Labels

Unleash the Beast: Dive into the World of JNGL DJ Battles!


Tired of the same old beats? Craving raw talent and electrifying energy? Then get ready to rumble with the Kinetic PE MIXX Show as we journey deep into the JNGL!

In this episode, host Marcus Hart connects with Deante Chisley, the visionary behind JNGL, a DJ battle competition that's taking the music world by storm. Discover the history, the passion, and the artistry that fuels this movement, and why it's so much bigger than just music.

Here's what you can expect:

  • The roar of the crowd: Hear firsthand what it's like to experience a JNGL battle, where DJs unleash their skills and creativity to become the king or queen of the jungle.
  • The rhythm of resilience: Learn how Deante overcame challenges and built JNGL from the ground up, fueled by faith and a relentless pursuit of his dreams.
  • The beat of community: Discover the power of the DJ community, where collaboration and support reign supreme.
  • The melody of empowerment: Find out how JNGL is creating opportunities for DJs to shine, build their careers, and leave a lasting legacy.

Ready to unleash your inner beast and dive into the JNGL?

Want to transform your own leadership journey?

Book a 15-minute meeting with Marcus Hart and the Transform U Media Network:

https://cal.com/marcushart/15min

Transcripts:

Marcus Hart (00:00)
All right, man, today we are blessed to have the man, the myth, the mastermind between J and GL. He's in the house, the virtual house. So give it up for Deontay, Deontay, welcome to the Kinetic P.E. Mix show, brother.

Deante Chisley (00:16)
Thank you, thank you, thank you for having me.

Marcus Hart (00:17)
And this isn't like my first introduction to the brand because it's more than a brand from like what I got a chance to like research on as a movement. And I'm real hyped to have you. I was afraid I wasn't going to have you on because we have some technical difficulties getting to this.

Deante Chisley (00:33)
Nah, it's cool, man. I'm

glad to be on, man. I'm glad to be on. Thank you for having me.

Marcus Hart (00:37)
Yeah.

So this is what I do know, Deontay. You know, you bringing back the raw talent, the energy, the passion of real DJing and it's electrifying the whole game. So tell people about Jungle and what it's all about.

Deante Chisley (00:52)
man, that's easy, man. Jungle started with the concept of Muhammad Ali and George Forming, the rumble in the jungle. Taking that theory, what we did was we allowed DJs to enter what we're calling the jungle and then battle it out to see who's the king or queen of the jungle. It's a three round tournament and the first round is on technique, the second round is on wordplay, and then the third round is freestyle. What we do is we drop a playlist.

and they playlist 24 hours before the actual event starts. And then the contestants have 24 hours to put together that playlist of the songs that are pre-selected and put their artistry to work. And then based upon how they're able to move and engage the crowd, the crowd selects the winner and then they make it all the way to the final round. The one that we just had was in Super Bowl where Jay Murphy actually won the final round. So basically Jungle is a DJ battle that allows DJs to platform to

Marcus Hart (01:41)
Okay.

Deante Chisley (01:48)
showcase their talents and then if they're good, they can make it out the jungle.

Marcus Hart (01:52)
I like that concept and it's I think people take the DJ for granted and you know the worst myth nowadays for granted because this this is indeed taking it back to the roots from where it started and like what can I say man DJ battles this is what we this is what we need on epic showdowns like this a skill creativity and pure musical fire so like

For those who ain't really familiar with it, like, paint us like even more detailed picture, you know, like what's the history behind these legendary battles? I know you got the concept from like the great Muhammad Ali versus George Foreman. I love that. But from your own insight, what's like the really the legendary history?

Deante Chisley (02:36)
So, I mean, if you really think about this jockeying and the history of this jockeying, this jockeying was the actual pillar that actually led to all the other

assets or avenues of what we call hip hop today, right? It actually started with Disjockeying, where it was actually featured the DJ and then the MC was just the person that was just hyping up the crowd. But the DJ was the one that actually set the tone and the tempo and got the party moving. From what I saw and just my experience, that kind of has been a lost art, right? That's not really a showcase like it used to be where

Marcus Hart (02:49)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Deante Chisley (03:09)
the DJ is the spotlight. It's kind of like they fade it to the back and then they're just there to play the latest tracks or whatever the case may be. But in this sense, we set a platform that actually gives the DJs the opportunity to showcase their talent, to show their artistry, to show how they can actually take something and make it their own while moving and engaging the crowd. The one thing unique about Jungle though is that we use an educational component to it, right? So how we do that is that

A lot of people don't understand this shocking a lot of people don't understand what actually goes into it. A lot of people understand the counting and the timing and actually what actually captivates and captures the audience. And a lot of that is because of the lack of understanding of the terminologies, right? So what we do during the actual battle is that between the host and the judges, during that time that there's the deliberation, there's an interaction between the host and the judges, giving their feedback.

