DJ MAKJ — real name Mackenzie Johnson, not that anybody ever calls him that — has had a passion for DJing and mixing since he was just fifteen years old while living overseas in China. His first turntables were a set of Technics 1200s. It was the beginning of a love story without end between a young man and electronic music.
At seventeen, moving back to the United States, he was bound and determined to make his dreams come true. He felt he had a new perspective after living abroad that would help him build his life and his career. He seems to have been correct.
MAKJ got his start DJing at university parties in San Luis Obispo, California, where he quickly became incredibly sought-after. At this point, he had something incredible happen. Not only was he getting invited to DJ party after party, he suddenly found himself in the tutelage of the legendary DJ AM.
Over the course of several sessions together, DJ AM taught MAKJ the art of scratching. Johnson’s been practicing and perfecting his skills ever since. Along that road to perfection, he’s played a huge number of incredibly impressive venues, such as Liv, Ruby Skye, Avalon, XS, Pacha, and The Hollywood Palladium. He’s toured both nationally and globally, too, performing at a number of huge music festivals, including Tomorrow World and the Ultra Music Festival in Miami.
What sets MAKJ apart? What’s gotten him all this success? Not only does the man work hard and care about music more than anything else in the world; he has a hugely diverse creative capacity. He crosses electronic genres like crossing a deserted street. He can read an audience and put together a dance set like nobody’s business.
