DJ Yuko Interview: From DJ KAORI’s Hiroshima Show to Dodger Stadium

SeiOctober 12, 2026Exclusive Interviews36 min read

DJ Yuko wearing sunglasses, a pink striped shirt and tie, and holding white headphones. — DJ Yuko, the Hiroshima-born DJ based in Los Angeles. Image credit: yuko watanabe.

ホーム » Exclusive Interviews » DJ Yuko Interview: From DJ KAORI’s Hiroshima Show to Dodger Stadium

DJ Yuko learned to work a dance floor in Hiroshima. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2011, she has built a career that runs from Hollywood clubs to Netflix events and Dodger Stadium.

Her first club set was the opening slot for DJ KAORI’s first Hiroshima appearance. For Yuko, seeing a Japanese woman who had built a DJ career in New York made an impression that lasted well beyond that night.

“If I’m DJing with American music, I need to do it in America.” That thought eventually took her across the Pacific.

Starting over in LA meant hauling her own equipment to a Friday-night residency, asking promoters for a chance, and turning up ready to play even when a booking was confirmed just an hour before the doors opened.

When we met at a café in Corona, California, the person behind those stories was warm, unassuming, and quick to laugh. Soon we were talking less like strangers and more like old friends comparing notes on hip-hop.

In this long-form HIPHOPCs interview, Yuko traces her path from Hiroshima to LA, explains how she reads a crowd and chooses clean tracks for public events, and shares what comes next for DREAM DJ Service. More than 20 years behind the decks, she still calls DJing her “dream job”—and her “therapy.”

Interview and text: Sei / HIPHOPCs. This English edition is translated and edited from the Japanese interview. The speakers’ meaning and first-person accounts have been preserved.

Table of Contents

“What’s a Club?” — Discovering Hip-Hop in Hiroshima

Sei: For readers who may not know you yet, could you start with a quick introduction?

Yuko: I’m DJ Yuko. I’m originally from Hiroshima. I moved over here in 2011, and now I’m based in LA, working as a DJ.

Sei: What first got you into DJing?

Yuko: This could be a really long story. Is that okay? (Laughs.) Back then, I had a lot of older friends, and we hung out all the time. They all drove, and whenever we were in their cars, they were listening to American music—hip-hop, R&B, that kind of thing.

Sei: How old were you?

Yuko: I think I was in my senior year of high school, right before college. I remember thinking, “What is this music? This is so cool!” That was hip-hop, and that’s when I started getting interested. We had Tower Records and HMV back then, even in Hiroshima. I’d stop by the CD stores after school and buy albums just because I liked the covers.

I’d be thinking, “What exactly is hip-hop? Which records should I be looking for?” From there I started listening to all kinds of music.

Sei: Did your family listen to Western music?

Yuko: Not really, but my uncle listened to Mariah Carey. He was a huge fan! He lived next door—my mom’s older brother—and every time Mariah released a new CD, he’d bring it over for me. (Laughs.) I wanted to go to clubs, but I didn’t have any friends to go with.

Sei: There weren’t that many girls listening to hip-hop back then, were there?

Yuko: Exactly. There was hardly anyone around me into it. I’d spend every day wishing I could go to a club. Then one day, I was walking downtown when this guy handed me a flyer and invited me to an event called Black Magic.

Sei: In Hiroshima?

Yuko: Yes. A guy named Tokkin approached me about this Hiroshima event. I told him I didn’t have anyone to go with, and he said, “Well, do you want to help out?” I thought, “Oh, if I’m helping, then I can go!” So I started working the door and handling the cash register at the club. I made friends through that, and pretty soon I was going clubbing all the time. That’s how I met someone I’ll call M.

He’s one of the key people in my life. He’s the one who got me started with DJing. I’d been driving since I was young, and my car was full of CDs scattered everywhere. He saw that and said, “If you love music that much, why don’t you make a mix CD?” I was like, “What’s a mix? How do you even make one?” He told me I could do it if I bought turntables.

Sei: Was M a DJ?

Yuko: He was interested in it too. So we decided to split the cost and buy turntables together. I practiced like crazy, using vinyl. He worked at a bar, and they had open decks, so he told me I could practice there.

Sei: So you had a great setup for learning.

Yuko: I really did, thanks to M. I’d go to the bar and practice whenever I could. Eventually, word started getting around.

There were hardly any female DJs in Hiroshima then. DJ NAHOMY was around my age, and in 2006, at the suggestion of Yohei, the owner of CLUB G, we started a female DJ party called Crazy Sexy Cool every Thursday. That connected me with DJ Snoopy Mimi, DJ SAEMI, and many others.

Sei: Were you playing hip-hop?