Marcus Hart (03:52)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (04:02)
But while the experience of the people that are there, they're actually taking it in so they're able to make a more educated selection on who actually wins the battle. So I believe the more that we actually inform the community and actually bring awareness to what an actual disc jockey is, the more it actually allows the brand itself to expand, but also give the DJs that notoriety that they deserve.

Marcus Hart (04:18)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (04:25)
One thing that I saw on social media not too long ago was baller alerts, right? They dropped something that said, know, DJs are not trusted to break the tracks anymore, like the new songs. So back in the day, DJs used to drop the track. They were entrusted with that MC to say, hey, I want you to break my music. And that was a sacred thing in my opinion, you know what I mean? It was always cool to be in an environment that you heard something for the first time.

Marcus Hart (04:30)
No.

and

Yeah.

Deante Chisley (04:51)
and it's coming from somebody hot and the DJ was fortunate enough to be able to do it. Some people that you still see kind of do that quasi, it's like Swiss Beats. know, Swiss Beats will have a party and he'll drop something just kind of subtle to get everybody amped up. And then it's like, man, I can't wait for that to come back. I think it's sad that they're not trusted anymore to do so, that being the DJs, because that really created an iconic and memorable moment for a lot of people. And it further pushed the experience of what the DJ wants to have.

Marcus Hart (05:00)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Deante Chisley (05:18)
I mean at the end of the day when it was all said and done, everybody remembers a good DJ. And that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to make sure that the DJs are remembered and they're getting the credit that they deserve.

Marcus Hart (05:24)
Okay.

Man, you so right. know, and like this makes me even more excited that like you doing something like this. And that's exactly what I'm talking about, man. When we think about the brats, the birthplace of hip hop, where it all began, DJs rocking the block parties, battling for bragging rights and pushing the boundaries of music. You know, it's usually like a spiritual experience and that's what it should be like, know, David versus the I have the turnpables. And

What I like what you mentioned is the fact that this modern scene that we see, a lot of the artists are skipping over the DJ. Like you said, they're not giving the DJs enough trust to break the track and to spread the whole buzz about that track that hasn't been heard for the first time. And I think a lot of that got to do with like...

money, know, people, you know, there's, I think they feel like they, you know, a lot of artists feel like they've probably been stabbed in the back by DJs, you know, and, then they, or they don't even understand the whole concept of DJ to begin with, like you said, you know, so I got to ask you though, so what were these, those early battles like, you know, was it like about scratching and cutting or were the other elements that you use or like judged on to get the crowd hype?

Deante Chisley (06:51)
So I think one thing I want to point out before we actually answer that question is one thing that I think has gotten away from disc jockeying is that the what we're saying hip-hop but a true disc jockey crosses all genres you know what mean and so it's not specifically disc you know hip-hop in general even though it's easy to tap into those five pillars of hip-hop

Marcus Hart (07:09)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (07:16)
but it's the DJ having the ability to show their creativity across all genres to make it an all inclusive thing. So with that being said, our very first battle was in Washington, DC, October 17th for a Howard Homecoming, a spot called Auto Shopping Union Market. It was really the proof of concept, right? So we hadn't done this before and it was really trying to create a buzz and really bring light to what we were trying to do.

Surprisingly, we had over 500 people show up for the very first battle and it was a true experience, you know. We had to work out a couple of kinks as far as like logistics goes, but the feedback and just the notoriety that we got back from it was that everybody was impressed and excited and they wanted to see when the next jungle was going to be. Some of the challenges in there were like, you know, letting the disc jockeys know that this is their opportunity to shine. You know what mean? And so one thing we did that was we wanted to say, okay,

Marcus Hart (08:10)
Huh?

