Music & Culture
DJ Culture
DJs, mixtapes, radio, clubs and the heartbeat of the Carolina sound.
Before the stream. Before the playlist.
There was the DJ.
More Than Music.
It’s A Movement.
DRAKE
Magazine
More Than Music. It’s A Movement.
The Sound of the Carolinas
From radio waves to packed clubs, from mixtapes to main stages, DJs have always been the heartbeat of North Carolina’s music culture. They’ve introduced new sounds, broken records, built careers and created community. This is a celebration of the DJs who keep the Carolina sound alive.
North Carolina
Different Cities. Same Vibe.
“DJs don’t just play music… they move culture.”
Drake Magazine
From Turntables to Streaming
A timeline of Carolina DJ culture
Radio Legends
Funkmaster Flex
New York City / The Bronx
HOT 97 (WQHT) · Previously: KISS FM (WRKS) and WBLS
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Angie Martinez
New York City
Power 105.1 (WWPR) · Formerly HOT 97 (WQHT)
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Kurt "Big Boy" Alexander
Los Angeles, California
REAL 92.3 (KRRL) · Previously: Power 106 (KPWR)
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Tom Joyner
National / United States
The Tom Joyner Morning Show
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Donnie Simpson
Washington, D.C.
WKYS-FM · WPGC-FM · WMMJ / Majic 102.3
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Wendy Williams
New York City
WRKS / 98.7 KISS FM · WQHT / HOT 97 · WBLS / 107.5 FM
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Charlamagne Tha God
New York City
The Breakfast Club · Power 105.1 / WWPR-FM — New York City
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DJ Envy
New York City
The Breakfast Club · Power 105.1 / WWPR-FM — New York City
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Steve Harvey
The Steve Harvey Morning Show
Nationally Syndicated
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Radio personalities are added only once their identity, station and North Carolina connection are verified and an authorized photograph is supplied.
The Mixtape Era
- The DJs
- The Tapes
- The Hustle
- The Influence
Before streaming, the mixtape was the DJ’s distribution network — breaking records, building names, and moving music hand to hand from city to city.
Clubs That Shaped the Sound
Venom Nightclub
Nightclub
Raleigh, NC
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Loop Bar and Lounge
Bar + Lounge
Raleigh, NC
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Sports & Social Cary
Entertainment Venue
Cary, NC
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Terminal 8 Bar & Lounge
Bar + Lounge
Raleigh, NC
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HALCYON Bar + Lounge
Bar + Lounge
Raleigh, NC
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Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Bar + Arcade
Durham, NC
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Encore Nightclub
Nightclub
Charlotte, NC
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Trio Nightclub
Nightclub
Charlotte, NC
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Venues are published with documented history only. Drake Magazine does not invent claims about a club’s past.
DJ Spotlight
DJ Drizzy
Raleigh, NC
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DJ LowKey
Durham, NC
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DJ 313
Raleigh, NC
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DJ SixtyThirty
Charlotte, NC
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DJ Grant
Raleigh, NC
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DJ B Eazy
Charlotte, NC
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DJ Problem
Fayetteville, NC
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DJ HighDemand
Greenville, NC
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DJ T-Nyce
Durham, NC
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DJ 3rdd
Charlotte, NC
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Brian Dawson
Durham, NC
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Behind the Booth
Real DJs. Real stories. Real Carolina.
Interviews, videos and behind-the-scenes moments from the DJs who keep the culture moving. Films are published here as each conversation is recorded and cleared.
Watch interviews — publishing soon
Are you part of Carolina DJ culture?
Are you a DJ, radio personality, promoter, collector or someone preserving Carolina music history? We want to hear your story.
Submit your storySame State.
Bigger Sound.