Yuko: Yes, hip-hop and R&B.

Sei: Around what year did you start DJing? Around 2000?

Yuko: Somewhere in the mid-2000s. Maybe 2004 or 2005? There’s a DJ in Hiroshima named DJ KAMACHI, a local legend who is said to have been Hiroshima’s first DJ. He told me, “If you’re going to DJ, why not play in a club instead of a bar?” I was like, “What?” I hadn’t even planned on becoming a DJ! I was scared, but I wanted to try. And it turned out to be DJ KAORI’s first Hiroshima show.

Meeting DJ KAORI — What She Took Away from Her First Club Set

Sei: Oh, really? I was going to ask you about DJ KAORI later.

Yuko: Yes! The very first event where I got to DJ was DJ KAORI’s first performance in Hiroshima. Kamachi arranged everything, and I got to play the opening set. That made me want to try other events too, and from there I just kept going.

Sei: Was DJ KAORI one of the artists who influenced you at the time?

Yuko: Absolutely. She had a huge influence on me. I also listened to DJ Junko’s mixes a lot. I remember thinking, “Wow, there are women doing this—scratching so hard and looking so cool!”

Sei: DJ KAORI went to New York in 1992, and you moved to LA in 2011, almost 20 years later.

Yuko: That’s right. The doors that DJ KAORI’s generation opened made it possible for women of our generation to enter the scene. I think we all drew so much inspiration from her. DJ KAORI is incredible.

New York Influences and West Coast Roots — Building Her Foundation in Hiroshima

Sei: I admired her back then too. She’s amazing. What was Hiroshima’s hip-hop and club scene like in those days?

Yuko: We had several stores importing hip-hop gear and clothing, and the lowrider scene was thriving in Hiroshima.

DJ COUZ was connected with Hiroshi from Lefties Car Club, a leading figure in Hiroshima’s lowrider scene. That connection helped bring the legendary Big Boy & DJ E-Man Presents Mickey Fickey Mix Japan Tour to Hiroshima in the early to mid-2000s. Even though we were outside Tokyo, we got exposed to so much.

I started getting interested not only in West Coast rap but also Southern hip-hop and New York hip-hop. I’d visit different clubs and record stores to research music. Since there’s a US military base in Iwakuni, I started going there for that international vibe too. Every weekend I’d go to DJ PLANET’s regular night at a club in Iwakuni, and that’s where I really fell in love with Southern hip-hop. A few years later, the events at the club in Iwakuni came to an end when the venue underwent renovations.

In 2009, I was working with Rampage, an entertainment and media agency based in Hiroshima. Through the agency, I also had the opportunity to work as the live DJ for TEE. That experience taught me a lot about collaborating with artists during live performances, and it was such a valuable learning opportunity.

Later on, DJ SUPAHIRO returned to Hiroshima from New York and started DJing there again. I began joining his events every Friday, and he became another huge influence on me.

He really trained me in so many aspects of DJing, including the technical side of things, like how to connect cables and set up equipment properly.

He would tell me, “If you’re going to DJ, you need to know how to set up all your own equipment.”

Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful for everything he taught me!

Sei: So you were trained in the technical aspects as well.

Yuko: Exactly. SUPAHIRO did all of that for us. Back then, we couldn’t just listen to DJ mixes like those from Power 97 in Japan. So he’d use every connection and method he had in New York to record them, burn them onto CDs, and hand them out. He’d be like, “This is what New York DJs sound like! Listen and practice!” Every Friday we were there, learning and building our skills.

Editor’s note: The Japanese transcript names “Power 97.” The station being recalled has not been independently identified.

Sei: New York and the West Coast have completely different sounds.

Yuko: They do. One of my earliest influences was 2Pac. A guy who lived next door was into lowriders, and he’d blast hip-hop, including 2Pac, so loudly that I could hear it from my house. I’d think, “This is so cool!” The West Coast sound really got me excited.

Sei: It matched your vibe.

Yuko: Before I started DJing, I also helped with registration and payments at West Coast events. KROW (黒羽), who ran a hip-hop clothing store in Hiroshima and was on the cutting edge as a West Coast-style rapper, and DJ Santana, Japan’s first DJ to focus exclusively on Chicano rap, were among the people involved. Every weekend I got to hear some dope West Coast rap. (Laughs.)

I can’t name everyone, but the DJ lineup was incredible. They were all playing vinyl. Looking back, it was an amazing era.

Sei: You mentioned vinyl earlier. So that’s how you started?

Yuko: Yes, I started on vinyl. Around 2000, I think.

Editor’s note: Yuko gives approximate dates in these recollections. Earlier in the interview, she places her start around 2004 or 2005.