Deante Chisley (08:13)
You know, if you can make it out of jungle, we got a prize for you. And that prize is five grand. So, you know, the very first battle DJ K Meta, who absolutely killed it. He was our first winner and then he actually won five grand. Then from there, we went down to Art Basel in Miami, December 2nd on a Monday. And the winner out of there was DJ Wonder. And he absolutely did an amazing job. And then of recently, like I said, in Super Bowl, we had

DJ J Murphy who actually won, but then we tried something different this time where he actually won the five grand, but then we actually did custom varsity jackets that say champion on it, jungle champion on the back of it. And to be honest with you, it seemed like to me he loved the jacket more than the money because I mean, one guy, literally one of the contesters actually came up to us at the end and was like, man, I'm gonna rejoin the battle because I really want that jacket. But it was something to behold.

Marcus Hart (08:58)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (09:09)
And what I loved most about it was it gave them the platform to display their artistry. And that's really what we're shooting for, right? It's to bring light back to an unforgotten artistry to actually allow those DJs to get that exposure that they need. So like we always say, if people think they're the best, come into the jungle and we'll see if you can make it out.

Marcus Hart (09:33)
It's a whole culture exposure and that's what I love about DJing in the first place. Like you mentioned, I'm glad that you like added that in to my whole spill prior to your response is that you should be able to cross over genres. It's not just about the breakdancing, graffiti art or EMCs. It's about just...

the community, the energy, creativity, know, it's beyond music. You know, it's usually like church for the soul. So that's what I'm saying.

Deante Chisley (10:05)
Yeah, I mean, that's absolutely true, right? I mean, think about

it, man. How often have you... I'll give you an example. Recently, one of the things that I did is recap with my team from how we did in jungle, right, for Super Bowl. What were the positives? What were the lows? And I do a one-on-one discussion with them all. But right after that, after we had concluded our discussion, we went over to a spot called Hill Prince where the actual runner-up...

Marcus Hart (10:20)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (10:32)
from the very first jungle, DJ Payme. He was in there and man, let me tell you, not only was he killing it, but it was like a testament to what we were doing, right? Because the notoriety that he got from being in jungle and showcasing his skills in front of a huge audience, that helped him, know, propel his career to put him in a spot to where he's doing a dope, really, really dope party on 8th Street in DC, you know? And it was just something that

Marcus Hart (10:59)
Nice.

Deante Chisley (10:59)
that

just speaks to the platform that we provide for DJs that it gives them that exposure to become recognizable, right? To become notable and then to actually be able to propel their career. I mean, you really don't hear about really any good DJs anymore in that limelight outside of like a DJ Khaled, right? Or DJ Manny Fresh, you know? But when's the last time you actually heard of a DJ being that mega outside of a DJ Khaled? I think what we...

Marcus Hart (11:19)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (11:28)
What we're doing now is providing that platform to allow that DJ to get that notoriety and actually create their own genre under music that says, this DJ is hot. We need to go check this person out. So one thing we're really trying to do is to tap into those DJ communities to say, hey, here's your chance to shine and actually put yourself to the next level. And then we're doing everything we can to provide that platform to do so.

Marcus Hart (11:54)
You're really preaching and you got me thinking about like dusting off my little turntables. Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna get some tactics in.

Deante Chisley (12:00)
And come into the jungle man, trust me we gonna let you know if you're good or not, we definitely gonna let you know We

definitely gonna let you know I tell you a funny story and and and this is something and I and I don't mind admitting when I'm wrong I mean, I think that's very very important one of the things that's pretty funny is One of the judges Lenny s him and I had a meeting prior to

Marcus Hart (12:11)
Uh-huh.

Yeah.

Deante Chisley (12:28)
the event down at Super Bowl. We had met that Monday to discuss, you know, next steps about jungle. And he had asked me, you know, he said, Hey man, who, who made the, the contestant list? And so we go down the list and he was like, Oh, okay. He's like, man, I've heard this guy before. He's talking about Jay Murphy. He's like, I heard this guy before. He's pretty good. And I was like, nah, man, I saw his video, man. Jay Murphy ain't going to win, man. I don't think he a battle DJ. Let me tell you, Jay Murphy came in and killed it.

Marcus Hart (12:30)
Yeah.

Right.

Yeah.

