This pass weekend we had a chance to sit down with one of L.A's favorite Hip Hop/Funk female DJ's, our girl DJ Soulre, take a glimpse into what makes her unique in an industry filled with thousands. After sitting down with miss Soulre we truly noticed and confirmed that she is, & will definitely remain in a league of her own.

(check out Soulre rocking our "Superfun tee")

(L.A Clique) Why “Soulre”? Where where you raised & how did you find yourself rocking the turntables?

(Soulre) Damn coming up with a moniker can be pretty tricky! I had gone through so many suggestions that friends had made and I just wasn't feeling that anything fit me and my sound. For a good while all I could think of was how all of the music I love and play has all grown from soul music, an evolution or renaissance of it if you will, on top of that I was going through a huge soul searching and growth period. So this "Soul Renaissance" became "Soulre".

I was raised in Diamond Bar, California. Basically 30 minutes from Los Angeles and 30 minutes from the beaches of Orange County. Heavily involved in a bunch of different music scenes since I was super young, going to jazz festivals with my Mother as a kid, hardcore, ska, electro, and indie shows all through early high school, until I started really getting deep into hip hop and the whole LA beat scene. Having some of my closest guy friends all come from years of DJing/production and being so in love with hip hop and its culture, I became so inspired and obsessed with the art of Djing. I wanted to be able to express myself and share the music that I loved so much with anyone who cared to listen. Plus I saw that the people playing the kind of music I loved were almost 99% male. Had to rep it for the ladies;) So I bought a pair of 1200's, "borrowed" a bunch of my Mom's soul and funk vinyls, and started playing around (thankfully I had a lot of help from friends because damn, mixing is hard as hell to learn starting out!)

(L.A Clique) What does it mean to you, to be a female deejay in the industry? What challenges have you found in your line of work?

(Soulre) This world/industry is almost entirely run by men. Male Djs, male promoters and male venue owners. It's rough as hell to be taken seriously as a female in the beginning, especially playing more hip hop based music (most other female dj's play house/electro/indie). Besides getting people to give a shit and hear me do my thing, I face the same challenges as a male DJ. Getting booked, standing out from the other 3892842937 DJs in LA, etc. My BIGGEST annoyance though is that sometimes Im expected to jump around with my hands in the air just being "cute". I dont play like that. I get really into what Im doing and dance around of course but Im there to play music and not flip my hair.

(check out Soulre rocking our "One Percenter tank")

(L.A Clique) We've heard your past few mix-tapes and recognize the heavy influence in early 90's funky hip hop & dig it!, how would you describe your style of mixing?

(Soulre) Like I mentioned before, soul music and all of its offsprings have really had a huge influence on me. 90's hip hop and r&b is just...prime. Obviously I cant only play that at every venue, it really depends on the crowd and type of event but whether Im playing more disco, deep house, funk, hip hop, r&b, more mainstream,...whatever..Ill always find a way to work in some of my favorite jams. One of the best things I learned from friends that taught me was that sometimes you have to play shit you don't love, but you just kind of sandwich it between the music that you do. Until I have enough of a following to be able to say "naaah I dont play that" Ive found ways to educate listeners while still giving them what they want to hear and sing along to.

(L.A Clique) What keeps you motivated? & what is your overall goal?

(Soulre) I honestly just want to play dope music for anyone that wants to listen and eventually start making my own. If I gain huge success then thats rad, if I don't then it's not going to make me love what I do any less. Being surrounded by inspiring musicians, DJ's, and beat makers keeps me pushing though. Seeing where I can possibly be one day and having the opportunity to have so many excited and willing listeners keeps me on my hustle.

(check out Soulre rocking our "Running Wild top")

(L.A Clique) Who are your influences?

(Soulre) Oh lord, how can I narrow this down to not be a giant novel....Ok Adam 12, because he can literally play anything, any genre, and make it sound dope. Plus he's keeping this rad old school hip hop night called Afex poppin in LA. Gaslamp Killer, because he's taught me that just staying true to the music and never giving up can bring success and happiness without selling out. Tokimonsta..she is a killler in the beat world..so much respect for her as a woman and a musician. Erykah Badu, who Ive been a huge fan of since I was a kid listening to Baduizm on the way to elementary school in the car got me really into neo-soul and has always been a backbone for most of my sets. DJ Lady Sha, she's a really respected and influential female in the industry that is just a damn good DJ. Annnnd Im going to try to stop myself because there are about a million more haha

(L.A Clique) What are your current top 3 favorite artists?

(Soulre) What's with the hard questions?! Obviously I have to mention J Dilla, he's been such a huge huge part of hip hop and really changed the game. Forever thankful for his work. Dwele...man if he could just sing to me allll day I would feel like happy, warm, and sexy all the time. Dwele has been my favorite since I first heard him on a mixtape in high school. Onra, his music is made from everything I love and am inspired by. Generally just makes me feel amazing. Annnnd Im adding one more because I can so it's gonna have to be Shalamar. Anytime I just need something feel good to dance around to, Shalamar gets it done.

(check out Soulre rocking our "Can I Kick It v-neck tee")

(L.A Clique) What do you feel the DJ/nightlife industry is missing & what advice would you give to those upcoming female DJ's who would like to be successful in this industry?

(Soulre) Don't rely on your looks ladies. LEARN so you can get places the right way and have some credibility. Also, bring a fly swatter to all your gigs to get rid of the drunk dudes who won't leave you alone when you're working.

I think the nightlife industry is missing a lot of good music. Most of the main nightclubs are so focused on bottle service and the whole "celebrity" experience that really good music isn't as much of a focal point which is such a bummer. Its groomed a lot of club goers to be ok with mediocre, top 40 music and not care that much when a really talented DJ is doing something innovative or educating them.

(L.A Clique) How does L.A & its fashion influence Soulre?