Who is she:
An inspired DJ who is making a funky name for her art.
Her sound:
Scratching, mixing and experimenting with a hip-hop groove only she masters.
Hometown:
She was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. She says that Montreal is a great musical hub that celebrates diverseness, adding “We've got a hotbed of talent of both English and French musicians and performers.”
Artist name history:
Killa-Jewel is a play on words. It comes from Kilo-Joule (which is a measurement of energy). Killa defines more of her competitive side. And Jewel refers to Julie; her real name.
Musical inspiration/ philosophy:
She owes a lot to Hip-Hop as one of her main inspirations. (Mainly because it is what helped her overcome many personal battles). “My ties to the local Hip-Hop community will always be important to me because without that supportive base, I could never have succeeded to the degree that I have outside of my own city.”
How it all started:
She has classical piano training and says it has helped her with the way her mind processes melodies. By the late 90’s, Julie needed a change (piano out, turntables in). What Julie thought was going to be a hobby and an outlet for personal expression, turned into a prolific DJ career.
Favourite city to play in yet and why:
Montreal. “It’s difficult not to be biased because it feels like everybody here is in one way or another involved in the music scene, regardless of what type of music it is.”
Something memorable:
Eight years ago, she opened for two popular Quebec-based rock bands called Les Respectables and Okoumé at a summer festival. The moment she walked on stage, 50,000 people began cheering. She could feel their energy hitting her. If she called, the audience clapped. If she raised her hands, they followed suit. If there was ever to be a rock-star moment, that was definitely hers.
If she wasn’t passionately dedicated to music, she would be…
She’s asked herself that question many times, and each time she’s felt discouraged by the struggles of being a musician, she still couldn’t think of any other profession she’d rather be involved in. (She is passionate about environmental matters as well as animal rights, so maybe that could be an aside?!).
Next goal:
To finally put out her self-produced album titled ‘Saudade’ and to pursue making music for video games (That has a coolness factor, no?!).
You should check her out because:
-She recently produced and remixed Inon Zur’s theme song I Am The One for Bioware’s hightly-acclaimed title Dragon Age
-She once shared the stage with Buck 65 at the Montreal International Jazz Festival
Website:
www.myspace.com/killajewel
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