Head Spins: DJ Jessica Who?

It's hard to beat a dame whose name not only has its roots in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, but also conjures images of a certain Hollywood bombshell and her amnesia-soaked hit TV show. Then again, it seems that few chicks even try to penetrate the DJ circuit. Whether that's on account of some old-boys' network protecting its turf, or simply because of an ingrained notion within club culture itself, the fact is that too damn few women are manning Miami's booths.

But let's dispense with gender. I don't make a point of mentioning that a cat's a cat when I'm writing about him, so there's really no reason to harp on a kitten being a kitten, even if she does apparently come from a hot tin roof and carry a whip. And anyway, I don't think anyone out on the dance floor is worrying about whether the DJ is a guy or a gal or any combination of both — just as long as the music is making them move.

And, without question, the dame named Who? makes them move, all right, and move something fierce. And whether it's in the back room at Purdy on one of those infamous Chocolate Sundays, or on the main floor at Heathrow for a Saturday-night throwdown, the move is something to behold, especially if you're the type to take your Tribe with a little Maino.

Who? got her giddyup at the eager, young age of 17, at a Crush party in Fort Lauderdale, after some swell dared her to get on the decks and she did. One spin led to another, and the party started jumping harder, so she took it up to Orlando. Whether the Big O was the place for a dame named Who? is anyone's guess, but I'm thinking the fact that the lass is all over Miami pretty much explains it.

And all over Miami she is — and has been: Cameo (main room and Vice), Funkshion, Gemma Lounge, and Buck 15 then; the above-mentioned Purdy and Heathrow now; and, as of last Friday, the recently reopened Karu & Y. And if that's not enough to sway the naysayers, Who? is on tap to scrap at Vagabond for a Fifties to Seventies funk/soul revival called Jive, beginning Wednesday, October 29. And since this hard-working dame has aligned with Irie's Artist Related, it's a cinch that all of that action is but a beginning to a whole lot more. You go, girl. (Oops!)

DJ Jessica Who?'s current top five:

1. "Gatas Gatas Gatas (Crookers Remix)," Edu K

2. "Whatever You Like," T.I.

3. "Grits Ain't Groceries," Little Milton

4. "Love Lockdown (Tom Wrecks Remix)," Kanye West

5. "Electric Feel," MGMT