Sei: I assumed you’d always used a laptop, since so many DJs do now. Do you still collect records?

Yuko: I don’t buy them anymore, but my entire collection is still at my family’s house in Japan.

Sei: I hear some older records are worth a fortune now.

Yuko: Some of them are.

Sei: Collectors from all over the world are after them.

Yuko: Right. When I DJed at clubs, I’d drag two huge crates of records with me every weekend. I must have been around 24 or 25.

Sei: Your early to mid-20s.

Yuko: I had the stamina back then.

Sei: At that age, you’ve got energy to spare!

Yuko: I did. I’d bring two crates, three crates—whatever it took.

Sei: At that point, had you decided to make a living entirely from DJing?

Yuko: I wasn’t thinking I’d make my living from it in Japan. But I had this mindset: “I’m DJing American music, so I have to DJ in America.”

Sei: So you already wanted to work overseas.

Yuko: I did. I felt like I had to do it in America. I wondered whether DJing was recognized as a real profession there, and I had this vague dream of making a living as a DJ.

DJ Yuko wearing a green cropped soccer jersey and glasses in front of a soccer goal net. — DJ Yuko. Image credit: yuko watanabe.

“If I Make Even One Friend, I’ll Move” — The Encounters That Led Her to LA

Sei: When did you first travel abroad?

Yuko: My first trip to America was around 2009 or 2010. I knew I wanted to go, but I didn’t know where—Los Angeles? New York? Then a friend suggested a trip to LA, and I thought, “Great! I love West Coast hip-hop, so let’s check it out.” We went, and I absolutely fell in love with the place.

Sei: The West Coast suited you better.

Yuko: Definitely. I loved it. The weather was great, and I hate the cold! (Laughs.)

The trip was only three or four days, but it made a huge impression. We didn’t have iPhones like we do now, so I drove around with a paper map spread open.

Sei: Right! Back then you’d print directions from MapQuest before leaving home.

Yuko: Exactly. We were driving around reading maps. What a time! After that trip, I loved LA so much that I made a promise to myself: “If I can make even one friend here, I’ll move.”

Sei: Did you make that friend?

Yuko: I had this incredible encounter! After returning to Japan, I was DJing and got booked by a friend in Fukuoka named DJ CAPITAL T. It happened that DJ Loquito, who was working as a DJ in LA, had come back to his hometown to play. Someone introduced us, saying, “He DJs in LA.”

He said he’d introduce me to a female friend. About a year later, I visited LA again, met up with DJ Loquito, and he introduced me to another key person in my life: DJ Sherry Cat. She was Japanese, and she was from Hiroshima too! I had no idea. I thought, “Wait, you’re from Hiroshima? And you’re a DJ? This is perfect!” It felt like something sent from above.

Sei: Like fate bringing you together.

Yuko: Exactly—fate.

Sei: An encounter that decided your future.

Yuko: That’s how I saw it! (Laughs.)

Sei: I can see why.

Yuko: A DJ from Hiroshima! It couldn’t have been more perfect. Once we became friends, I thought, “Okay, I’m moving to LA!” She ended up moving to another country a few years later, though.

Sei: It really sounds like she was meant to help guide you there.

Yuko: That’s how it felt. After I moved, Sherry Cat introduced me to all kinds of people. She had a regular Friday night at a venue in East LA called AREA DNA. I took over her Friday residency, and that’s where I started building my career in LA. That’s really where it all began.

Those early days were pretty intense. I had to bring all my own turntables and mixer. DJ controllers weren’t common yet. I brought my mixer and turntables over from Japan, along with a Scratch Live setup that let me DJ using my laptop. At first I figured, “One turntable should be enough to get by, right?” It was rough! (Laughs.) I eventually brought over a second one. I kept playing every Friday, built experience, got more offers, and started playing other clubs.

I was also fortunate to get an opportunity through Avenue to sell my mix CDs at Don Quijote stores in 2011 and 2012. There were 12 CDs in total.

PARTY IN THE ANGELS mix CD: Rakuten product listing · Yahoo! Shopping product listing

A Japanese Female DJ in LA — Sing-Along Crowds and a Night That Put Her to the Test

Sei: So meeting DJ Sherry Cat opened up your network. How did you go about finding more work and making connections locally?

Yuko: It all started with the Friday residency Sherry Cat passed on to me. From there, I played at all kinds of places, including open-format parties for Asian crowds at EXCHANGE LA, which is a huge venue, and just about every club in Hollywood. My website lists all the places I’ve DJed.

Sei: I saw that! What was the biggest difference you noticed when you first played for a Los Angeles crowd after DJing in Japan?

Yuko: Everybody sings!

Sei: They really do! (Laughs.)