Deante Chisley (12:56)
When I say he killed it, he killed it. He was in New Orleans and then he dropped that little Wayne with his five, four, three, two, one. I let one go. Man, audience went crazy. Audience went crazy and then that man won. And like I said, I can admit what I'm wrong, but that's what it is. I never seen him in that battle state.

Marcus Hart (12:57)
Yeah.

Thank

Yes.

Deante Chisley (13:18)
So now that I saw him in a battle state, it changed my whole perspective because we gave him a platform to show his true talent and the wide range of his talent. He wasn't just kind of boxed in to, hey, just play the latest top song to keep everybody dancing. No, command the crowd and show that you know why you the best. And that's exactly what he did and he killed it. So shout out to J Murphy. You know, I was wrong. Lenny S was right, but hey, that's what's up.

Marcus Hart (13:43)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (13:48)
Ha ha ha.

Marcus Hart (13:49)
That's what I love about DJing. It does push you to read the room, you know? And you gotta be in that moment and be able to have that timing on point. And what you just mentioned, being able to go in your bag like that, and really, really know, that's cool, man. You can't teach that. It's hard to teach that.

Deante Chisley (14:16)
It's so true, so true. One of my business partner and COO, Ed Henderson, he's a musician. something that's funny, when we were walking down Bourbon Street, just kind of checking out just the live music vibes, it was like we would walk up to one spot and Ed would be like, nah, they ain't really playing. He said they're playing, but they're not playing.

Marcus Hart (14:19)
Yeah.

but

Yeah.

Mm.

Deante Chisley (14:39)
And then the same, you know, next day walk down the same street, there's a whole new band in there. He's like, yo, let's go check them out. They're really playing. So I asked him the question. I'm like, yo, what made this band, you know, better than the previous band? He said, man, they was playing from their soul versus the other one was just playing notes. This jock ends the same way. You know what you need to do to get that crowd going. And to my earlier point about DJs not breaking new songs anymore.

Marcus Hart (14:54)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Deante Chisley (15:06)
One of the comments that I had read had actually said, you know, that the attention span of the audience is not what it used to be. So when you drop a new song, if they never heard it for the first time, that it kind of is like a vibe killer. And that blew my mind because that's actually, it holds some truth to that, right? That it does become a vibe killer when you haven't heard a song before they dropped it. But I think that goes to the testament of the disc jockey, right? That the actual DJ.

Marcus Hart (15:22)
No.

Yeah.

All right.

Deante Chisley (15:34)
If that DJ is really a master of their craft, then they're gonna be able to pick certain parts of that song to incorporate it into their playlist, and they're gonna be able to make that song popular than what it was when it actually came to them, right?

because they were able to incorporate it into a vibe, into an energy that actually made it to where everybody wanted to know, hey, what was that? All I heard was this word play right here. What did that came from? It kind of ignites the curiosity again. And I think that's one of the things that's lacking in this jockeying right now is that we don't ignite the curiosity and the creativity of the actual listeners, right? If you know, if you go in and you play a

Marcus Hart (15:50)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Deante Chisley (16:19)
crazy song like a single ladies by Beyonce or something, you know, that is a party favorite. People sing it and they get into the vibes. But then you switch it to something that they may have not heard before, like West Guns. They're like, I don't know what that is. To me, that's the duty of the disc jockey to expose and bring awareness to those different things so that you broaden the minds of the listeners to understand there's different genres of music and there's different things to like about it.

One thing that I tipped my hat off to was the transition that Beyonce did from R &B over to country. That was amazing. Look at the light that she provided to country singers and just that genre in general.

Marcus Hart (17:02)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (17:03)
but that was her because of her star ability to do so, right? But think about you have a DJ that brings awareness to another genre, that they have this much clout to where they can actually tee up a song and then transition to another genre and make it popular. To me, that is one of the requirements and one of the non-negotiables of a DJ, right?

Marcus Hart (17:14)
next.

Deante Chisley (17:26)
to be able to bring awareness and exposure to all music and to be able to do it in their creative way that really keeps the listeners involved, engaged, and keep the vibe.

Marcus Hart (17:27)
All right.

I love that man, you know, so talk about game changers, especially with what you created. It's a testament to the power of creativity and innovation. And you know, you speak in it, man. I can see the passion. I can hear the passion in your voice. Yeah. So we don't take a man. And then we're gonna come right back and get into some more, you know, like high energy stuff, you know, with the event brand and all of that and much, more. So you guys don't go anywhere. We'll be right right back.

