MASTER OF THE MIX: DJ B-HEN

 Master of the Mix: DJ B-Hen

By John Nathan

Summer’s almost over. The world is going back to school and getting down to business, so it’s as good a time as any to get nostalgic about the best party you ever went to.  Was it a house party that rocked until the break-a-dawn? Or was it a a backyard boogie that put the best nightclubs in the world to shame? Regardless of the setting or the number of phone numbers you walked away with, the major thing that makes or breaks a party is the music. And the maestro at the center of it all is the DJ who controls the entire vibe.

DJ B-Hen rocks a celebrity party (Photo by Demetrius Everson)

DJ B-Hen is a celebrity DJ who became nationally known after his appearance on the DJ-centered reality show “Master of the Mix.” After climbing Capitol Hill and surviving the wolves of Wall Street, DJ B-Hen decided to embark on a career as a DJ. While giving up the stability of a corporate gig may have been a difficult move for many people to make, B-Hen told us it was really the only move that made sense for him.

“After working on Wall Street and Capitol Hill, I worked  in entertainment marketing for a while. That’s when I decided that I wanted to spend more time conveying a feeling, through music, instead of selling a product. After I tapped into that, I couldn’t hide behind a cubicle anymore. I knew I wanted to share music with people and the best way for me to do that was on the 1’s and 2’s.”

In addition to his stint on “Master of the Mix” where he learned how to hone his skills from legendary DJ Kid Capri, B-Hen has made a study of various genres of music and mix-master mentors like rappers-turned-DJs Q-Tip, MC Lyte and D-Nice, as well as a prolific DJ-turned-award-winning actor from the UK named Idris Elba.

DJ B-Hen (Photo by Nicole Tran)

“DJ’ing is all about letting go and completely aligning yourself with the music and the vibe. It’s a natural transition for a lot of rappers to become DJs because they have great presentation, they understand the music and they love the craft of DJ’ing because they, themselves, have been supported by DJs throughout their careers.”

Having started out DJ’ing in his friends’ backyards, DJ B-Hen now rocks posh venues like the Mondrian and Sofitel Hotel in Beverly Hills, and counts stars like basketball veterans Lisa Leslie and Jalen Rose and R&B Diva Faith Evans among his celebrity friends and clients. And when he’s not busy spinning at star-studded soirees, he likes to do a little mentoring of his own.

“A lot of DJs are competitive, but I don’t believe in competition,” he said. “The reason someone hires me is different from why someone will hire someone else, so it’s only in my best interest to help others – especially new DJs coming along. I want to inspire up and comers who may be on the cusp of knowing that they want to pursue this full-time but just need some encouragement to take that next step.”

Here’s DJ B-Hen’s Picks for his Favorite DJs of All Time. Did your favorite celebrity DJ make the cut? If not, tell us who you think is the All Time Master of the Mix!

1. Kool Herc
2. Jazzy Jeff
3. Diplo
4. Larry Levan
5. Frankie Knuckles
6. D-Nice
7. Cassidy
8. AM
Learn more about DJ B-Hen on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DjBHen
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