Yuko: It’s American music, so everybody knows the lyrics. Not just the hooks—they sing the verses too.

Sei: And they sing with so much energy. In Japan, people tend to move to the beat and maybe sing the chorus, but it’s different from America. Did you encounter any obstacles entering the LA scene as a Japanese woman?

Yuko: I don’t really like talking about it, but as an Asian person, as a Japanese person, there are a lot of times when you’re not treated as an equal.

Sei: That’s very real. It’s something you might not understand until you’ve lived here.

Yuko: Exactly. I really wanted to DJ at hip-hop clubs, so I went looking for opportunities. At the time, “Supper Club” was one of Hollywood’s biggest clubs, and it had a hip-hop industry night every Tuesday. I approached promoters, people in the industry, and DJs I knew, saying, “I want to play there. Please give me a chance!” Eventually, I got invited to a meeting. They told me, “We’ll give you a chance to play next Tuesday—but it’s not confirmed yet.” Then they didn’t contact me until one hour before the club opened that night.

Sei: What?! Was it because someone else couldn’t make it?

Yuko: Maybe. But they kept me waiting that whole time. I’d been messaging and calling, and no one answered. I wondered if they were testing me.

Sei: It might have been a test.

Yuko: That’s what you’d think, right? I felt like they were looking down on me. But I went anyway.

Sei: You actually went!

Yuko: I sure did. And I played that set! (Laughs.)

DJ Yuko smiling at a club DJ booth, wearing headphones and raising one hand.

A $300 Car Spinning on the Freeway — Starting from Zero in LA

Sei: Changing the subject a little, did you have any crazy experiences after moving to America?

Yuko: Oh, the beginning is a long story! When I first moved, someone offered to sell me a car for $300. So I bought it—a really old Nissan Maxima.

One day, I was driving on the freeway when smoke started pouring out near the front wheels. I was like, “What’s happening?” Then the steering wheel started shaking violently.

I had no idea what was going on, so of course I hit the brakes. And the car started spinning around on the freeway.

Sei: Real-life Fast & Furious! Was everyone around you okay?

Yuko: Miraculously, I didn’t hit anyone. I think the other drivers must have noticed something was wrong because the car was billowing smoke. It happened near the Crenshaw freeway exit.

I don’t remember how many times I spun. I just thought, “I’m done for.” Somehow the car finally stopped near the Crenshaw exit, and my whole body was shaking.

But for some reason, I calmly thought, “I need to get home before this becomes an even bigger mess.” So I slowly restarted the engine and drove home as though nothing had happened. (Laughs.)

Sei: Where exactly was that?

Yuko: Around the Crenshaw exit off the 10 Freeway, in the general area between Mid-City and South Central.

What Makes a Great DJ? — The Art of Changing a Room Through Music

Sei: I’m just glad you made it out safely! (Laughs.) Early in your career, what did you consider a great DJ? Has your definition changed after 20 years?

Yuko: Not that much, actually. The DJs who really impress me are the ones who can have a crowd going crazy to hip-hop, suddenly switch genres, and somehow keep exactly the same vibe going.

Sei: Can you name an example?

Yuko: DJ AM, for one. His knowledge of samples was incredible. Rest in peace, DJ AM.

There are local DJs who can do it too. They’ll have the room going wild to hip-hop, then suddenly switch to R&B or disco without losing the energy. I admire DJs who can get people of all ages singing together—true open-format DJs who can rock a party whether they’re playing disco or hip-hop. I’m talking about DJs who could even get grandparents dancing.

My husband, ILYFR, is half Mexican and half Black—his mother is Mexican and his father is Black. Through him, I’ve been able to experience both cultures more deeply, and I’ve grown to love oldies.

In Black and Chicano (Mexican American) culture, there are oldies and Chicano oldies—soul, R&B, and doo-wop from the 1950s through the 1970s. When those songs come on, couples start dancing romantically. My husband makes music too, including oldies and G-funk, such as “East Los” by ILYFR. He’s been introducing me to more oldies.

I DJed at a quinceañera for his Mexican family—a traditional celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday in many Latin American and Hispanic communities—and I ended the night with oldies.

Going back to my husband, he’s also a director. His first project with a professional artist was with Bambaata Marley, Bob Marley’s grandson. More recently, he’s made music videos for artists including Coyote featuring Lefty Gunplay. He’s always working on something.

Editor’s note: ILYFR, who was also present for this interview, is a multidisciplinary artist, musician, and director working across music, film, and fashion.

Lefty Gunplay & JasonMartin — “Cracks in the Ceiling”

Daytime vs. Nighttime Sets — Clean Versions, Rap Beefs, and the Realities of the Job

Sei: Do you have any rules or principles you always keep in mind when DJing?

