This week's Exchange was recorded in November 2021 as part of our Full Circle series, which celebrates women in electronic music. DJ, producer and community organiser JADALAREIGN sat down with two of Resident Advisor's staff writers, Kiana Mickles and Nyshka Chandran, at our New York office.
JADALAREIGN was raised about an hour north of New York City, in a musical household soundtracked by funk, soul, hip-hop and R&B. Growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood impacted how she operates today—her work prioritises cultivating community, as community wasn't always something she felt she had.
After playing instruments, studying fashion and ending up in a corporate job, JADALAREIGN became increasingly engaged in music through her side hustle as the music director for an entertainment blog. In 2015, she took her first DJ lesson and felt instantly drawn to the craft. Gradually, she grew more and more immersed in the New York scene.
Today, JADALAREIGN is a booker for leading New York club Nowadays, using her role heading up the Friday night programming to create more space and opportunity for people of colour in dance music. She also runs a workshop series called SKILLSHARE, which supports other women of colour, as well as queer folks, non-binary people and trans people, wanting to learn about the ins and outs of the music industry. In 2020, she launched In Sessions with Sam Law and FIVEBOI, a digital production camp that, when it first launched, reached around 300 people daily from 30 different countries.
In this Exchange, JADALAREIGN discusses her work and community projects, how New York's dance music culture has changed in recent years and the importance of the scene's players engaging in honest reflection to increase diversity. She also touches on the value of mentorship for marginalised creatives and what can be done to prevent artists of colour feeling tokenised.
Tracklist:
JADALAREIGN - 2B2S (HAUS of ALTR)