Brit Pack Interviews
DJ DODGE
Name: Roger Drakes AKA DJ Dodge
Profession: DJ/Producer/Property Investor
Current Residence: Los Angeles
Previous residence: Streatham, South-West London
Left UK in: 2007
It’s a cool and slightly overcast Monday morning in Pomona, 40 miles east of Los Angeles. Although it’s still early, the clouds don’t look like they’re going anywhere. I’m relaxing in the passenger-side of a 2002 Grand Jeep Cherokee, next to British DJ and producer DJ Dodge.
Given his profession, you’d be excused for thinking he’d just finished an all-nighter at some trendy establishment nearby and was now on his way home for a well-earned rest. In fact, he’s been up bright and early, staking out properties at a nearby courthouse in his role as a foreclosure buyer.
His shift’s over now and he has a few hours to relax before working on his real passion - music.
“I was on Craigslist looking to earn some cash and I came across this job just driving to properties,” he explains. “I wasn’t sure what is was, but it turned out to be foreclosures and I really got interested in that business. I’ve always been into properties because I had a few in London.”
Dodge relocated from South-West London to California in 2007 with not much more than a backpack and a dream. He did, however, have the one thing that would allow him to stay here for as long as it took to achieve that dream - a green card.
“I always use to tell my daughter I’m going to live in America one day,” he admits, sipping on a green tea from Starbucks. “I did the whole back and forth thing from London to New York in the 90s. The minute you leave, the people you’ve had meetings with, they forget you. When you come back you have to start from scratch. I don’t like that unsettled kind of life.”
He pauses and looks behind him. Then breaks his train of thought and decides to move to a better parking space before a traffic warden spots us.
A few minutes later, located on a street better positioned to catch the scarce sunlight, he continues his green card story.
Profession: DJ/Producer/Property Investor
Current Residence: Los Angeles
Previous residence: Streatham, South-West London
Left UK in: 2007
It’s a cool and slightly overcast Monday morning in Pomona, 40 miles east of Los Angeles. Although it’s still early, the clouds don’t look like they’re going anywhere. I’m relaxing in the passenger-side of a 2002 Grand Jeep Cherokee, next to British DJ and producer DJ Dodge.
Given his profession, you’d be excused for thinking he’d just finished an all-nighter at some trendy establishment nearby and was now on his way home for a well-earned rest. In fact, he’s been up bright and early, staking out properties at a nearby courthouse in his role as a foreclosure buyer.
His shift’s over now and he has a few hours to relax before working on his real passion - music.
“I was on Craigslist looking to earn some cash and I came across this job just driving to properties,” he explains. “I wasn’t sure what is was, but it turned out to be foreclosures and I really got interested in that business. I’ve always been into properties because I had a few in London.”
Dodge relocated from South-West London to California in 2007 with not much more than a backpack and a dream. He did, however, have the one thing that would allow him to stay here for as long as it took to achieve that dream - a green card.
“I always use to tell my daughter I’m going to live in America one day,” he admits, sipping on a green tea from Starbucks. “I did the whole back and forth thing from London to New York in the 90s. The minute you leave, the people you’ve had meetings with, they forget you. When you come back you have to start from scratch. I don’t like that unsettled kind of life.”
He pauses and looks behind him. Then breaks his train of thought and decides to move to a better parking space before a traffic warden spots us.
A few minutes later, located on a street better positioned to catch the scarce sunlight, he continues his green card story.
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“I had a Iawyer who told me about the extraordinary ability green card, which wasn’t very well known at the time. It’s for people who work in a field where they’ve excelled and can bring that skill to America and add to the country’s greatness. I got letters of recommendation from everyone I knew in the business; people at MTV, BBC Radio 1, teachers from Universities I’d spoken at, I had about 30 by the time I finished and my lawyer sent them in with the application. It took me about 18 months to get it.”
An established and successful DJ and producer in London, Dodge is best known for playing alongside Trevor Nelson at MTV Lick Parties. He’s worked in over 35 countries including Indonesia, Dubai and Egypt and is widely known for his remix work on acts like Jill Scott, Eric Benet and D’Angelo. But after over 20 years on the UK RnB and soul circuit he was starting to feel stifled. |
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“In London I was in a box,” he says. “I felt like I couldn’t expand my brand or really take it anywhere. When I first got to LA the amount of freedom I felt just by being in a place where nobody knew me, it felt great.”
Inspired by this new-found freedom and the music he was hearing in the Californian clubs, he started working on a house music album.
