DJ Cobra Spins It Out on the Ones and Twos

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He is one of the hottest DJs in Hollywood right now, and YH had the pleasure of talking to him about how it all started.

DJ Cobra didn't just wake up one morning and decide he was going to spin out tunes left and right. His dream had to evolve from somewhere"¦

Does he think he made it big? Are his primetime events getting to his head? Check it out below as we talk to him about his experiences and what the DJ life is like for him"¦

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YH: How did you becoming a DJ all start?

DC: I started DJing in high school my senior year. I just started to buy a lot of records just to listen to, and I liked the idea of being able to pick A cappellas, play with instrumentals, and just kind of manipulate music. That soon evolved into getting into college radio at the University of Arizona, and then on commercial radio in Tucson, and it just all kept going on from there.

YH: Was there any particular record or mix that you listened to that made you think, "Oh, I want to be a DJ"?

DC: I can't say there is one particular thing that said, "I wanted to be a DJ"; I think it was just this overall affinity and passion for music in general, and just buying records was another way to feed the addiction. So, becoming a DJ was kind of a natural progression for me. I wanted to get music for free, and I was spinning so much it was this crazy habit, and I was like a crackhead needing to get my fix. So, I just wanted to get as much free music as possible. This was before Napster and all that stuff was big, that stuff was just coming out, but only the really popular, really known songs. They didn't have the upscale stuff which I was looking for more because I already had all the main hits, so getting on the radio was the only solution, being able to start getting music for free.

YH: Was there someone in the music industry that influenced you at all?

DC: You know, listening to all the DJs on the hip-hop stations, those guys were all pros and I kind of looked at their work; reverse-engineered and dissected what they were doing. There was this DJ named Rectangle, and he was my favorite mix tape DJ. What he was doing 15 years ago still rivals what most people can do today. There's another DJ who did this '80s mix tape back in the mid-'90s, which I think is the best mix tape of all times. And I just draw inspiration from everyone and everything, but those are the kind of guys I will look towards.

YH: You got started young; what made you come up with the name Cobra?

DC: It was one of those temporary names. I needed a quick DJ name because me and my buddy, we started DJing in his bedroom and we would pretend we were on a radio DJ's reporter, so we needed to have a persona. Cobra was something to do with G.I. Joe, world domination, and, you know, Cobra is just a very powerful creature; it's kind of feared, kind of respected for their power"¦ It was one of those things I always planned on changing but just never did.

YH: You are pretty well known in the L.A. scene, and you've spinned at many different venues. Is there any venue you prefer over the other?

DC: You know, if I pick a favorite venue... it's hard. It's like a favorite venue I liked this week, or this month "" you know, it's constantly changing; L.A. is constantly changing. Unfortunately, people's attention spans in L.A. are very, very short; everyone wants what's in the new -- new clubs, new place to go -- but I'd say my favorite clubs... You know, I love spinning in L.A., but it'd probably be the clubs I've done in other markets that stand out more than the ones in L.A.

YH: You've had a very busy year with the Sundance Film Festival to performing with Lil Jon in Cancun to headlining the ESPN the Magazine's NEXT event; how did it all feel?

DC: It's awesome. I'm very fortunate to be in a position where people want to hire me and I'm able to do some really crazy parties that I'd never imagine spinning for. It's pretty flattering. Hard work gets rewarded.

YH: Was there any celebrity you collaborated with that you enjoyed the most?

DC: I'm really bad when it comes to definitive absolute favorites... I mean, everyone is cool; I enjoyed working with them all.

YH: Is there any celebrity you want to collaborate with soon?

DC: In terms of a DJ, I really like what David Guetta has been able to do for himself. I would really like to see his creative process and like to see how he creates his music. He puts out such high quality stuff time and time again, and I would love to pick up a few things that would kind of help me out in my process as well.

YH: There are always many different sides that come along with this industry, and with so many competitors, how do you stay so grounded?

DC: I mean, I get paid to play other people's music; it's really not that serious. I never got into this business for anything other than my love for DJing, and as long as you don't take yourself too seriously, I don't think you'll get caught up in it. I think, there is no reason for any DJ to have an ego because at the end of they day all we are doing is playing other people's music. You know, I heard this comedian once, and long story short ,she said, " I don't get why people sweat DJ's so much, it's like me wanting to sleep with a valet driver just because he is driving a nice car." [laughs] I think that kind of sums it up. I never thought I'd be in this position and get paid to travel or do any of these things.

YH: So, you don't think the fame and the glory of it have changed you at all?

DC: I wouldn't even call it fame. I think I have a certain level of "notoriety" for what I do. Yeah, fame is not the word I would consider. What is fame? I don't know, I don't think it applies to me, my work, or my peers in DJing.

YH: I know you're saying "fame" isn't the right word, but there had to be a moment when you've realized you've made it"¦

DC: It's hard to say... There have been so many amazing moments and different experiences that I've had. I think the first time I was attempting to get on commercial radio, I submitted this mix that I spent all day working on, and it was just a demo; I didn't think it was up to par with what the radio station was looking for, and I was only 19-years-old, and I submitted the tape. I'm always sort of pessimistic, but I was hoping to get on the station, and two hours after I had dropped off the CD, it was playing on the radio, and I was kind of like "WOW! I guess I underestimated myself." That moment right there, I was on the radio officially, and everything just took off after that.

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You can find out what venues DJ Cobra is going to spin at next by checking out his Website... you better be there!

- Traci Feller, YH Staff