Reno native DJ Jazzy Gems spins eclectic mixes of jazz, funk and rap
Music boomed out of a cluster of speakers. Colorful rotating lights spun around the room. A young man behind a set of turntables had heads bobbing and bodies moving all night to high-energy remixes.
Aaron Shulman, 22, a local disc jockey, has a passion for breaking out new beats and making his music-craving crowd bust a move on the dance floor. His mind is constantly cluttered with ways of bringing a new sound and flavor to his audience. He’s known by his listeners as DJ Jazzy Gems.
Gems’ style, love for music and love for the people at his events set him apart from other local disc jockeys. Mixing up beats from underground hip-hop, soul, jazz, old school hip-hop, funk music, to today’s rap and hip-hop music, he has the ability to make anyone get up and move.
“Music to me is life. It makes me feel good and makes others feel good and being a DJ is my way to give back to people to take their minds off of troubles in life,” Gems said.
Although Gems can blend any type of music together seamlessly and he looks like he listens to a variety on a regular basis, he prefers the more jazzy and soulful types of music.
His name, “Jazzy,” originates from the days when he would buy cheap ‘70s and acid jazz albums to practice with on his second-hand turntables. The name “Gems” gave rise when he would tag that name around Reno. Doing graffiti introduced him to hip-hop. Hip-hop sparked his interest in becoming a DJ.
He began rocking the decks in 2004. His first gig was at a house party with about 50 people in the crowd. Foggy puffs of cigarette smoke billowed into the air. The stale smell of alcohol lingered in the room. Gems had that party on lock with his upbeat remixes.
“I was nervous as hell at the party,” Gems said. “My palms were sweaty and I was shaky.”
In 2006, he brought his dance fever abilities to the University of Nevada, Reno. He worked for Wolf Pack Radio for six months. He played his mixes of hip-hop, underground hip-hop, trip-hop and funk break music.
Being a DJ is an art. He has to pay attention to his crowd and know what to play and when to play it. Like any art form, it takes time and dedication to master the craft.
Gems is the “whole package” type of DJ. One night he might be setting the dance floor on fire with his upbeat remixes. Another night he might be at a wedding remixing music for the electric slide or working behind the scenes as a stage man for a concert.
“I don’t do it for the money,” Gems said. “I do it for love and to make different remixes and to push new music out there.”
Despite the lost hours of sleep and the countless amount of time spent working his way up to be a recognized DJ, he is grateful he found his niche and found a way to make others happy.
“I think every event I DJ at is memorable because when it’s over, people come up to me and shake my hand and say thank you,” Gems said. “It’s all worth it.”
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