New Wav. SOUND Editorial
TALENT: Jeeniius
CREATIVE / PHOTOGRAPHY: Peter Famosa
ART DIRECTOR: Mariana
STYLING: Delenn Vaughan
PRODUCER: Tunmiji Osibodu
CLOTHES: Samudaystudios
Jeeniius is a talented Hip Hop & Trap DJ from South London, granting your musical wishes one song at a time. Although her mixes have heavy Hip Hop influences, 00s Pop also makes an appearance on occasion when she is behind the decks. In her career thus far, Jeeniius has had the opportunity to work with platforms such as The Digi Fairy, Basement Approved, G-Shock, Glastonbury & Wireless, proving her talent is held in high regard by those in search of a DJ that delivers a quality sound and controls the crowd at any funtion.
With a background in radio and prior host of her own show 'In The Lab', Jeeniius has also made some notable appearances on BBC Radio 1Xtra with Snoochie Shy, Balamii, NTS, Reprezent, and No Signal. Our New Wav. SOUND Editorial with the DJ talent is supported by images of Jeeniius in her element, Photographed by visual artist Peter Famosa, taking us into the fantasy world of being a musical genius.
I've seen a lot of growth in myself and in my craft over the past few years. As we all know; growth can be uncomfortable and it's been a rollercoaster, but I think it's all been worth it.
To find my name, I went on a name generator and typed in words to describe me. I got things like genie, genius1, brainygirl, smartyjen etc [Laughs]. then I thought, let’s be honest... I know I wanted it to start with a 'J' and I liked the genius and genie ideas, so I went with jenius, but it had already been taken, so I just added two e’s & two i’s.
I’m a genie - Let me grant your musical wishes on a pair of CDJs
You recently hosted your first party at a members club in Oxford Circus; what was that experience like?
It was so wholesome. Seeing people come out for me & just have a good night was the best feeling ever. Shoutout to Reem & Jess @MortimerHouse.
What did you learn from that process?
That people genuinely fuck with me and what I do & I will definitely be hosting more parties :)
Consistency is an essential part of chasing your dreams. How do you balance life with your aspirations as a DJ?
DJing is life. This IS my life. I do have a 9-5, but I see all of this as just what needs to be done to get to where I want to be. I prepare my DJ sets; I only accept specific gigs, and I enjoy my 9-5. I feel like right now, I’m reaping the benefits of my hard work so now it doesn’t feel strenuous, and I’m used to always being on go.
There’s nothing I’ve wanted to try that I haven’t done haha I just go for it in the moment and if it doesn’t work, I just keep going
What was the set you performed that made you feel like you were able to control the crowd through music?
The Haggerston, Hit You On The Rebound. September 2021, that set was a pivotal moment in my life. Shoutout Randy for booking me.
Lancey Foux is one of your favourite artists, what was it like DJing for him and how did that come about?
It was surreal honestly. A lot of people said it was inevitable & that really made me happy to know people could see the direction I’m tryna go in. I actually tweeted in May 2020 that one day I was gonna DJ for Lancey so you can only imagine how it felt. Again, shoutout to Randy for tagging me in. He recommended me to Lancey and he said to lock me in.
You’ve DJ’d for smaller crowds and at large venues, what would you say is a major difference technically between the two?
There is none, to me anyway. I play good music so whether its 10 people or 1.4k people, I get it lit.
Many are unaware of the process behind DJing - what are some of the steps you need to take before getting on stage?
1) Organise your music - I put my songs into playlists before each gig
2) Make sure you can see the alpha numeric key for each song - I mix in key, search ‘camelot wheel’
3) Analyse your music in Rekordbox - I set cue points, memory cues, active loops etc.
4) Export to USB 1 & 2
Who are some of your favourite DJs ever?
Tiffany Calver - I love her mixes, hearing her play live at Drake’s show & I love the role she’s taken in pushing the UK drill/rap scene.
Jamo Beatz - I love his djing style and how he commands a crowd.
Siobhan Bell - she loves cartoons just like me & I love her transition to the US hiphop/trap DJ scene.
What’s one DJ request you will never refuse?
Fashion Killa - A$AP Rocky