Deante Chisley (17:47)
I appreciate it.

Nah, definitely man, definitely.

Marcus Hart (18:07)
Hello, Your bust of spirit reveals the vitality of the 30s, filled with adventure yet seeking deeper truths. As we read in First Hemony 4 and 12, don't let anyone look down on you because you are young. At Transform Your Media Network, we empower your journey with fresh perspectives and faith-infused wisdom. Whether it's about your career goals, family,

personal growth, your dreams are within reach. And I'm here to guide you through each bold step with honesty and integrity. To everyone from San Antonio's vibrant landscapes to Ashland's charming streets and Severin's lively parks, remember that life is most rewarding. Journeys are usually paved with learning and faith. I'm Marcus Hart and Transform Your Media Network is dedicated to walking this path.

alongside you. Together, let's embrace growth that reflects our true values and stories. Cannot wait to connect with you people. Connect with you soon.

you

Marcus Hart (19:19)
All right, all right, all right. Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. So we got that history lesson out the way. So let's talk about the future of DJing, baby. So, jungle, man, it's more than just a name. It's a movement, a force of nature. Deontay, from what I hear, you built something truly special. And I can't wait to be a spectator and then maybe come out my show and be a competitor. So tell us what...

Deante Chisley (19:39)
Appreciate you.

My man.

Marcus Hart (19:45)
So tell us what sparked the, you know, the whole jungle journey.

Deante Chisley (19:50)
So actually what sparked the Jungle Journey is a true story and I haven't shared this story with a lot of people. I have a good friend DJ Windy City, one of the DJs here in Washington DC. He DJs at a spot called Park and he DJs typically on Fridays. But the person that actually owns the night for disc jockeying for that night is DJ Quicksilver, a well respected and known disc jockey here in the DMV area.

Marcus Hart (20:06)
that.

Yeah.

Deante Chisley (20:17)
And so Wendy would come to my house and he would always say, he said, man, I'm better than quick. I said, yeah? He said, yeah. I said, okay. I said, that's interesting. How do you think you're better than quick? He said, man, cause I am. said, man, I can transition better for him. can do this. So he would come to my house every so often. He would always say it. So one day he caught me on the right moment. I said, you know what I'm gonna do? I said, I'm gonna put together a DJ battle and I want to see if you are actually better than quick. So when I really honestly sat down and started writing it out,

You know, saying, Hey, you know, how do I really want this battle to go? And then I started reading on, you know, disjoking, understanding the history of it or whatever the case may be. said, I think I got something here. So I wrote it down and I took it to a good friend of mine and we had a, we had a conversation about it. And then we started to framework actually what jungle is. And so when we came up with the contestant list, we were like, okay, here's how you apply to jungle. Go onto the website, click the link and then boom.

Marcus Hart (21:03)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (21:15)
You submit your application and then our team vets the disc jockeys and then they enter the battle. Well, as it would have it, he didn't even make the cut to actually get into the actual battle. But what I did notice from that was that the folks that actually entered the battle, these were some seasoned, and I mean seasoned DJs that had really been moving on the scene for quite some time.

Marcus Hart (21:26)
Hmm.

Mmm.

Deante Chisley (21:44)
but never had an opportunity to actually display their talent to where they're actually showcased, right? They were just DJs, know, DJing a party, but this was an opportunity that they got to showcase their talent. And so when we saw that and we actually saw the artistry that came out of it, we knew at that time we had something, but then the challenge was how do we get it out to the world? How do we bring awareness to it? How do we get people to engage?

And that's when we started with an idea and a concept called Jungle Circuit. So what Jungle Circuit is, is that we're taking the runner-ups from the previous battles that didn't win from the final round, and they were doing a head-on battle with them. And then the winner from that one makes it into the next slot for the next jungle. So the next jungle is actually going to be for the Dreamville Festival coming up in April. So we're going to be one of the official Dreamville events.

Marcus Hart (22:34)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (22:38)
So if you're in town, Raleigh Durham, North Carolina, you definitely can check out Jungle and have the Jungle experience. And then also on March 20th, we're looking at a couple spots now, but we're teeing up what we believe to be the gathering spot to have that Jungle circuit that I just described where we have the two runner-ups go head to head to see who can actually make it into the one of the slots for the next Jungle.

