In 2019, after 15+ years spinning in NYC, LA, Vegas and across the globe, James Vincent relocated to Hawaii. Since that time he has been performing at many of Hawaii’s most sought after venue locations including Four Seasons, Kualoa Ranch, Sunset Ranch, Waimea Valley, Turtle Bay, Moana Surfrider, Loulu Palms Estate and more. Like many of his peers, DJ James Vincent grew up listening to and being inspired by the trailblazing music of Run DMC, The Beastie Boys, De La Soul and The Roots. In 2015, thanks to an encyclopedic knowledge of music and the innate ability to intuitively read a crowd in a darkened nightclub anywhere in the world, James is now working alongside many of those same musical icons he grew up admiring. His career has taken him from spinning a private party with Questlove for the New York Jets at Super Bowl XLVIII and creating a soundtrack for 20,000 in the Sahara tent at Coachella to slots opening for John Legend at House of Blues in Los Angeles, sharing decks with Run DMC and DJ AM and DJing for Dido on the Lilith Fair tour and across the Atlantic to spin for Paris Fashion Week.

His remixes and songwriting credits for rockers Bush and Citizen Cope, meanwhile, have netted him two gold records and a “Best Song” MTV Movie Award. His original music can be heard on Entourage, An American Werewolf in Paris, Coach Carter and Accepted.
For DJ James Vincent, the key to success is simply this: “Figuring out where to creatively take the crowd next to keep them on the floor, making noise and having fun. It’s about creating a vibe where things are flowing and I don’t have to think about what comes next. It just comes to me organically and things just click.”

Armed with an extensive knowledge of Hip Hop, House, R&B, Reggae, Rock, Pop and Mash Ups, along with an audio arsenal consisting of more than 500 GB of MP3s loaded onto his Serato rig and 30,000 pieces of vinyl to draw from, James is constantly focused on creating a fresh, original listening experience.

“You’re always looking for that reaction,” he explains. “You want the crowd to be singing along but you also want them to be surprised and at the right moments expose them to something new. If I can use this warehouse of musical knowledge in my head to entertain a crowd and keep them coming back for more, I know I’m doing something right.”

DJ James Vincent has enjoyed unprecedented residencies at 46 Lounge in Totowa, Room 84, Teak on the Hudson, NINE Lounge and the Chandelier Room in Hoboken and dazzled party people at Dusk in Atlantic City and Terminal 5 in NYC.
He’s been hired to spin at industry events for Bogner, Peserico, Saks Fifth Ave and H&M.

One private event James worked, in particular, spun his career full circle. Recalls James: “I got hired for this high-end wedding and when it came time for the best man’s speech, I handed the groom’s brother my microphone. It was Ad-Rock from the Beastie Boys. As soon as he started speaking he instantly transformed from being Michael Horovitz to being The King Ad Rock and talking like he sounded on all those iconic records I had spun a thousand times before. I got chills up my spine and I remember thinking, ‘WOW, Ad-Rock is talking on my mike!’ It was a moment that took me back to why I got into this business. First and foremost, I’m a music fan. Even when I’m playing for 20,000 people at Coachella, I never forget what it felt like spinning my first party for friends back in my college apartment. It’s all about dropping the right record in the right spot at the right point in the evening and feeling that response form the crowd and knowing they’re right ‘there’ with me. Each night is a fresh opportunity to make that connection with every new crowd. For me, that’s the definition of success.”

bio by: Rich Eldredge, editor-in-chief/founder Eldredge ATL

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