Meet Jasmine Kazempoor | DJ NAZZY

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jasmine Kazempoor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jasmine, why did you pursue a creative career?
I always had such a passion and ear for music at a young age. Growing up, my dad was very into sports, which inherently made me very into sports as well. I always wanted to do everything my dad did. If he was playing soccer, I was playing soccer. If he was flipping through our CD album, I was flipping through our CD album right next to him. My dad caught on to how interested I was in the music he would play on the speakers every night. The sounds of afghan music would echo throughout our living room, which was filled with various instruments like the tabla, harmonium, and rubab. He constantly told me that it’s important to incorporate music into my life because music is not fleeting. It is something I will be able to listen to and play forever. From then on, I learned how to play the accordion or “harmonium” and would play at every family event. Then, as I grew older, just like any other kid would, I wanted to hang out with my “cool” older sisters. My sisters constantly bumped 90’s r&b and hip hop every day after school in their rooms. Car rides were always filled with the sounds of Aaliyah, TLC, Tupac, Biggie, and Ms. Lauryn Hill. I found myself singing and dancing along with them even though I was 8 years younger.

Fast-forward to 2011, I touched my first set of turntables. The DJ let me mess around with his decks and I was so in awe of the art of scratching. After that day, I immediately downloaded Serato onto my sister’s laptop and downloaded a bunch of music from Limewire. I started to dig for music and remixes across different platforms for years until I finally decided that I wanted to take DJing seriously. While in college, I decided to apply for the Academy of DJs and joined a cohort of aspiring DJs. Through that program, I was able to learn technical skills and the ins and outs of the DJ world.

DJing has allowed me to combine the sounds of my culture with the 90’s r&b and hip hop I grew up with. It is my creative outlet and allows me to connect with so many individuals across the community.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Since I started spinning, I had one goal: to incorporate the sounds and music of my culture into old school and modern-day hip hop and r&b music. I love throwing out mixes and beats from the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, and intertwining them with the music you may hear on the radio.

Growing up as an Afghan-American, I was taught to speak and understand my cultural dialect Dari. By doing so, I was able to grow a deep understanding and love for Afghan music and the impact it’s made on Afghan-Americans. Musical legends and icons such as Ahmad Zahir, Mahwash, and even up-and-coming producers like Farhot have helped create light and vibrancy in Afghanistan. I only hope to continue to bring that vibrancy to the stage whenever I spin.

I am most proud of the connections I have made throughout these past couple of years since DJing. I have become a resident DJ at Hive and Honey, The Wine Bar in LB, and a frequent at CommonSpace Brewery in LA. I have had many opportunities come my way from people listening to the music that I play.
With that said, the road to get to this position was of course not easy. Being a female in this male-dominated space comes with its hardships at times. But, if there is one thing I learned, it is to always stay true to your morals and values. This means I will continue to play and showcase the music that I grew up with and stay true to my goal when DJing.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I recently moved to West Los Angeles, but I am an Orange County girl at heart. We would first start our day in OC, maybe some brunch at this cool spot in Laguna Beach called Larsen. We would then make our way down PCH to Santa Monica, and go cruising with the windows down – music blasting.
I enjoy fitting in a good workout in my day and the Santa Monica steps are usually my go-to for a good sweat!
It would only make sense to catch the sunset near Pacific Palisades and of course, grab some dinner at either Elephante or Cassia.
The night would end at one of my favorite bars in the westside– Blind Barber. The vibes and music would not disappoint!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The first shoutout goes out to my dad, Nadim. My dad’s true passion in life is soccer; he’s loved the sport since he was a little boy. Although his true love lies in soccer, he never failed to instill the importance of following my true passion no matter what. My parent’s love, support, and encouragement allowed me to pursue my passion and love for music even further. To this day, both of my parents get so excited once they see my DJing and hear the music blasting through the speakers. Once the music fades, I often hear them both yell, “TURN IT UP JAZZY”.

The second shoutout goes out to my older sisters, Diana & Deeba. I have a true love and appreciation for hip hop & r&b music because of them. They’re the first ones to show up to my gigs, hype me up, dance the night away, and of course, the last to leave. Shoutout to my little brother, Tony; he’s always carrying my speakers and equipment for me. I love seeing his love for music grow each day. He is the hippest kid I know and has the best ear for new music finds that we can spend hours jamming to.

Last but not least, shoutout to the Academy of DJs. All the mentors there taught me so much about the art of DJing. Just as much as I was willing to learn from them, they were willing to learn from me.

Instagram: @jkazempoor @dj.nazzy

Other: soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/djnazzy

Image Credits
Soliman Popal @soli.pop.originals Earl Buenaobra @earl.eos