‘I SEE PEOPLE DANCING’

We asked seven Philly DJs — from North Philly to Manayunk — to compile a playlist filled with songs that reflect the city and the music its people have enjoyed throughout the decades.

Look through your phone, and you’ll likely find a Philly artist or song in your playlist. Home to The Roots, Jill Scott, Hall & Oates, and Patti LaBelle, the city has a musical history that is rich, and its influence spans genres and times.

Some songs reference Philadelphia or are odes to the city, like the new jack swing hit “Motownphilly” by Boyz II Men, Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom,” and the classic 1960s R&B song “South Street” by The Orlons.

Between the name drops, William Penn references, and tunes inspired by Philly’s landscape, these songs have become classics. Bill Conti’s “Gonna Fly Now” is the city’s unofficial fight song, and jams like “Summertime” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince remain a summer cookout staple for all in Philly and beyond to sit and kick back to.

With the summer months now behind us, there’s been a lull in the city’s music and dance scene. DJs are gearing up for a busy fall, with schools back in session and people returning from vacation “needing that weekend fun,” according to one DJ. We asked seven local DJs to compile an end-of-summer playlist filled with songs, both new and old, that reflect the city and the music its people have enjoyed through the decades.

Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.

DJ Nash

West Philadelphia

How long have you been a DJ? Eight years.

What music do you play at your events? Dancehall, soca, Afrobeats, reggaeton, house, and Philly club music.

What kind of parties or events do you play at? I have a party in Philadelphia called Interna$hional Bounce* *every second Saturday at Broad Hall, bringing together sounds and cultures of the African diaspora.

What songs do you feel represent the city? “Just Wanna Rock” by Lil Uzi Vert, “Shake Dhat” by DJ Crazy, Zahsosaa, and D Sturdy, “Millions (Jumbo Sounds Mix)” by Tierra Whack, and “Dreams and Nightmares” by Meek Mill.

Are any of these songs personal to you? I came up around all of these artists in our very small “scene,” and I watched them create unique sounds, rise from very little, and become pioneers and stars. With these artists being different ages, having different music styles, and me being in the middle experiencing it all, they are all super relatable and maintain a Philly grit and style. All of these songs have put Philly on the map tremendously and have taken us so far as a city.

Oneeleven

South Philly

How long have you been a DJ? I started DJing in 2018/ 2019 in college, just for fun. At the time I was in a frat at Rutgers and there I just started to DJ because a lot of my friends at the time were also into music.

What songs do you feel represent the city? “He Loves Me 2″ by Steve Silk Hurley & CeCe Peniston, and “Dreams and Nightmares” by Meek Mill.

What is special about Philly’s music scene? Club music was probably the biggest thing that I noticed we share in common, Jersey and Philly. I think that influence of Baltimore club, Philly club, Jersey club, they create those spaces especially around Black folks and nightlife, club spaces, party spaces, things like that.

I think there’s kind of a resurgence of more people of color that are interested in club music, like electronic music, techno genres. These are genres that originally were made by Black people, or if not made by them, inspired by Black folks.

Having that resurgence come from folks that are either from Philly, from Jersey to tristate, and us taking over and making it our thing again, that’s something that I didn’t necessarily expect. [There] is such a big resurgence of Black folks reclaiming their time and their spaces and their energy.

dj low iron

North Philly

How long have you been a DJ? Since 2020. I was thinking about it before [the pandemic], but being at home more definitely allowed me time and extra funds to pick it up.

What’s the story behind your name? At some point in my life, I was told that I had “low iron” from the doctor. But then I thought I was going to be in a punk band. So I thought that was a cool, edgy name. [But] I never had a band.

What songs do you feel represent the city? “Rising Up” by The Roots ft. Chrisette Michele & Wale, and “Party Forever” by DJ D Wizz.

What is special about Philly? I think that Philly is a very passionate place, and I think that The Roots definitely captures that passion or that, people say “grit,” I guess. I think that Philly is in an interesting time right now. We’ve seen a lot of hard things, but I do think that collectively, people are trying to rise out of it.

I see people dancing. They’re making music that you could dance to, even if the sampling is from things that might be dark, I feel like they’re taking it and transmuting it into something that’s danceable. I DJed the Parent & Youth Resource Fair back in May, and I was able to get them dancing a little bit, you know? It’s definitely a response to all the grief and stuff that people are facing.

DJs’ playlist

DJ Tonka

Manayunk

How long have you been a DJ? 18 years total, but 16 years full time.

What music do you play at your events? I’m completely open format, so you never know what you might hear. It can be pop-punk one minute and EDM the next.

What kind of parties or events do you play at? I’m primarily a nightclub DJ, but I’ve been known to rock a wedding or two. I’m also a part of the DJ team that works in the stadium at the Phillies games. This year, I do two to four games a month.

What songs do you feel represent the city? It’s still as popular as ever — “Just Wanna Rock” by Lil Uzi Vert. But for the non-hip-hop fans, it could be “Where You Are” by John Summit and Hayla.

Skeme Richards

West Philly

How long have you been a DJ? Since 1981.

What songs do you feel represent the city? “You Can’t Hide From Yourself” by Teddy Pendergrass. That’s just a disco classic that was across the board, across the world, like an anthem. It is a Philly song and everyone knew it was a Philly song. Then there’s “Clones” by The Roots, ”Gucci Time” by Schoolly D, and “Uknowhowwedu” by Bahamadia.

Are any of these songs personal to you? Philadelphia International Records was played in my household. That’s the music that was on the radio, that’s the music that was just at the block parties. So all of those songs kind of just defined me, who I am as a DJ and, you know, just as an individual. So when I play that music, I’m playing as if this is 1976. Everybody connected over those songs.

DJ DuiJi Mshinda

Yeadon

How long have you been a DJ? About 16 years. It’s evolved into more of a ministry than an occupation.

What music do you play at your events? My homie calls me the vibe chameleon. I just try to play what’s appropriate for the situation. It can be soulful or grounded in hip-hop, but depending on where I’m at, I try to meet people in the middle.

What kind of parties or events do you play at? House parties, poetry events, fashion shows, block parties, bars, or bar mitzvahs. I’m going anywhere.

What songs do you feel represent the city? This is a hard assignment. But right now, I play this song by Res called “Dreams,” which is a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song. Every time I play it, someone looks at me like, “I know this song, but it’s not how I’m used to hearing it.” Also, “Uknowhowwedu” by Bahamadia. I feel like it really captures the 1990s hip-hop sound, and she does a lot of name-dropping and has references to early Philly hip-hop. Another one is “Glorious Game” by Black Thought and El Michels Affair. And then for a classic, “Don’t Let It Go to Your Head” by Jean Carn.

Are any of these songs personal to you? I mean, just thinking about the lyrics on Black Thought’s “Glorious Game,” I feel like he has elevated his lyricism to such a degree he doesn’t have to hit you with 900 vocabulary lessons to get his point across. There’s another song on Black Thought’s album Glorious Game called “The Weather” that was personal to me. He talked about his grandma’s furniture draped in vinyl, a woman’s face bruised due to domestic abuse, and how folks were ready to stomp out the dude who did it. Those are things that definitely align with the experiences I had growing up.

DJ Crease

Point Breeze

How long have you been a DJ? I started getting some gigs about three years ago.

What music do you play at your events? Synth-heavy disco, funk, and soul.

What kind of parties or events do you play at? I’m open to playing pretty much anywhere that will pay me to play the records I’ve collected over the years. I usually get asked to play parties and events that are looking to do a disco or throwback night on all vinyl.

What songs do you feel represent the city? I’d say Billy Paul’s “Am I Black Enough For You?,” The O’Jays’ “Put Our Heads Together,” and Meek Mill’s “Y’all Don’t Hear Me — Remix.”

Are any of these songs personal to you? The “Y’all Don’t Hear Me — Remix.” It felt like the credit and mainstream success Meek — and Philly — deserved was finally reaching appropriate levels of attention. When the song and mixtape Dreamchasers dropped, I got kicked out of college and subsequently my parents’ house. I spent that summer in a room a few blocks from “20-something and Berks” in North Philly, which Meek rapped about in the song. And even though I loved Philly hip-hop since Will Smith’s Big Willie Style, I felt so much more immersed in the Philadelphia music scene than ever before.