Funky beats and smooth tunes continuously course through the mind of this sophomore Geography major, Calvin Lloyd. He grew up in Berkeley and then made his way over to the bustling city of San Francisco for college but the music was all around him wherever he went, because the soulful melodies lived in his bones.
When he’s at the turntables no one can stand still. From Lloyd’s fingertips to his listener’s ears, the music reverberates from the speakers and fills the air with pulsating vibrations that urge you to get down. The joyful unity he witnesses when he mixes tracks fuels his passion to keep finding new music and continue getting people to dance.
You can spot this SFSU celeb moseying to the HSS building for class with his headphones on and a steady metronome of head-bobbing, so flag him down if you can! Because without fail, he will greet you with the warmest smile and the greatest music suggestions.
When did you start DJing? How did you first get interested in it?
The hip-hop music I was listening to in high school talked a lot about DJing and making beats and stuff so eventually I wanted to give it a try. I started buying records records junior year of high school and loved the feeling of having a physical copy of the music I was into.
What kind of music do you like?
When I was younger I pretty much only listened to hip-hop. Then at some point I realized everything I was listening to was sampled from older music that was mostly funk, soul and jazz from the 60s and 70s.
What are some of your favorite records to play?
Pretty much anything off People Under The Stairs album O.S.T., Bo Diddly Hit Or Miss, or DJ Day’s new album Land of 1000 Chances.
Who are some of your favorite artists right now?
I’ve been getting into Marcos Valle a lot lately. But then J Dilla, of course, and Damu the Fudgemunk.
How did you learn to DJ?
At this point I pretty much just wing it and play what I like and hope other people do too.
Why is this your passion?
I’m just so obsessed with music and buying records, being a ‘DJ’ helps me feel like less of a freak. Also, I love sharing music with people so it’s really the perfect pastime for me.
Have you ever DJed an event?
I DJed some school events in high school then lost interest for a while until this year when I started djing some of my own house parties. I’ve also done a couple of art shows in the Cesar Chavez as of late.
Is this just a hobby? Or do you see yourself doing something musical in your future?
I can definitely see myself taking this pretty seriously and DJing as a side job or whatever.
*Samples of Calvin’s music will be on SoundCloud soon!
(a link will be posted when available)