:You are so welcome. We were so excited that you came to hang out with us. Dj, ciao, ciao. Yes ma'am.
