Lil Jodeci Isn’t Taking Requests
Lil Jodeci made a name for himself by only playing what he wants to hear.
by Alex Galbraith
September 7, 2018
In another timeline, Lil Jodeci is a really dope landlord.
About eight years ago, the DJ and founding member of the artist and party collective Pink Room Project had a bit of money and a decision to make.
“At the time, I was working a sh*tty job. And I just wasn’t f*cking with it,” Jodeci explained in a recent interview with Very Local. “I had came across some money, man and I was going to invest in some real estate sh*t or some DJing sh*t and I just took that route.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnU1pZCAcL4/?taken-by=liljodeci
The 7th Ward native started DJing, and it’s safe to say that the decision paid off. Jodeci found that he enjoyed bridging the gap between hip-hop and electronic music, throwing his own parties in search of like-minded musical omnivores and forming a collective that generated enough buzz to warrant national media attention.
When asked about the Pink Room Project and his blended DJ nights, Jodeci balks at the idea that he set out to effect change. He was just playing what he liked and hoping that he would find other people who also liked it.
“It wasn’t like a scene with like black kids. It wasn’t together,” he explained of the era when he started spinning a mixture of electronic music and hip hop. ” I’ve been trying to blend the two. Social media makes sh*t easier to connect. In 2011, 2012, it wasn’t like that. It was more separate.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BianmRng-Lt/?taken-by=liljodeci
Word got around about Jodeci’s parties. People with a wide-ranging musical diet that centered around wanting to dance found a kindred spirit in Jodeci and his Pink Room co-conspirators.
“We were just doing what we liked and people responded to it. We weren’t trying to get any accolades for it. We were just trying to fill a void in the city,” he said. “And the kids like it.”
For the house-music-loving Jodeci, blending together sounds that typically fall into their own nights at distinct venues was a natural sort-of progression. Putting house sounds together with hip-hop and disco was just a nod to the origins of all of them.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg69zUXF-DD/?taken-by=liljodeci
“That’s how house music was originally played,” he explained. “It’s a mix of everything. It’s a baby of disco music and electronic music together.”
In spite of the fact that social media allows fans of many different genres to find their tribe, Pink Room Project generated notoriety by intentionally eschewing promotion on internet platforms. To learn about Pink Room parties, you had to sign up for a hotline and wait to hear back about the next party’s location.
“That was [Pink Room co-founder] Brandon [Ares’] idea. We were just trying to find new ways to get people intrigued in parties. And we don’t really like to do a lot of heavy promotion,” he said. “We’re going to promote it through the phone where you have to hit us up for the address. It just keeps people engaged. You know?”
He added that the crowded calendar in the city makes it hard to keep people interested.
“People forget, especially in New Orleans. We have so much stuff going on. You get lost,” he said.
Jodeci’s parties, both with the rest of Pink Room and on his own, do more than enough to earn that interest, though. He’s maintained his headstrong sense of playing what he likes. His parties like Set De Flo’ at Hi-Ho Lounge are fully curated experiences and stepping into them is signing yourself over to what he wants the night to be.
“My thing is, bruh, they have so many places where you can go to hear Top 40,” he said. “People come up with requests. I’m like ‘Nah. You can go down the street and hear what you want to hear, if that’s the case.'”
“We’re just trying to give you an experience. If you don’t like it, cool. I’m good with that,” he continued. “It might not be for you. You know, some people don’t eat meat. You’re not going to go to a [steakhouse] and ask for a veggie burger. This is not the veggie spot, you feel me?”
Lil Jodeci’s Set De Flo’ goes down every Saturday at Hi-Ho Lounge. More on Pink Room Project can be found here. For more on the city’s DJs, head here.
More Local Stories
Dream House Lounge is New Orleans’ first oxygen bar and wellness lounge
The downtown lounge is bringing soul to self-care.
Guide to the Barrel and Flow Pittsburgh Beer Festival
Barrel and Flow, the nation’s only beer festival in Pittsburgh to put people of color in the spotlight is back. August 13, 2022
Take a look inside the Duquesne Incline Museum
You can’t spell funicular without F-U-N. Grab two quarters – tours are just 50 cents – and step into the year 1877’s finest in transportation technology.
Reading along the River: A guide to New Orleans independent bookstores
These 12 indie bookstores can help you find your next read and connect you to the greater New Orleans community.
Eat Play Stay: Natchitoches
In this episode of Eat Play Stay, explore Natchitoches, Louisiana, the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory.
Not Your Average Cup of Joe: Unique Coffee Houses in Orlando
Here are three unique coffee shops where the cup of joe isn’t the only thing that’ll get you moving.
Top 407: the best breakfast sandwiches in Orlando
Here is a list of locally-owned spots to get your breakfast sandwich fix.
My Amazing Cheap Date: Orlando Festivals & Stand-Up Comedy
On this episode of “My Amazing Cheap Date” two couples explore bliss on a bun and get their game on. – for $50 or less.
Eat Play Stay: Lexington, SC
Fill your glass at a local winery, bite down on a gourmet biscuit, and cuddle up in a carriage house. Find this and more things to do in Lexington, S.C. on this episode of “Eat Play Stay Greenville.”
Dream House Lounge is New Orleans’ first oxygen bar and wellness lounge
The downtown lounge is bringing soul to self-care.
Take a look inside the Duquesne Incline Museum
You can’t spell funicular without F-U-N. Grab two quarters – tours are just 50 cents – and step into the year 1877’s finest in transportation technology.
Reading along the River: A guide to New Orleans independent bookstores
These 12 indie bookstores can help you find your next read and connect you to the greater New Orleans community.
Here’s where to go glamping in New Orleans
These trips are less than a day away from New Orleans.