Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images
What He Does: DJ Reach spins a mix of dance classics everywhere from New York nightclubs like Spirit to Last Call With Carson Daly, to corporate and social events. He also runs ENSM Nightlife Marketing and Event Promotions with college friends Jed Stiller and Alex Masnyk.
His Background: After growing up in Manhattan and spinning at high school parties in town, Namakajo went to Wesleyan, where he put himself through college promoting and spinning parties with his friends. When he got back to New York, he struggled to make a name for himself; he’d been in Connecticut while DJ’s his age—like Cassidy and Jus Ske—had a head start in the city. That changed when he got a gig as Daly’s in-studio DJ when the show launched in 2002 (he still spins on the show once a month or so), and he parlayed that experience into gigs at clubs around town—like the then-new venue Marquee. Lately, he’s kept his other obligations going while also spinning more frequently at corporate events—including parties for Maxim, the Toronto Film Festival, and Lindsay Lohan's album release.
His Style: Namakajo’s sets are like a sound track for his generation (late twentysomethings). He incorporates a mix of archetypal hip-hop, rock, and 80’s tunes in all his standard playlists. “I spin everything from Guns N' Roses' “Sweet Child O’ Mine” to Joan Jett's “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll,” he says, “to Madonna, Kanye West, and Stevie Wonder."
His Background: After growing up in Manhattan and spinning at high school parties in town, Namakajo went to Wesleyan, where he put himself through college promoting and spinning parties with his friends. When he got back to New York, he struggled to make a name for himself; he’d been in Connecticut while DJ’s his age—like Cassidy and Jus Ske—had a head start in the city. That changed when he got a gig as Daly’s in-studio DJ when the show launched in 2002 (he still spins on the show once a month or so), and he parlayed that experience into gigs at clubs around town—like the then-new venue Marquee. Lately, he’s kept his other obligations going while also spinning more frequently at corporate events—including parties for Maxim, the Toronto Film Festival, and Lindsay Lohan's album release.
His Style: Namakajo’s sets are like a sound track for his generation (late twentysomethings). He incorporates a mix of archetypal hip-hop, rock, and 80’s tunes in all his standard playlists. “I spin everything from Guns N' Roses' “Sweet Child O’ Mine” to Joan Jett's “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll,” he says, “to Madonna, Kanye West, and Stevie Wonder."