Marcus Hart (22:42)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Deante Chisley (23:03)
So things are moving good and in a very good pace. Like I said, we're at a point now where we're bringing awareness to the community and we're definitely trying to tap into those markets to give that exposure.

Marcus Hart (23:15)
When you had a vision and it just reminds me of Proverbs 16, 13, commit to the Lord, whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. You you put your faith in this man and with what you created, you know, so this is a testimony right here, man. I love it.

Deante Chisley (23:20)
Talk about it. Talk about it.

Man, let me tell you

something. And I'm so glad you said that because I don't do nothing without praying. And if God's not in it, I don't want to have no parts in it. I truly believe that trusting the Lord with all in thy heart, lean not to thy own understanding in all their ways, acknowledge him and he will direct your path. So I truly believe in that as well. And I think, and I know, not that I think, I know that's one of the reasons why Jungle is becoming very successful.

Marcus Hart (23:34)
Yeah.

Mm.

With that said, I bet you had some hurdles to jump over to get jungle off the ground. You want to share some of those?

Deante Chisley (23:58)
man. are you talking about

man? Jungle just started and it took off. What do you mean hurdles? What do you mean hurdles? None at all. None at all. No, no, no, no. Like I said, the interesting thing about something that's new or even, and I'm not even going to call it new. It's just me reigniting something that had been set to the side. But the interesting thing about it was,

Marcus Hart (24:05)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (24:24)
Bringing awareness to it, right? So when you think about branding and marketing, you kind of look at it in three, well, I look at it in three categories. You have general awareness, you know, bringing awareness to the brand. Then you have audience or attendance, which is audience. How do you get people to attend the brand? And then transaction, right? What is the transaction that the brand is doing with the end goer, right? Or the end user. So.

Marcus Hart (24:41)
Mm-hmm.

Okay.

Deante Chisley (24:49)
Where I see Jungle now and where the original challenge was, was the general awareness, right? How do we go about bringing awareness to individuals that, Jungle is coming, it's here to stay, and this is what we're about? We're experimenting with different avenues and getting that general awareness out, but we've been successful by doing so by going to kind of like the hallmark events. So Howard Homecoming, like I said, Howard Homecoming, we had an amazing turnout.

Marcus Hart (24:54)
Mm.

Yeah.

Deante Chisley (25:18)
Art Basel in Miami. We had an amazing turnout. Then we showed up at Super Bowl. And to be honest with you, that was one of the most iconic moments in my life is that one, I've never been to the Super Bowl, but then two, to actually show up at the Super Bowl with my own event was like very humbling and I was very appreciative of it. And the things that came from that was just been amazing.

Marcus Hart (25:25)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (25:43)
this interview right here, right? So things have been pushing forward, but again, the challenges have been, you know, the general awareness, how do we bring that to, you know, the end users to say, hey, this is jungle, this was about come join the community. So that's kind of where jungle circuit sparked, and then sponsorships have been, you know, reaching out to us to say, hey, we think you have something and we see the growth in it and we want to go further with it. So.

Things are picking up, but it wasn't an easy start, but it was a very good start because I definitely have a very, very solid team that everybody does their role and they do it very well. And it's not just me at all.

Marcus Hart (26:24)
Yeah, I feel you.

Yeah, so man, rejection setbacks. We learned that that's all part of the journey, man. And that's what's going to separate the dreamers from the doers, you know, perseverance. And one thing that like, that I'm realizing is that like, you know, you push and you believe in, you know, in jungles, making some waves. So let's get to get to like a real, you know, powerful punch, like you have to put in the air. So

Now that you got the energy to vibe, how do you create the electric atmosphere at your events when you actually like putting them on?

Marcus Hart (26:59)
Like, what's the secret sauce behind that?

Deante Chisley (27:01)
man, so what we found out was that the final round is actually the climax of the show, Of the experience rather. So what we did was we've been experimenting with different formats and what we found out that works best is that we have a very powerful host that comes in. So like this event passed, we had a big freedom, right?

Marcus Hart (27:08)
Thanks.

Hmm.

Yeah.

