Words by Alyson Robinson
On Tuesday, September 3rd, DJ Drama and his partners Dj Cannon, and DJ Sense held a press conference to announce the new members of The Academy. The highly anticipated invite-only announcement took place at Means Street Studios in Atlanta, GA with select key journalist from top hip-hop and entertainment media outlets in attendance.
The new members were handpicked by the DJ trio to join the prestigious new collective, The Academy. There have been underground talks in the music industry about who The Academy really are and who the selected batch would be.
“Trendsetter” DJ Sense announced The Academy members which include DJ Ace, DJ Ace McClowd, DJ Amen, DJ Blu, DJ Bran (Meek Mill’s DJ), DJ Crisis, DJ Diamond Kuts (Nicki Minaj’s DJ), DJ Dre Sinatra, DJ EscoMoe, DJ Franzen, DJ Genesis (Trinidad James’ DJ), DJ Green Lantern, DJ Iceberg, DJ Mustard, DJ Pauly D (MTV, Jersey Shore), DJ Plugg, DJ Quicksilva, DJ Ray G, DJ Mr. Rogers, DJ SpeakerFoxxx, DJ Steph Floss and DJ Tay James (Justin Bieber’s DJ).
Don Cannon, vice president of A&R at Def Jam Records explained the meaning of the new institution. “The Academy is an institution that will provide the next generation of DJs with a roadmap on how to break new artists and manage the business side of the music industry,” Cannon said.
Official Academy Press Conference-Click here
DJ Drama then explained the mission of The Academy. “Cannon, Sense and I thought this was a great time to start The Academy with the heights and success we have reached in our careers,” said DJ Drama. “We want to give back to the community and continue to make a huge impact on the culture of hip-hop and music.”
The selected DJs have ties to popular artists in the business, but what set them apart from the rest is that they have a now undeniable presence in urban radio.
“What sets The Academy apart from other DJ cliques is Drama, Cannon and I personally invited these DJs from across the country to join our movement,” said DJ Sense. “We saw they were doing big things in their markets and already making a name for themselves in the industry.”
More information about The Academy is available at Onlyoneacademy.com. Visit and follow hashtag #TheAcademy on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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