J. Espinosa at the Red Bull Music 3Style World Finals in Taipei, Taiwan on Jan. 26, 2019. (Credit: Jasmine Chang / Red Bull)
J. Espinosa, the Red Bull Music 3Style world champion, sat down with the R.O.A.D. Podcast this week. The renowned Bay Area DJ talked about his experience competing in 3Style, what it’s like being the official DJ for the Oakland Raiders, plus more. At one point, Espinosa and the crew pondered the question: when should DJs retire?
Watch the excerpt below and the full episode here.
J. Espinosa at Pure Nightclub in Sunnyvale, California. / Facebook
J. Espinosa has put down a nostalgic throwback mix featuring of some of the biggest alternative rock and pop rock hits of the 90s and 2000s. The Bay Area native takes listeners on a trip back in time during his 97-minute PopRocks! set, which includes tracks from artists like Blink 182, Green Day, Linkin Park, Paramore, and The Offspring.
A former Red Bull 3Style world finalist, J. Espinosa currently serves as the Oakland Raiders in-house DJ. He can also be heard on San Francisco’s 99.7 NOW!.
With the Canelo Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin boxing match going down on Saturday, it seems right to share this Mexico-themed routine from J. Espinosa. Watch above to see him throw down a quick yet potent performance for Serato.
Invisibl Skratch Piklz perform on the Boiler Room in Oakland, California. (Photo credit: Tone Def)
The Boiler Room took a break from their usual electronic and hip-hop acts to host a turntablism party on Tuesday night. The show, which went down in Oakland, California, featured sets from the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, Cut Chemist, J. Espinosa, and Great Dane. Representing the ISP were DJ QBert, D-Styles, and DJ Shortkut.
The night was kicked off by Great Dane, a member of the influential Team Supreme production crew. The Fullerton, California native put down 45 minutes of trap and future bass.
J. Espinosa, the 2015 Red Bull 3Style US champion, followed with an epic set of Bay Area hip-hop and turntablism. The crowd loved it, and so did Cut Chemist, who performed after Espinosa.
“That’s a tough act to follow,” the Jurassic 5 member told the crowd when he took over the turntables. As one fan on Twitter put it, “I’ll never hear Bay classics the same way after hearing what J. Espinosa did to [them]…”
Cut Chemist lived up to his name by dropping a creative and technical performance using both turntables and CDJs. His set included hip-hop, breakbeats, African music, and a guest performance from Blackalicious rapper Gift of Gab. It was the perfect segue into the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, who took the crowd to outer space and beyond.
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J. Espinosa at Fluxx Nightclub in San Diego on Sept. 24, 2016 (via Facebook)
From holding down the airwaves at Los Angeles’ Power 106 and San Francisco’s 99.7 NOW! to rocking clubs and Oakland Raiders games, J. Espinosa is one California’s busiest DJs. The Bay Area native is also an accomplished battle DJ, having won the Red Bull Thre3style US Championship in 2015. Check out his five must-have travel items below.
Serato Control Vinyl, Red Bull Thre3style Edition
“I got a pair of really dope white control vinyl when I was in Japan last year for the Red Bull Thre3style World Finals. I barely ever use them, but just having them in my bag reminds me of my accomplishment.”
Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets
“What can I say? Sometimes I be greasy. I can’t be in pictures looking like I just jumped out a french fry basket!”
iPhone Charger
“I have a phone charger that never leaves my bag.”
Fingernail Clippers
“I can’t focus if my fingernails get too long. I get self-conscious about them, so I always keep some nail trimmers with me!”
Jason Markk Quick Wipes
“I gotta keep my kicks fresh when I’m on the road, and we all know that your shoes are gonna to get stepped on at least 89 times when you run to the restroom during your set. These wipes work great for on-the-go touch-ups if you’re a neat freak like me.”
J. Espinosa performs on the MikiDz Show on Jan. 11, 2016. (Matthew Ito)
On Monday, DJcity’s MikiDz Show returned from a two-year hiatus with a live stream featuring J. Espinosa. The Red Bull Thre3style World Finalist, who recently joined Los Angeles’ Power 106, delivered 42 minutes of hip-hop, bass music, and dancehall. Espinosa’s appearance also included an 18-minute interview with hosts MikiWAR and DJ Dainjazone. The show was attended by notable DJs such as Amen, Yonny, Trentino, and Dynamix.
Watch the full set and interview below. The audio is also available for download via iTunes.
J. Espinosa performs at The Bank in Las Vegas on June 28, 2015. (Facebook)
J. Espinosa has announced that he will be the resident mixer of Power 106’sJump Off Mix show starting this weekend. The Red Bull Thre3style World Finalist has been an occasional guest on the show, which for the past couple years featured a different DJ every weekend.
Espinosa’s resume includes being a mixer on San Francisco’s WiLD 94.9 and serving as the official DJ for the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Raiders.
Power 106’s Program Director Jimmy Steal told us: “J has been an on and off Jump Off mixer [at Power 106] for quite some time. I’m excited to see how he incorporates his mixing skills every weekend now.”
One of the most versatile DJs in the world, Espinosa was a finalist in the 2015 Red Bull Thre3style World Championship. He’s also a mixer at San Francisco’s WiLD 94.9 and the official DJ for the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco Giants.
January 11th’s set will be Espinosa’s second appearance on the show, the first being in 2010.
Tune into the live stream at 7 p.m. PST on DJcity.
J. Espinosa has seen an outpouring of press coverage, gig offers and exposure since winning the Redbull Thre3style U.S. Finals in April. One of his most notable features has been with Maxim magazine, who spoke to the Bay Area native about the battle, the current state of DJing, and more. Read the full interview here.
