100,000 YouTube Subscribers
Originally from Milwaukee, Dennis “DJ Waukee” McMurray has found a way to stand out among DJs. Once the world shut down due to COVID-19, McMurray turned to YouTube and created his show, “Play This Playlist,” which now has over 100,000 subscribers. Each new music playlist brings more subscribers.
McMurray’s Play This Playlist became popular because he intentionally creates a mood for each one. His goal is to have listeners play his playlists when they are going through something whether that’s a breakup, a chill session with friends, or enjoying themselves at a BBQ. Every playlist he creates is made for a specific reason.
“I just want to create a soundtrack for life,” said McMurray. “I wanted people to access different playlists to get through life.”
McMurray started seeing traction by his second to third videos.
Along with creating curated life playlists, he founded the music social club Hear Say Music Club on Patreon. This way he can connect with his listeners and other music lovers directly. On his Patreon channel, they share music and feedback that McMurray implements into his playlists. For example, a mother told McMurray how much she loved his playlists but she needed non-explicit playlists so she could play them in front of her kids.
Play This Playlist has listeners worldwide and has amassed deals with Urban Trivia Game, Allure Decor Candles by Cresha, and Not Just A Smile.
“A lot of what we do…especially with partners it has to do with something the show is about,” he said.
The Journey to YouTube
McMurray comes from a family of musicians and music lovers. His mother sings, his dad was a radio DJ, and both his grandparents were involved in music. He grew up listening to a wide range of music thanks to his dad’s large collection of records. Between the ages of 13-14 years old, McMurray tried to scratch on some of his dad’s records. It made the sound he wanted but because he wasn’t using the right equipment he almost ruined the records.
McMurray learned how to play piano first and eventually came the guitar. But his true passion of wanting to become a DJ came after he saw a DJ on Nickelodeon. Ever since that day, he begged his parents for turntables. It wasn’t until Christmas 2015, his senior year of high school, that McMurray was gifted a Numark Mixtrack controller.
“I remember just spending hours on that thing…my fingers had calluses…damn near burns,” McMurray said jokingly.
He also received speakers and monitors from a church in Milwaukee which completed the package for him. From there, he started practicing which led to him DJing birthday parties.
After graduating high school, McMurray headed to Florida A&M University for a degree in broadcast journalism and graphic design. There he started learning video which is ironic because his father and brother are both photographers. McMurray’s dad loved photography so much that he made McMurray’s middle name Cameron after the word camera.
While in college, McMurray would DJ fraternity fundraiser parties. Once he graduated he then moved to Dallas where he currently resides. He met a woman named Becky the Poet who held spoken-word/poetry events where he DJed. His mother also hosted vendor events and there too you would see McMurray showing off his DJ skills. All while working full-time doing video work for a company. Then COVID hit and all of his residences came to an end, along with being laid off from his full-time job. Luckily, McMurray received unemployment for over two years. During this time, he honed in on his craft of videography and graphic design and started his own agency. He hired a team and they now fly around the world producing quality content for their clients.
While running his agency On Brand Media House, McMurray started his YouTube Channel and has been doing both ever since.
“It’s a blessing,” he said. “It was just something I believed in so hard.”
A Good Transition
Being a DJ is more than just playing music, it’s about creating a vibe and controlling the room. McMurray said sometimes the goal is to turn people up to get them to the dance floor. Other times it could be getting people to talk and enjoy in one another’s company. He added that observation is a big skill in djing.
“You have to have an ear for different sounds…and have a good sense of the crowd you’re playing for,” said McMurray.
From Milwaukee to attending an HBCU, and traveling the world, McMurray has been exposed to a plethora of music and sounds.
While DJing, McMurray looks for transitions that create “ooo” moments. He said an elite transition is all about flow. This could be mixing genres like Afro beats with 90s music to mixing Keyshia Cole’s “Love” with Ghost Town’s DJ “My Boo” and changing the drums out. He’s learned how to change the connotations of songs through mixing and transitions.
He compares great transitioning to a five-course meal. He said it’s about taking his listeners higher and higher with each song and giving people something that can’t hear at home.
“The meals are put together in a specific order to elevate the taste,” said McMurray. “I think the same goes into DJing.”
In 2025, McMurray will start hosting live Play This Playlist events.
This article was written while listening to Play This Playlist.
Nyesha Stone founded Carvd N Stone in 2017 to cover positive news while attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Stone has a B.A. in Journalism. She has raised over $30,000 to award grants and scholarships. She has also been featured in ESSENCE and worked with the American Black Film Festival.