Deante Chisley (27:28)
And Big Freedia is naturally loved by people in regards to hosting an event or managing a crowd. Then we have all-star teams coming in as judges. So we have Lenny S, we had Currency, we had DJ Trauma. So we have people that actually understand disc jockeying that can provide great feedback and educational moments to the actual crowd. And then on top of that, we have a

Marcus Hart (27:40)
Yeah.

Okay.

Deante Chisley (27:53)
Killer House DJ Spencer Tracy, who in my opinion, we had to tell him to slow down in Miami because he was doing such a great job and he was like kind of upstaging the contestants. But again, we have a very Killer House DJ and then we always close out with a headliner. So like in Miami, we had Just Blaze, right? And something unique, iconic moment that came from that is Just Blaze, you know, tore up the club and he played his

Marcus Hart (28:00)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Deante Chisley (28:19)
only thing he played was his music and that was kind of like iconic, you know what mean? Like he played his music, right? And I was like, wow. This one we had Manny Fresh and you know, Manny Fresh in New Orleans, I mean, it's enough said right there, right? But something we did differently this time that really was a very electrifying and it really kept the energy high was that we actually had the Les Twins perform to do dancing, right?

Marcus Hart (28:21)
Wow. Yeah.

Deante Chisley (28:44)
So they actually danced to their own, they actually danced to their own track list. And it was a segment that they did, a 15 minute segment of dancing before it actually went to the final round. And people really loved that. And I loved it because again, it showed a different avenue of disc jockeying, right? So when you think about disc jockeying, here's some things that come out of that. know, people dancing. Well, now you got break dancing is one of them, right? And they came in and they nailed it.

Marcus Hart (28:44)
Mmm.

Yeah.

Deante Chisley (29:13)
they really, really nailed it. So what we've been able to do is to tap into a good amount of good talent that actually are believers of the brand that want to be affiliated and associated with the brand. And then once they're in, mean, people are drawn to them because they know they wouldn't attach themselves to anything that's not solid. So keeping the energy up is because we tap into one, the best DJs sign up and get selected.

Marcus Hart (29:21)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (29:39)
And then two, the talent that we have in there. It's talent that's educational, that knows disc jockeying, that's just not saying that, I'm in music. No, they actually have a background in this. And then number three, that the actual goer, the people that are actually attending are already music enthusiasts. Like they already love music. They already understand at a high level, DJing. They're already wanting to do something different.

Marcus Hart (29:40)
Mm-hmm.

Thank

Mmm.

Deante Chisley (30:07)
One thing that I tell everybody is that this is not a party, this is not an event, this is an experience. Because you are involved in who gets selected. So it's not like, you're the one selecting who wins. So if you're the one selecting who wins, then you're a part of an iconic moment that's gonna keep happening over and over and over again. And that's the true art of it, right? Telling a story that keeps people captivated and making them feel a part of instead of just an attendee.

Marcus Hart (30:36)
I love that man and you mentioned some heavy hitters but you've had some heavy hitters in your corner. DJ Trauma, Big Freedia, Lenny S, legends in the game. These collaborations man, how have you been leveraging them to join forces to take jungle to the next level?

Deante Chisley (30:48)
Most definitely.

Oh, so one of the things that we actually were doing, and that's an amazing question, one of the things that we're doing is that from the original Jungle to where we are now, we've actually been able to lock in key positions, lock in a solid host, lock in Lenny S as a permanent judge, and then lock in another permanent judge. So like right now, without giving out too much information, one of the things that we're doing for Dreamville is that we have DJ Ninth Wonder.

Marcus Hart (31:03)
Yes.

Yeah.

Deante Chisley (31:25)
I mean, if you understand disc jockey, you know who DJ Knife Wonder is. So we have DJ Knife Wonder coming in to do Dreamville for us with Lenny S. And so, you know, the other talent we have, I'm not even gonna mention it yet, but what happens is that we actually have a deck that we actually send out to the talent that speaks about the brand, speaks about what jungle is, and speaks about the goal of jungle and what success looks like. And then we actually have a conversation with them.

Marcus Hart (31:26)
Okay.

Mm-hmm.

Damn. Wow.

Yeah.

No.

Deante Chisley (31:53)
to see

if we actually align and what it is that we're trying to do and if we get positive feedback and we see how they fit into the brand then we extend something to them to be a part of it and say hey let's you know continue to movement together that's something that we've done with the Lenny S and things have been moving well for doing so.

