North Carolina DJ Darryl Krush helps turn voting into a party

DJ Darryl Krush is excited about helping the nonpartisan group DJs at the Polls bring the party to the polling place on Election Day, Nov. 5. 

“With this election, I felt compelled to get more involved,” he says, “so when I heard about DJs at the Polls, I thought, ‘Oh man, this is right up my alley.’” 

The project’s music is sure to boost voter turnout. “When you walk past the polls and see people swaying in the line or even doing a line dance, it encourages you to say, ‘You know something? I do need to stop by and vote.’”

Started Music at a Young Age

Music is in DJ Krush’s history. “I started DJing when I was 13,” he says. “It was a way to get out the house, make some sneaker money. Mom wasn’t trying to pay $30-plus for a pair of sneakers. When you’re 13 and beginning to get a little rep, you want to look good.”

Since starting to make “real money” at age 14, he’s played with hip hop legends Doug E. Fresh, Dana Dane, and Kid (of Kid ‘n’ Play), and shared the stage with the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff. He’s also had a radio show and started the group “Legends of Troy,” which has raised almost $160,000 for his alma mater, Virginia State University. 

He’s now hosting an annual party at the CIAA basketball tournament, and his DJ company, SGL Productions, has three DJs in Charlotte, two in New York, and one in Atlanta. 

Darryl Krush, aka Darryl E. Kelson, grew up in the hip hop hotbed of Hollis, Queens, with Jam Master Jay before the time of Run-DMC. “He and I used to actually battle in the neighborhood,” Kelson says.

Just as hip hop was blowing up in popularity, New York City school system’s impressive music program was shutting down. “It was the perfect storm,” Kelson says. “Musically inclined kids like me had no outlet,” so at age 12, he went from playing trumpet, flute, and saxophone to teaching himself to mix.

Read More: Local DJs to provide the soundtrack at North Carolina polls Nov. 5

Finding His Outlet 

At neighborhood block parties, along with the barbecue, games, and music, Kelson noticed people bringing out two turntables and a mixer.

“I remember standing for hours watching this one guy play song after song,” he says. “He’d have two of the same song and go back and forth, back and forth staying on the beat. I thought, ‘I’m going to teach myself to do that.’”

After doing his chores and homework, he’d spend hours in the basement learning to DJ without the help of the Internet or YouTube. Business picked up when a friend’s father, who ran a tuxedo store, helped the boys get gigs and taught them to include rhythm and blues, funk, and classics to attract older audiences. He also drove them to and from jobs until Kelson was old enough to get a permit.

“I was an introverted and shy kid and this was a way to be in the party atmosphere but still control my environment,” he says. “Nobody ever messed with the DJ, and I didn’t have to worry about asking girls to dance. I was the main attraction so they were coming up to me.”

When a friend suggested he check out DJs at the Polls, he was pleased to find “something where I could use my talents to help get out the vote.”

“This is going to be a new experience for me,” he says. “I’m looking forward to interacting with folks, getting them excited about voting.”

“We have to remain non-partisan,” he adds. “We’re not supposed to wear paraphernalia for either candidate or mention one side or the other. We’re just supposed to keep the energy up and encourage and empower people to vote.”

Get to know more about DJ Darryl Krush on SoundCloud, YouTube, and his podcast.