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  • 7 minutes ago
Between being cofounder and producer of the party series GHE20G0TH1K (pronounced "ghetto gothic") along with its DJ, multihyphenate Jazmin Venus Soto, affectionately known as Venus X, is one of the most charismatic and influential masterminds NYC nightlife has to offer. And, somehow she manages to get up before the sun goes down and do more. This has allowed her to partner up with M.I.A. as tour DJ, spin for Fashion Week, be the face of an ad campaign, and blow up A$AP Rocky's spot by appearing in his video "Peso." Phew.

So, for the first installment of our DJ series, After Hours, we spend a little QT with H&M and Venus X at the R29 HQ — right before she commands a full-house rager at Rough Trade in Brooklyn while opening for her friend Kelela. Watch as this girl-about-town breaks down her signature look, her beloved club-kid subculture, and a music generation that is constantly shifting. Better squeeze in that disco nap — it's gonna be a wild night.
Transcript
00:06I use DJing as my way of talking to people.
00:09This is a different generation.
00:10We have a different soundscape, we have a different story to tell,
00:14we have a different experience, and we're still trying to figure out exactly what that is.
00:29Musicals are always a part of my life in some way.
00:31How I DJ is literally throwing everything in a blender.
00:34That's the same way I'm dressing myself.
00:36It's a mash-up culture.
00:38When I put on clothes, I feel like I'm stepping into the person who can really express the real me.
00:45For me, it has to do a lot with music and with politics.
00:48I guess I like things that are, like, subculture-oriented,
00:51whether it's a choker or, you know, some thigh-head boobs or military clothes.
00:55I just think that if you commit to yourself, the results are crazy.
01:00Fashion is just supposed to enable you to look more like yourself.
01:03It takes a lot of bravery to just walk through the world looking like yourself,
01:07in a world where the idea is that you have to look pretty, whatever that means.
01:10And so there's, like, so much space in there for us to figure out our optimal levels.
01:15When we look good, we feel good.
01:17When we feel good, we are really productive.
01:19I came to change the way you think about, like, what's normal.
01:21I came to change the way you think about what's acceptable.
01:24You absolutely have to just piss some people off and just get what you want.
01:29And yeah, can I tell you.
01:32Watch out.
01:33Ew.adora.
01:41Shannan.
01:47kami

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