“I was trying a ting, doing something different musically,” he tells me. “But people in UK didn’t like it. Everyone who knew me from before thought it was shit, but everyone who didn’t know me thought it was cool.”
His first 3 to 4 years after relocating was spent trying to crack the LA music industry and he admits it was tough.
“Nobody knows you and you’re basically trying to re-build your name from scratch,” he says reflectively. “And even what you’ve done in the UK doesn’t really work for you over here. A lot of Americans don’t really care what’s going on outside of America. I remember when I first came here and I was looking for an apartment. I didn’t have a credit history and all that stuff. I had all these Abbey National bank statements, that’s who I was banking with at the time. Because it wasn’t a Barclays or HSBC they looked at it and said ‘nah, we can’t take this, we’ve never heard of this bank.”
He’s steadily working on establishing his brand and has played at high profile clubs like Boulevard III, Kress and Marbella. Dodge has also decided to go back to what he knows best and is working on soul album.
“People expect a certain thing from me. I’m good at jazzy soulful music. It’ll let the people in the UK know I haven’t gone crazy!”
He’s also branching out into a new profession, after getting a feel for property development through his day-time gig. His latest venture is Southwest Sixteen, his own property investment company, something he sees as a natural progression.
Inspired by this new-found freedom and the music he was hearing in the Californian clubs, he started working on a house music album.
“I was trying a ting, doing something different musically,” he tells me. “But people in UK didn’t like it. Everyone who knew me from before thought it was shit, but everyone who didn’t know me thought it was cool.”
His first 3 to 4 years after relocating was spent trying to crack the LA music industry and he admits it was tough.
“Nobody knows you and you’re basically trying to re-build your name from scratch,” he says reflectively. “And even what you’ve done in the UK doesn’t really work for you over here. A lot of Americans don’t really care what’s going on outside of America. I remember when I first came here and I was looking for an apartment. I didn’t have a credit history and all that stuff. I had all these Abbey National bank statements, that’s who I was banking with at the time. Because it wasn’t a Barclays or HSBC they looked at it and said ‘nah, we can’t take this, we’ve never heard of this bank.”
He’s steadily working on establishing his brand and has played at high profile clubs like Boulevard III, Kress and Marbella. Dodge has also decided to go back to what he knows best and is working on soul album.
“People expect a certain thing from me. I’m good at jazzy soulful music. It’ll let the people in the UK know I haven’t gone crazy!”
He’s also branching out into a new profession, after getting a feel for property development through his day-time gig. His latest venture is Southwest Sixteen, his own property investment company, something he sees as a natural progression.
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We’ve been talking for nearly an hour and I’m starting to think about the taco place we passed earlier. As if on cue Dodge pulls out a plastic bag stuffed with grapes, oranges and fresh berries.
“I always pack my own snacks,” he confesses. It’s one of his biggest tips for anyone who’s just moved to the U.S. “If you’re on the move all the time you’re going to get fat. There isn’t anything healthy to eat on the road. There aren’t many Marks and Spencer-type stores where you can get a healthy snack for $5 dollars here; everything is just drive-through fast food." |
As we munch on grapes, I get the sense that although things haven’t panned out the way he may have hoped, Dodge doesn’t regret a thing about his life these days.
“My growth in the last 5 years has been much more than in the last 20 years and it wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t leave,” he says sincerely. After a pause, he adds, “I’ve spent more time on my own here than ever in my life and as a result I’ve become more spiritual. I feel I can do anything now.”
He probably can. Relocating to a new country where you have no family and no job waiting is one of the bravest things you can do. He’s gained something more lasting than overnight success; personal growth and a better quality of life.
“There are days when I don’t have anything going on; no bookings; just hustling, but I still feel very happy just being here.”
Catch DJ Dodge at the R Lounge in Studio City on Saturday nights.
Check out his mixes at www.djdodge.com or contact him if you’re interested in property investment at www.southwestsixteen.net
“My growth in the last 5 years has been much more than in the last 20 years and it wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t leave,” he says sincerely. After a pause, he adds, “I’ve spent more time on my own here than ever in my life and as a result I’ve become more spiritual. I feel I can do anything now.”
He probably can. Relocating to a new country where you have no family and no job waiting is one of the bravest things you can do. He’s gained something more lasting than overnight success; personal growth and a better quality of life.
“There are days when I don’t have anything going on; no bookings; just hustling, but I still feel very happy just being here.”
Catch DJ Dodge at the R Lounge in Studio City on Saturday nights.
Check out his mixes at www.djdodge.com or contact him if you’re interested in property investment at www.southwestsixteen.net