Yuko: These days I play a lot of public events, so that’s a big consideration.

Sei: You’ve been playing some pretty major events.

Yuko: A lot of daytime events. So the main thing is that I absolutely don’t play songs with curse words. Clean versions only.

Sei: That’s essential for daytime events.

Yuko: Exactly. At Dodgers gigs, for example, you have to sign an agreement before playing, promising not to play any songs with profanity.

Sei: That must make song selection a real challenge.

Yuko: It does. I can’t play dirty versions at all. Sometimes a song is borderline, or it’s labeled “clean” but still has a dirty word in it. If I realize after starting it, I have to act like nothing happened, cut the track, and move on.

Sei: Public daytime events attract all ages, unlike nightclubs.

Yuko: Exactly. I’m really careful about that at daytime events.

Sei: In Japan, those boundaries can be pretty vague.

Yuko: Right. There’s something from years ago I still remember vividly. It was a dance event, maybe a children’s recital, and they used a song by the Ying Yang Twins.

Sei: The Ying Yang Twins?!

Yuko: Crazy, right? It was “Wait,” which is an extremely sexual song. And these kids were dancing to it in kimonos, carrying umbrellas! I was thinking, “Wait, this is not okay.” (Awkward laugh.)

Sei: I suspect more than 90 percent of the people there didn’t understand the lyrics. It’s a wild situation.

Yuko: Even if most people don’t understand, some people do. That was a real culture shock for me.

Sei: Definitely a culture shock.

Yuko: After I had my child, my whole perspective on that changed. I became much more careful. When I was younger, I’d just be like, “Yeah! This sounds awesome!” But that changed.

Sei: What about when you DJ at night?

Yuko: I still do nighttime gigs sometimes.

Sei: Are there fewer restrictions then?

Yuko: Well, another thing I think about is beef between rappers. Remember the Kendrick and Drake beef? A lot of girls love Drake, but because we’re in LA, a lot of the guys are on Kendrick’s side. So I find myself thinking carefully about what to play. And I’ve made up my mind not to play Diddy’s songs. (Laughs.)

Same with R. Kelly. I can’t play him in lounges. I once played a song featuring R. Kelly, and a Black woman came up to the booth and asked, “Why are you playing R. Kelly?”

Sei: Thank you for sharing that. These are the realities of the scene that people in Japan might not know about, so it’s valuable to hear them from someone actually working here.

Yuko: Honestly, Japan can be such a fun place to DJ because you don’t have to worry about those restrictions. Clean or dirty, either version is fine, and you don’t have to think about rap beefs in the same way.

DJ Yuko in a white outfit mixing tracks at a DJ booth at an event.

Who Do You Make Dance? — Reading an LA Crowd

Sei: Did you have to change your style to get audiences dancing in LA compared with when you were DJing in Japan?

Yuko: Change my style…

Sei: For example, choosing more West Coast tracks?

Yuko: Oh, yes. Generally, if I’m DJing in LA, I don’t play that much New York rap. It depends on the event’s theme, of course, but I play a lot of local LA artists.

Sei: Are you also watching the crowd’s age range and demographics?

Yuko: Definitely. I look out at the floor—are there a lot of women, what age are people? I’m analyzing all of that in my head.

Sei: So you’re constantly watching the audience.

Yuko: I also watch who’s dancing the hardest. I figure if I can get that person going, everybody else will start dancing too. (Laughs.)

Sei: I never thought of it that way. You do sometimes notice someone really going for it.

Yuko: Exactly. Black women, for example, can have such incredible energy on the dance floor. When I see someone really dancing, my radar locks onto her. I’m thinking, “That’s my target. I’m going to keep her dancing.”

Sei: And sometimes everyone ends up doing a line dance around that person!

Yuko: Yes! That happens sometimes.

When Being Japanese Becomes an Advantage — From Netflix to Dodger Stadium

Sei: On the other hand, have there been moments when being Japanese became an advantage or part of what made you stand out?

Yuko: Lately there’s been so much excitement around Japanese baseball players—Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto with the Dodgers, Yusei Kikuchi with the Angels, and Roki Sasaki. And it’s not just sports. Japanese food and matcha have become really popular too.

Sei: Absolutely.

Yuko: So I feel like there are more opportunities involving Japanese companies and events. More people are saying, “It’s a Japanese event, so we’d love to book a Japanese DJ.” I’m really grateful for that.

Sei: Corporate events?

Yuko: Exactly. Whisky companies, for example. I also DJed for Netflix recently, at the premiere of its Ultraman movie.

Sei: Ultraman!

Yuko: Ultraman is a Japanese animated property, right? They were looking for a Japanese DJ.

