DJ T. Gray

Monday, May 14, 2018

The Houston Rockets’ Official DJ Shares His Playlist for the NBA Playoffs

DJ T. Gray

DJ T. Gray
DJ T. Gray at Toyota Center in Houston.

DJ T. Gray, a veteran DJ/producer from Texas, has been the official DJ for the Houston Rockets for the past four seasons. The team is set to take on the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals of the NBA Playoffs on Monday.

T. Gray began working with the Rockets as their public address announcer in the 2000s. He also serves as the official DJ for the Houston Dynamo soccer team and as the music director at Country Rap Tunes Radio. As a producer, he has done remixes for Texas artists like Beyoncé, Pimp C, Chamillionaire, and Slim Thug.

With game one of the Western Conference Semifinals upon us, we asked T. Gray to share his playlist of tracks for this year’s postseason. His list includes song requests from players as well as his own picks. We also asked him a couple questions about what it’s like DJing for the Rockets.

Player Picks

James Harden: Nipsey Hussle ft. Kendrick Lamar – Dedication
Gerald Green: Fat Pat – Tops Drop
Trevor Ariza: Drake ft. PartyNextDoor – Wednesday Night Interlude
Rockets Mascot: BlocBoy JB – Shoot

T. Gray’s Picks

Huncho Jack, Travis Scott, & Quavo ft. Takeoff – Eye 2 Eye
Nipsey Hussle – Grindin All My Life
Meek Mill – Monster
Prince – Let’s Go Crazy
DJ Snake & Lil Jon – Turn Down For What
UGK – Choppin’ Blades
Gary Glitter – Rock and Roll, Pt. 2
Yung Martez ft. DJ Xo – Never Forget
Lil’ Flip ft. Young Buck & Bun B – Game Over (Flip) – Remix
KC & The Sunshine Band – That’s The Way (I Like It)
J. Cole – Motiv8
J Balvin & Willy William – Mi Gente – Deville Remix
Krajno – Saxoton
Drake – Nice For What
Migos – Stir Fry – Mr. Collipark Remix
Usher ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris – Yeah!
G-Eazy ft. A$AP Rocky & Cardi B – No Limit – DJ O Remix
Missy Elliott ft. Ciara & Fatman Scoop – Lose Control
Steve Aoki, Chris Lake & Tujamo – Boneless
The Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling – Kees Sjansen Moombahton Remix
Smash Mouth – All Star
Travis Scott ft. Kanye West & Lil Uzi Vert – Watch
The Jacksons – Can You Feel It

DJ T. Gray

Which player has the best taste in music?

James Harden is really the DJ as far as what the players want to hear. Being from L.A., he’s got a lot of love for their local hip-hop scene. Whether it’s the latest release from Nipsey Hussle, a mixtape cut from Bino Rideux or a DJ Mustard banger, we’ve created this bridge from Houston to L.A., and I love it. Most of the songs he wants to hear are not clean, so I spend a great deal of time making my own clean edits. Team player over here!

What song gets the players most hype?

BlocBoy JB’s “Shoot” is king right now. Viral videos of Harden dancing to it during warm-ups have helped the song grow with fans, and when it’s played, the energy in the Toyota Center rises to playoff level.

Follow DJ T. Gray on Instagram, Mixcloud, Twitter.

Related: The Toronto Raptors’ Official DJ Shares His Playlist for the NBA Playoffs

| DJ Culture
DJ T. Gray, Interview, Sports,
Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Travel Tips for DJs Visiting Houston

Ape Drums

Ape Drums
Ape Drums (credit: P.O.P Photography)

DJs may not know where to eat, stay, and play when they get booked in cities they’ve never been to before. To help them get the most out of their visit, DJcity has a monthly series called DJ Travel Tips. The series highlights some of the best things to do in some of the most popular destinations around the world. For this edition, DJcity spoke with four DJs from Houston, a longtime hip-hop hub and the location of Super Bowl 51.

Where to stay

Ape Drums:

“Stay at Hotel ZaZa, it’s located in the Museum District and is one of the nicest hotels in Houston. If you’re into arts and culture, there are several museums to visit in the area. If you’re on a budget, the Hilton and Hyatt Regency in downtown are also very nice and surrounded by things to do, such as parks and places to eat.”

Where to eat

Eddie Deville:

“Check out Laurenzo’s on Washington Ave for the prime rib or fish and grits, Frank’s Pizza for a pie, and The Turkey Leg Hut, which is known for their stuffed turkey legs and exotic surf and turf plates. The hut also has DJs at night. For your Sunday morning gig hangover, try the chicken-fried lobster brunch at MAX’s Wine Dive. If you want to see the origins of Houston’s chopped and screwed culture, take a trip to MLK Boulevard and hit up Timmy Chan’s for some wings and rice served with your choice of Kool-Aid.”

What to do

DJ T Gray:

“If you have a good amount of time on a nice afternoon, a trip to NASA’s Johnson Space Center is always a fun and educational adventure. Houston’s Museum District offers various facilities ranging from the Museum of Natural Science and to the jaw-dropping Holocaust Museum. Rice Village, home of Rice University, has a lot of boutique shopping and great restaurants and bars. Also, hit up Vinh or George at Mega DJ Center to get the latest and custom DJ gear and accessories.”

Where to party

Tony Styles:

“If bar hopping is your thing, Midtown is your place. Start at The Dogwood on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, and make your way around the block and down the streets. Washington Ave also has a bar hopping buzz. Start at Kung Fu Saloon and make your rounds on foot from there. One of the newer, high-end spots in the city is Clé. Big names roll through there on the regular, like Afrojack, Steve Aoki, Drake, and Justin Bieber. It has an outdoor pool with cabanas, and in the summer during “Sunday Fundae,” it feels like Vegas. AURA and La Roux often have some great talent also.”

Related: Travel Tips for DJs Visiting Philadelphia

| DJ Culture
Ape Drums, DJ T. Gray, DJ Travel Tips, Eddie Deville, Tony Styles,

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