Meet DJ POOTIECAT | DJ/Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with DJ POOTIECAT and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi DJ, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind my success is most definitely my support system. I would not have made it this far if I didn’t have people like my best friend DJ J-ME LEE who passed me my first gig and constantly motivates me! My friend KPMADMAN pushing me to consistently put out monthly mixes for my SOONSPINS residency. SJAYY, one of my favorite artists working with me on my first tracks ever, supporting my mixes and helping me with my gigs. Even Valley Bar supported me years ago and still does now. I have been playing my own night in their Rose Room every Sunday night and 130 Club in the music hall every other Friday night with DJ J-ME LEE since October of 2021. I attribute my success to those people and community members supporting me by booking me and others pulling up to my gigs with their friends to have a good time.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Dance is the backbone of my art. It is what led me to Djing. When I curate mixes or perform my main goal is to make myself want to move to what I am mixing. During middle school, high school, 4 weeks at UW-Milwaukee and after I danced everyday. When I moved to Phoenix with my mom, little brother and best friend Benjamin in 2016 I didn’t feel the same not dancing everyday. Benjamin and I would listen to dj mixes on SoundCloud and I felt inspired to create one my own way. We met Jamie, got really close and would go to different events and watch other djs. We all wanted to dj badly and decided we would all get our own equipment and start practicing in early 2017. I learned how to cut and mix songs together for choreographed pieces throughout my school years. I took what I learned about song selection from dance and would play with blending tracks into one for a bit before transitioning out. Blending tracks became my favorite thing to do and formed my style. It didn’t take long for me to choose my dj name since Pootiecat has been my nickname since birth, thanks to my late Great-Grandmother Mae.

I took more time practicing before Jamie passed along my first gig to me. I fell in love with controlling the room and performing what I had planned for the audience. I made a great first impression and it carried me through the community. My sound is a mixture of nostalgia from R&B and Hip Hop tracks thanks to my mother’s early influence, upbeat from Jersey Club, Afrobeat and Baile Funk tracks and ambient from my dance background. I find a way to make all of these sounds flow together whenever I am performing.

My Dj journey has not been easy thanks to self doubt at times and feeling like the under dog at other times. But I am proud of how far I’ve come by maintaining my love for what I create and how it makes me feel. As long as it makes me move and enjoy myself, I am satisfied. If others feel the same then that is the cherry on top!

I am excited to travel for music and explore more into producing music as well. It has been a slow process for me because I perform and work a lot but when I do sit down and work on it I make things that I am excited about! SJAYY has played an important role in me branching out into production. He was the first to work with me on quite a few tracks and made sure to let me know that I have an ear for music. It meant a lot coming from one of my biggest inspirations.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of my best friends Nadia did just visit me and the first thing I did was take her to a hot yoga class at Body Alive Fitness. Later that night I took her with me to my gig at Valley Bar in their Rose Room for Hard Times: Doja Cat Tribute. She really enjoyed watching and learning from me while jamming to our favorite tracks. The next night we met up with Jamie and caught Pachamama’s food truck and enjoyed our favorite vegan crunchwraps. First Friday was going on that night but we made it downtown a little late for Nadia to enjoy what Jamie and I have experienced for some years now. Later we took her to our 130 Club at Valley Bar in their music hall this time. J-ME LEE and I always get that basement hot and thumpin! The next day we went to my favorite Ethiopian restaurant Gojo and I made sure to catch Hotsaucenpepper for their bomb Caulifiyah Wings! If we had more time I would’ve taken her to Tempe Town Lake to walk by the water to give her a taste of home back in Milwaukee where we have a Riverwalk. That night I took her with me to Crescent Ballroom where I played R&B all night long and everyone had a grand time! Her trip was short but if she would have stayed longer and I didn’t have my usual Sunday night at Valley Bar I would’ve taken her to eat at Loving Hut, Salt River Tubing and then Adult Skate night at Great Skate. If we had more time downtown Earth Plant Based Cuisine and Cha Cha’s Tea Lounge would have been on the itinerary as well! Since Nadia and I both grew up off of dance I would have taken her to Kiki House of Paragon Vogue class on Monday night and Contemporary class at Phoenix Center if the Arts on Wednesday night.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shout out to my mom, dad and whole family. They have been supporting my entire journey through the arts. Constantly reminding me that I am talented, creative and driven so I can achieve anything I want. Always rooting for me and give me my flowers while I am here.

Shout out to my best friends and Hydr8 family Jamie and Benjamin. We all motivated each other to get equipment and start djing, put in many hours of jam sessions which led to us frequently performing together and forming our collective Hydr8.

Instagram: @DJPOOTIECAT

Twitter: @DJPOOTIECAT

Other: https://on.soundcloud.com/pjTBKTimXVs9QH7QA

Image Credits
SJAYY Mamesarr Seck David Scott Enrique Garcia Nadia Henderson