Sei: Oh, I see! And they chose you.

Yuko: Yes. Thankfully, the offer came through an agency. They asked me to play Japanese music.

I think the more opportunities there are to play Japanese music in America, the more exciting things will get. I’ve also DJed at Dodger Stadium several times, including Japanese Heritage Night.

Sei: That many times? Amazing!

DJ Yuko at Dodger Stadium — appearances listed on her official website:

2017 — World Baseball Classic
2022 — Japanese Heritage Night
2022 — Hello Kitty Night
2023 — Japanese Heritage Night
2025 — Hello Kitty Night
2026 — Japanese Heritage Night

DJ Yuko at her DJ booth in Dodger Stadium, wearing a blue jacket over a white outfit. — *DJ Yuko performing at Dodger Stadium.*

Yuko: Thank you! I’ve been lucky enough to play there several times and have opportunities to spin Japanese music.

Sei: What kind of Japanese music did you play?

Yuko: Mainly Japanese pop from the ’90s and 2000s, and city pop.

Sei: What about hip-hop?

Yuko: I played tracks that had clean versions! Mostly US hip-hop, though.

I asked the Dodgers whether profanity in other languages was allowed, and they said no. If even one person can understand the words, it’s not okay. That applies to Chinese, Korean, and other languages too.

Sei: You mentioned before that Too $hort’s “Blow the Whistle” was one of those magic songs that could instantly set off a Los Angeles crowd. If you had to choose one track that can transform an LA dance floor right now, what would it be?

Yuko: I think about this a lot. Honestly, LA is practically Mexico! (Laughs.) So I’d say Mexican music.

Sei: Oh, I didn’t expect that! Mexican music?

Yuko: Put on a Mexican track and people start dancing like crazy.

Sei: Like traditional folk music?

Yuko: Something like “El Sonidito” by Hechizeros Band. There are others too, but that one has really stood out to me recently. I even heard it being played at Andy’s in Hollywood, Anderson .Paak’s place. You don’t often hear traditional Mexican music in Hollywood clubs, but when that track comes on, people dance like crazy. (Laughs.) Then the DJ used tone play to transition smoothly back into hip-hop. I thought, “Now that’s skill.” It’s such an LA way of selecting music.

The song I’ve been getting the most requests for lately is “Body” by Don Toliver.

Sei: Oh!

Yuko: Women really dance to that track. I’ve even had requests for it at daytime brunch gigs.

Tyga, Meek Mill, and Nas — Stories from LA Events

Sei: You’ve DJed at events and parties involving major hip-hop artists like French Montana, YG, Juicy J, and Meek Mill. Are there any particular gigs or stories that stand out?

Yuko: One that really stands out involved Tyga and his best friend—what was his name again? Alexander “AE” Edwards, I think. There was a local group called Po$taBoy$, involving Tyga and his best friend. I think Amber Rose might have been involved at the time too.

Sei: Amber Rose—the one who’s dated so many rappers!

Yuko: She was dating Alexander Edwards at the time. There were other members of Po$taBoy$ too, and I DJed for a clothing collaboration they were doing.

It was also AE’s birthday, so there was a celebration. But Tyga himself didn’t show up! (Laughs.)

Sei: Was Amber as beautiful in person?

Yuko: Her skin was unbelievably beautiful. (Laughs.)

Sei: She is gorgeous.

Yuko: And Meek Mill—he was a really nice guy. The event organizer suggested we go over and say hello. Meek was very friendly and down-to-earth. He’d arrived early, too.

Another time, I DJed at a Black hip-hop party. I actually played at a Nas release party.

Sei: Wow, a Nas release party?

Yuko: Back then, there was this really cool woman I looked up to named Nao. She had connections in LA’s Black community. That event had an industry-night atmosphere too.

“I Want the Crowd to Be Happy” — DJ Yuko’s Approach to Song Selection

Sei: When the songs you personally want to play aren’t the songs the audience wants to hear, which do you choose?

Yuko: The audience.

Sei: The audience?

Yuko: I want the people there to be happy. When I first started DJing, I wanted to mix my favorite tracks with whatever was trending and make it work. But now, if I have an audience in front of me, I want to make them happy. I can play my personal favorites in my own mixes.

Sei: For a hip-hop DJ, how important are song selection, technical skill, and individual taste or personality?

Yuko: Song selection takes research. Depending on where you’re playing in America, research is essential. In LA, naturally, you need to play plenty of local artists. But personality matters too. Social media is important, and some clubs want you to help promote the event. If you can DJ and promote, that’s a plus. Times have changed.

View from behind DJ Yuko’s booth toward a crowded dance floor under colored lights.

