James Hype is a name that will be very familiar to most dance music fans. The British producer and DJ has risen to become one of the top figures in house music, thanks to an unwavering commitment to his craft and a keen eye for content – his unique and skilful mix clips have racked up millions of views on social media.
We were blessed to have James come on our Off The Record DJ Podcast, where he shared the stories of his years rising through the ranks in the DJ world and gave us some must-know tips for anyone looking to make it big. Here are our top 5 takeaways you can learn from James’ journey.
1. You Can’t Skip the Grind
Before James Hype became a global sensation, he was putting in the legwork, often to small crowds that are a far cry from the big festival stages he’s now known for.
“I used to DJ five or six nights a week every week for years”, he recalled. “When I first started, they gave me a Tuesday night in this after-hours club in Liverpool. It was busy around 4 a.m., and I realised quite quickly that for me to do my job well, I just had to keep people on the dance floor. The first time I played, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to play all my favourite tunes.’ And very quickly, I realised at 4 a.m., no one cares about your favourite tunes.”
From those early days, James understood the importance of showing up, even when the odds weren’t in his favour. “You’d turn up some nights, and there’d be five people in the club. But those nights taught me so much. I had to learn how to keep going, to still put on a good set, even when the room wasn’t full. Every night, I was learning something – how to keep people on the dance floor and how to read a crowd.”
This mindset doesn’t just apply to his performances either. He admits to becoming “addicted” to the process of releasing a new remix every single week. This constant flow of new productions was key to his tracks blowing up with other DJs and help push his career forward.
The lesson here is that success in the DJ world comes from resilience and not being afraid to put in the hours. The best DJs are, more often than not, the ones that show up, time after time, no matter the circumstances.
2. Big Risks Create Big Rewards
James made a bold decision early in his career – he walked away from residencies to take control of his future. He’d landed a steady and lucrative residency at Prism in Leeds but was growing frustrated at the relentless schedule with no weeks off for other slots.
He left the security of his residency, sold his car and took all his savings to finance a move to America. There, he got heads down with cranking out content, creating the illusion of success and a permanent move – fake it until you make it.
“I always love taking big risks”, James shared. “I decided I’m just going to go to America, and I know that there’s no gigs for me here … so I’m just going to go and make loads of noise on the internet”.
The “smoke and mirrors” strategy worked, creating buzz around his name and securing new opportunities.
The lesson? Sometimes, you have to bet on yourself and take risks to push your career forward.
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3. Content Is King
While many DJs focus solely on their music, James emphasises the importance of creating content to build his career. In today’s super-competitive DJ world, just mixing isn’t enough anymore.
“Content comes before everything,” James explains. “I could make the best song in the world, but without content, no one’s going to listen to it.”
In the early days, James used to take a camera on a tripod to his shows to film his sets. This transformed into live streaming during the lockdowns to keep the flow of content coming.
Now, he’s just as committed to the importance of content creation. While the setup has moved from James and his mate to a full-on team, he’s still involved every day with content meetings and gets stuck in with the process.
James creates a wide range of content across the web – vlogs, mixes, tutorials, you name it. The key to staying fresh with this content is experimentation. He admits to getting it wrong a lot, but even the best content creators don’t have all their posts go viral. The key is to trust the process, keep at it and not be afraid to try new things with your content.
James always has a mind for what content’s going to pop off – which has led to him performing some sets in pretty unorthodox locations, like the Californian desert.
4. Adaptability Is Key
James’s ability to adapt his style has been crucial to his growth as a DJ. Reflecting on his Sunday night residency in Liverpool, he shared how the club owner wanted him to play indie rock, soul, and other open-format music – a sharp departure from his usual house music sets. “I didn’t really enjoy it most weeks,” James admitted, “but on reflection, those Sundays gave me so much. I wasn’t fighting to keep people on the dance floor like I was on a Thursday. I was spending time digging through music, finding cool records from the 80s, and learning how to connect with specific groups of people.”
Whether dropping indie for Liverpudlian locals or tailoring a set for a Las Vegas crowd, James embraces the challenge of creating moments that resonate with his audience. During a recent South American tour, he researched the most popular rappers in each region and created remixes of their tracks to mix into his performances. “The people were losing their minds,” he recalled, showing how tapping into local culture and taking the time to tailor your sets can take your performances to the next level.
5. Success Takes Sacrifice
James’s journey wasn’t always glamorous. Even after his career began gaining momentum, James poured every ounce of energy and time back into his craft to the point where he “wasn’t making any money for years.”
When he first moved to London, he couldn’t afford a place to live and ended up sleeping on the floor of his rented studio. “You don’t get into this because you want to be rich,” James explained. “You do it because you love it. That’s the only thing that will pull you through.”
The dedication to the career comes with sacrifices that go beyond financial as well. Even as he achieves major milestones, he admits he struggles to slow down or celebrate them. “I’m not really good at celebrating,” he shared. “I enjoy the process, and I don’t need time off. I already start thinking about what’s next—I have to force myself to take time off because I just love what I do.”
Touring adds another layer to the sacrifices, with personal moments often put on hold. “I was away for a month, and the moment I get back, I’m already packing for the next gig,” he explained. “You miss birthdays, moments with family, and normal life. It’s all for the passion of the craft.”
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