On May 11, four DJs will take over the corner of Trade and Tryon to battle it out for the crown as king or queen of Charlotte’s turntables.
DJs from Charlotte and surrounding areas entered to compete in CLT DJ Battle, one of the events rounding out the final day of Charlotte SHOUT!. Applicants submitted five-minute videos showcasing their skills, hoping to earn the title and up to $1,000 in cash and prizes.
The pool of DJs was narrowed down to four finalists: DJ Fannie Mae, DJ Glory, DJ DOMii and DJ Zio. They’ll be judged by industry veterans including Power 98 legend DJ Buttafingaz, former label executive-turned-publicist Jameka S. Whitten and one of the city’s go-to hypemen, DJ Rowshay.
Charlotte City Partners, organizers of Charlotte SHOUT!, saw the opportunity to emphasize the artistic and creative side of the city.
“We’ve got some pretty talented musicians, DJs [and] artists here in Charlotte. This is a great opportunity to showcase some very cool talent that you might find other places up and down the East Coast,” said Robert Krumbine, chief creative officer and senior vice president of events at Center City Partners.
Tiffany Berry, aka DJ Fannie Mae, said she was hesitant to participate at first, but she’s looking forward to sharing a platform with DJs from around the city.
“I feel like it’s not very united as a front, but that’s why I want to be a part of this,” she said. “This could be the start of maybe us coming together and uniting more.”
Fannie Mae is a common face in Charlotte’s event scene, whether it’s creating vibes onstage with the Charlotte Ballet or making her way through a Drake setlist at The Fillmore. Not everyone will catch the DJs performing in their element, so CLT DJ Battle can expose them to new fans.
“It’s going to be something for the culture and the general public. A lot of us are club DJs. If you don’t go to the club, then you may not hear us. The fact that now it’s an open stage right in the middle of uptown, I feel like it’s a great opportunity to share what we’re doing in this underground culture of clubs and stuff. I feel like it’s going to be the start of uniting the DJs and also just healthy competition,” she said.
Event details
CLT DJ Battle
Date: Saturday, May 11
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Uptown Charlotte, corner of Trade St. and Tryon St.
Cost: Free
Jonathan Limehouse is a journalist whose passion is to find good and impactful stories. He’s an avid sports fan who can be found at numerous sporting events around Charlotte.