Sei: They really have. You’ve been DJing since your Hiroshima days. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in hip-hop and club culture over the years?

Yuko: One huge change is how popular mashups have become. I feel like fewer DJs play the original versions of songs now. Younger DJs—and me too—play older songs as mashups and remixes. I hear them and think, “Oh, so that’s how people play old songs these days!” (Laughs.) Mashups can be a great way to introduce older music. I personally love remixes and mashups, but I still think the originals are essential.

Sei: Knowing the originals is something our generation tends to have, I guess.

Yuko: Right. But young people know so many songs that were hits in our day. I want to know how they discovered them! (Laughs.)

Sei: Even as technology changes, is there something about DJing that you believe will never change?

Yuko: Technology can’t really read the vibe of the people in a room, so I don’t think DJs will disappear. At least, I hope not. Spotify has DJ features now, right? But when you let them pick music, sometimes you’re like, “Wait, this isn’t right.” I think only a human can create that warm, personal kind of DJ set.

Sei: A warm DJ set. I like that. Social media has also turned DJs into content creators. These days, beyond skill, DJs are expected to have followers and build their own brands. What do you think of that?

Yuko: It’s an incredible time we’re living in.

Sei: It really is.

Yuko: Things have changed so much. During the 2020 pandemic, livestream DJing really took off on platforms like Twitch and Kick. It created new ways of DJing, and now people can make money DJing from home. In 2020, I livestreamed with two other female DJs, Sophia Lin and Stephanie Loayza.

Editor’s note: Yuko’s Club Maverick streams began on Twitch in 2020. KICK, also mentioned here, launched in late 2022.

Sei: Sophia Lin—tell me about her.

Yuko: She’s an LA-based international professional DJ, artist, model, and entrepreneur with 20 years of DJ experience and extensive performance experience around the world, including Asia. She’s a legend. She’s shared bills or stages with artists such as Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, Pitbull, Travie McCoy, and Lupe Fiasco.

She’s an incredibly driven DJ. During the pandemic, she asked me if I wanted to livestream together with her and DJ Stephanie Loayza.

Stephanie is another incredibly stylish, polished LA-based DJ. She’s originally from Peru and plays house music with a Latin feel. Her YouTube channel is amazing, so we’ll include a link.

The three of us created a Twitch account called Club Maverick. We invited different DJs to join us and livestreamed together. We were DJing and streaming every day, collaborating with all kinds of DJs. It was such a great experience.

Our first Twitch stream together—Sophia, Stephanie, and me—was a collaboration with Eric from The Baka Boyz. He featured us on his channel and helped boost ours. He was our Twitch teacher!

Sei: Was it fun? Was it difficult?

Yuko: It was fascinating and really inspiring. Being able to connect so closely with other DJs, even though we weren’t in a club, and still feel that shared energy—that was amazing.

Sei: Was it freestyle, or did you have set beats or tracks to work with?

Yuko: We had themes, like 2000s throwbacks, hip-hop, R&B, house music, and open format. We brought in different DJs, and it was so much fun.

With TikTok and streaming, we’re living in an era when anyone can become a DJ. Whether that’s good or bad is another conversation, but it’s amazing to me. Coming from vinyl, I can only say, “Wow.”

Sei: The tools are so much more accessible now.

Yuko: They really are.

Club Maverick DJs Sophia Lin, DJ Yuko, and Stephanie Loayza posing together.

Passing the Baton Forward — Japanese Artists Connecting in LA

Sei: I’d like to ask about your connection with someone else now. When I interviewed Yayoi Daimon, she told me that you were always filming her performances. DJ 2HIGH also mentioned your name. How do you feel about the connections among Japanese artists working in LA?

Yuko: It makes me really happy. Of course I’m glad Yayoi mentioned me, and DJ 2HIGH is a very well-known DJ and producer in Los Angeles, so it’s an honor that he mentioned me too.

Sei: I could sense how much Yayoi respected you when I interviewed her. That’s actually when I first thought, “I’d really love to interview DJ Yuko someday.”

Yuko: When I share the stage with Yayoi and DJ for her live performances, I can really feel her energy. Working with her gets me fired up too. It’s incredibly inspiring, and I come away energized every time.

“You’ll Be Okay. It’ll Work Out.” — Advice for Those Ready to Cross the Ocean

Sei: Let’s talk about the future. If you could send a message to the Yuko who moved from Hiroshima to LA in 2011, what would you tell her?

Yuko: You’ll be okay.

Sei: “You’ll be okay. It’ll all work out”?

Yuko: It’ll work out.

Sei: Even if your car spins out on the freeway! (Laughs.)

Yuko: No, that was seriously terrifying! (Laughs.)