Marcus Hart (32:11)
Yeah, when you talk about like DJs, they're so humble, They're more humble than like dealing with these music artists. So I think it's a lot easier to deal with a DJ than find these artists.

Deante Chisley (32:16)
yeah.

Well, it's very, very much so. Like they definitely don't

have a hard technical writer, that's for sure. They definitely don't have one. They just want to make sure their equipment is good and everything is working. That's all they want. But I mean, but the beauty about it is they let their talent speak for themselves. When you let your talent speak for yourself, you don't rarely have to, you know, be the one to actually, you know, be bragging or, you know, whatever. A good DJ is super humble, in my opinion, to your point, because...

Marcus Hart (32:29)
Nah. That's it. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Deante Chisley (32:51)
They, they Tyler just spoke for himself. You, you saw what I did when I was up there. I ain't gotta say nothing. Let me know when you me come back and do it again.

Marcus Hart (32:57)
Right,

Exactly. Yeah, that's great, man. You know, it's all about empowerment, creating opportunities, building legacy that will inspire generations to come. You know, this is so much bigger than music, fam. You know, I really appreciate, you know, the vision that you got and the dream that you make it possible, you know, not just for yourself, but for others, man. We got, we got, we got to, we got to put it back to where it belongs.

I think the way Jungle is doing it is a testament to all of that. So I want to give you opportunity to give us a final, powerful decoration and maybe some more call to action. I leave the floor to you.

Deante Chisley (33:40)
No, so I really appreciate that. Again, first and foremost, thank you for having me on the podcast. I think what you're doing is very dope and I think you got something really, really good going here. And I would love to definitely do a recap again after our Dreamville experience, you know, just to kind of keep the vibe going. But more importantly, man, thank you for this opportunity. Jungle, again, is an experience that we are giving the platform to.

Marcus Hart (33:46)
Yeah.

Deante Chisley (34:04)
DJs to showcase their talent and show why they are the king or queen of the jungle. A true jungle experience and success for me is to be able to tap into all the markets across all genres that brings that notoriety and awareness back to disc jockeying. And then my new goal would be to trust the DJ again, right? Trust the DJ to break new songs and let them do it in their creative way. So if I could do anything, I would always say,

Jungle's coming to a city near you. Please sign up and then let's see if you can make it out to be the king or queen of the jungle.

Marcus Hart (34:38)
Love that. And I love to see y'all come to Chicago. That's the next big city to where I live at. I live in Milwaukee. But I would love to see y'all come to Chicago. That'd be dope, man. You know, you got something.

Deante Chisley (34:47)
say less. My creative director,

my creative director, T Pratt, Terrence Pratt's from Chicago. He's definitely been like, yo DC, we gotta come to Chicago. We gotta come. So no doubt. Hey, hey. No doubt.

Marcus Hart (34:55)
Yeah, man, get them, get them steppers out, get those steppers out. So

yeah, you know, so man, you know, this conversation has been nuts and short of inspiring, you know, you know, hopefully I can get out to Drainville this year. I want that, I want to have that experience firsthand.

Deante Chisley (35:13)
Appreciate it.

Marcus Hart (35:20)
You know, we appreciate the wisdom, the knowledge, the passion. I feel like I've been to church, to a concert, to a motivational seminar all at the same time. Yeah. Yeah, so connect, connect fam, I hope you feel in the fire, the energy, possibilities. The Yate's Journey with Jungle is a testament to the power of dreams, the importance of perseverance and the transformative impact we can have when we step out on faith and pursue our passions.

Deante Chisley (35:29)
Say less, man, I appreciate it. Thank you.

Marcus Hart (35:48)
So if there is one thing I want you to take away from this episode today is this. Do not be afraid to chase your dreams, no matter how big or how audacious they may seem. Believe in yourself, trust in God, and surround yourself with a community just like the DJ community that supports your vision. Remember, you're not alone in this journey. We're all in this together, striving to make a difference, to leave a mark on this world, to lift up each other, celebrate each other's successes, and continue to push the boundaries. And don't forget to check out my dear friend here, Deontay.

We're looking to more of his story in the jungle moment and hopefully I can see you in Dreamville. Until next time, blessings, peace, and lots of love. We out.

Deante Chisley (36:21)
moment.

Peace.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment