Welcome back to ‘Stadium DJ Of The Week’, where in each issue we put 10 serious and not so serious quick-fire questions to a stadium DJ from the world of sport! This week we sat down for a chat with LA Lakers’ DJ Roueche.
- Name: Jeremy Roueche
- Occupation: Courtside DJ
- Club: LA Lakers
- Club Website
- Arena: Crypto.com Arena
- Capacity: 19,067
The Interview
SM: When did you begin DJ’ing for the Lakers?
DR: My first season with the Los Angeles Lakers was the 2016-2017 season.
SM: How did you initially get into the role?
DR: Like a lot of things in life, right place at the right time. I had already been DJing/Music Directing for another NBA team for 12 seasons. I was looking to make a move at the end of my 12th season and unbeknownst to me, the Lakers were looking to add to their in-game experience the following season. My name came up in their process of looking for a DJ and I jumped at the chance to join their legendary organization.
SM: Can you remember your first basketball game/stadium experience as a kid?
DR: I’m not sure if it was my first game experience, but I was at the playoff game where the Washington Bullets got swept by the Chicago Bulls and that was the very last time they were called the Bullets before they changed their name to the Wizards.
SM: In your time with the Lakers, who’s the best player you’ve seen play for the team?
DR: LeBron James. I consider myself fortunate to be able to witness what he does every home game.
SM: Who is your favourite artist/band of all time?
DR: A Tribe Called Quest. Their music came into my life at a time when I was starting to listen to music that the adults around me weren’t listening to. I was instantly hooked and I still enjoy their music today as much as I did as a kid.
SM: Which piece of music do you think is the ultimate track for motivating a basketball team?
DR: This is Los Angeles specific, but if I play it at the right moment of a Lakers game, Still D.R.E. by Dr. Dre will not only fire up the players, but everyone in the crowd as well. Dre is royalty in Los Angeles and when he comes to a game, he gets as loud of an ovation as the players do.
SM: Do you have an all-time favourite track that you play at Lakers games?
DR: I Love L.A. by Randy Newman as it means we’ve won the game.
SM: What are the main songs used week in, week out in your sets?
DR: Los Angles and all of Southern California have such a rich musical history, I always make sure I play a good amount of west coast artists in my sets. Nipsey Hussle, Kendrick Lamar, YG, Snoop Dogg, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns N’ Roses…
SM: On a final note, are there any funny mishaps/cock-ups that have taken place that come to mind when you think about your career so far?
DR: I also DJ for the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. Early in my Sports DJ career, and at my very first event with the AVP, after 3 days of playing music REALLY LOUD (I didn’t realize how loud it was for the fans as I was behind the speakers), during the Finals on the last day of the tournament, the generator ran out of gas so we lost power. When the music cut out due to the power outage, the entire stadium cheered that the music was off. It was a very embarrassing moment but also a great learning experience for me. Loud does not mean better.
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