Sei: I’m so glad it didn’t turn into a major accident. What advice would you give Japanese people who want to pursue DJing or music overseas, especially in America?

Yuko: If you want to do it, go as soon as you can. I feel like I moved at a relatively late age, in my late 20s. If you can make the leap earlier, do it. When you know what you want, act on it. As you get older, you don’t have the same stamina.

Sei: You’re younger than me, Yuko! But I get it. Staying out all night at clubs gets harder.

Yuko: DJing especially takes stamina. You have to look after your body—that’s part of the job. So if you want to pursue it, start moving early.

“DJing Is Therapy” — Why She Still Loves Her Dream Job

Sei: After more than 20 years behind the decks, what does DJing mean to you today?

Yuko: It’s my dream job.

Sei: Your dream job.

Yuko: It doesn’t even feel like work.

Sei: It doesn’t feel like a job anymore?

Yuko: When I’m DJing, there’s a part of me that doesn’t think of it as work. I’m having fun.

Sei: I feel the same way about writing.

Yuko: Enjoying what you do—that’s the most important thing. It’s like being in a dream. It’s almost like therapy.

Sei: Doing something you love and really enjoy.

Yuko: I DJed for eight hours yesterday.

Sei: Eight hours straight?

Yuko: Eight hours straight.

Sei: Wow! Where?

Yuko: At a casino in San Diego.

Sei: You DJed at a casino? That takes stamina.

Yuko: It really does. I drove two hours, then DJed for eight hours. But it doesn’t bother me at all. I love it.

Sei: Enjoying DJing for its own sake. Therapy.

Yuko: It really is therapy.

Beyond the DJ Booth — DREAM DJ Service and What’s Next

Yuko: Oh, and I started a business! It’s a small company, but I started my own company.

Sei: What kind of company?

Yuko: It’s a DJ business called DREAM DJ Service.

Sei: Nice! Is it a DJ booking agency?

Yuko: I’m not booking out other DJs yet. For now, I go to the events myself.

Sei: Thank you. (She hands me her business card.) Oh, DREAM DJ Service. CEO DJ Yuko!

Yuko: Private parties, wedding DJing, corporate pop-ups—that kind of thing. I bring the speakers and equipment, build the whole DJ booth, and create the setup and atmosphere for the event.

Sei: And you perform too?

Yuko: Yes, I play myself. Eventually, I’d love to grow the business enough to book other DJs too. There are so many private parties in California.

Sei: If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know. Though I’m not sure what that would be! (Laughs.)

Yuko: Even just including the name and a link would help so much.

Sei: Absolutely, I’ll include them. Are there any events you’d love to do or artists you’d especially like to work with?

Yuko: As I get older, I want to move into the next phase of my career from a business perspective.

I’d love to do more collaborations with major companies. Disney, Universal Studios, and Netflix are all exciting opportunities. I’ve worked with the Dodgers, but I’d love to DJ for the Lakers or Kings too. There are so many brands I’d love to work with. And my son loves Hot Wheels, so I’d definitely love to collaborate with them! (Laughs.) Of course, collaborating with artists would be amazing too!

Sei: Companies and artists looking for collaborators, please get in touch with Yuko! One last question: do you have a message for HIPHOPCs readers?

Yuko: Thank you so much for this interview. I’d be happy if my story could help someone. If you keep moving toward your goals and the things you want to do, it will take time, but they will become a reality.

Sei: Thank you for those encouraging words, and for agreeing to the interview. I think this is going to make a great article.

Yuko: I don’t often get the chance to talk about myself like this.

Sei: That’s true. Most people don’t get many opportunities like this in life.

Yuko: I’m grateful for this moment. Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity.

Sei: Thank you too. I can’t wait to see what you do next!

The Next Generation

In Hiroshima, someone saw the CDs scattered around Yuko’s car and suggested she make a mix. A mentor put her on the bill with DJ KAORI. Years later, DJ Sherry Cat handed her a Friday-night residency in LA. Her story keeps coming back to people who opened a door—and to her decision to walk through it.

That attention to people also shapes her approach to DJing. She watches the person dancing hardest and thinks about what the room wants to hear. She admires DJs who can switch genres without losing the energy. “I want the crowd to be happy,” she says.

Her answer to the young woman who moved to LA in 2011 is just as direct: “You’ll be okay. It’ll work out.” Coming from someone who hauled her own decks, chased bookings, and survived a $300 car spinning on the freeway, the reassurance has some weight behind it.

Now, through DREAM DJ Service, she is building another part of her career. Yet after a two-hour drive and an eight-hour set, she still calls DJing therapy. DJ KAORI once showed her what was possible. Somewhere, another DJ may be watching Yuko and imagining a path of her own.