Only a few female DJs are making a living in NYC, but one disco bunny has downtown on lockdown. Singer/rapper, nightlife personality, and soon-to-be streetwear fashion designer, DJ Roxy Cottontail got her start as one of the city’s best-known promoters for the Motherf*cker parties, notorious for its eclectic crowd of downtown club kids, cross-dressers, fashionistas, and rock stars. Her latest mix tape, Blonde Ambition (free to download), is an electro-disco-funk dance party playlist inspired by Madonna.
When she’s not spinning behind the decks at hot NYC clubs like 1 OAK and Sway, Roxy, who also goes by Oxy, is spreading her positive beats worldwide. We recently caught up with her at Kush Lounge on the Lower East Side to find out what life is like on the party trail.
So you just flew in from LA. What were you doing out there? I was in LA to DJ mostly. I did five gigs out there. I travel and do my thing, throw a party, and DJ. I also worked on my brand and clothing line with Hellz Bellz while I was in LA—it will come out in spring of 2009.
You were college roommates at the Pratt Institute with Justine D, a well-known DJ and founder of Motherf*cker. How did she influence you? Justine really made me see the positive sides of nightlife—watching her work and DJ the music she loved, and sleeping late, and getting a lot of respect for what she loved doing. I was like, I love music just as much as you, I should do this too.
What was your first impression of NYC club life?
When I first moved to New York, I had a roommate previous to Justine that was catching the end of the rave scene. She did a lot of hard drugs, and it really scared me. I know the rave scene was huge and amazing, and a lot of the music I play now comes from that era, but it just wasn’t a positive thing, so I just focused on school. Then I started going to Spa and the Motherf*cker parties, and it kind of just really evolved for me.
What exactly do promoters do?
Promoters are at their computer a lot, and if they’re online they have a Myspace, a Facebook, a Going.com profile, and they’re texting, calling, and making connections. You’re constantly going out, doing social networking, and you’re in the nightlife and going to galleries. I’ll pretty much talk to anybody.
What was it like to break into the male-dominated DJ scene?
I started collecting music and watching the guys do their thing, and I thought, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be doing this too. So I started spinning. Having Nicole [of Nina Sky] around, I realized that guys c*ckblock a little bit. Her and I trade music, trade tricks, and give each other good advice. Girl power!
Your parties at Sway are known for being good. What makes for a good party? A good party is 50 guys and 50 girls (or a decent split), free alcohol is good, and great music is very important to keep everyone dancing and the vibe incredible.
You introduced some acts from Philly to NYC—are there any musicians we should be checking out this summer? Coming up in the music industry is a girl from Sweden, Mapei. She’s from Rhode Island and she’s half Swedish, half American, and she’s an amazing rapper and singer.
What are the best dance spots in NYC right now? For dancing I would say I’m really loving Santos’ Party House. I went there a couple of times when it opened a couple of weeks ago, and it kind of blew my mind in terms of the sound and the space. Studio B now has a rooftop which is cool, and Love is good for dance parties. Sway is good for more intimate dance parties. I miss Happy Valley, that was [fashion designer] Jeremy Scott’s club—I loved that place. I miss the Palladium, and I went to Twilo back in the day—I wish that was around still, that was epic.
You’re entering the world of fashion design—do you feel pressure to stay on top of trends? And do you have any fashion tips for summer ’08? I think my style is so eclectic, so it’s not about staying on top per se. I match my vintage pieces with my Donna Karan shoes and my customized jackets. For summer, I think headbands are going to make an even bigger resurgence. Fishnets are good for summer, high heels, and flip flops. Just wear less clothes and have fun.
If you weren’t a DJ and nightlife brand, what would you be doing? If I wasn’t a lifestyle brand I would probably be surfing in Hawaii. I would give up all of the crazy nightlife socializing and do some risk-taking on a board in the middle of the ocean. I like taking risks.
Catch Roxy tonight (June 11) for the premiere of Girl On Girl, hosted by Richie Rich, Laila L, and Ni**Sky, at 11 p.m. at Tillman’s. Check out Roxy’s website for more info and future tour dates.
