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In the Mix: Husband and wife Djs Sofa King Evil & Lillie Smalls
Garden.
By Collin Kelley
DJ Sofa King Evil and DJ Lillie Smalls
met cute in an AOL chatroom in the late
’90s and discovered they had a mutual
love of music. But it would take them
more than a decade to meet in real life for
their first date. Since then, they’ve gotten
married and become DJs. Together, they
host “Meet the Evils” every month at
MJQ Concourse in Virginia-EIighland.
Let’s meet them and be sure to listen to
their special In the Mix playlist — Outkast,
Gucci Mane, Omeretta the Great, Prince,
and Rage Against the Machine! — created
just for Intown on our Spotify channel by
scanning the QR code.
How did you two meet and what’s it like
being a husband-and-wife DJ duo?
DJ Lillie Smalls: We met as teenagers in
a “Bored ATLiens” chat room on AOL in
1999. We had so much in common, we
loved talking about music and telling each
other jokes. Over the years, we kept in
touch through Asian Avenue, Friendster,
Xanga, MySpace, and Facebook. We
didn’t actually meet up until 2011 when
we went on our first date. Our first date
lasted a whole day: we ate lunch at Figo on
Edgewood, watched a movie at Landmark’s
Midtown Art Cinema, and then walked
around Piedmont Park quoting our
favorite DMX lyrics.
DJ Sofa King Evil: Being a husband-wife
duo has been interesting. It definitely has
its benefits, we share music, club intel,
and gear. We cover each other’s gigs and
we also pass gigs to each other. What I like
about our dynamic as a team is we feed off
each other’s energy, but we also keep each
other in check. If I’m messing up, she’s
going to check me, I know it’s not personal
Your monthly duo spot — Meet the Evils
— at MJQ has become a monthly must
for the club scene in Atlanta. How did
that come about and how do you keep
it fresh?
DJ Lillie Smalls: We started DJing
together at clubs as something cute for
Valentine’s Day. When MJQ opened back
up after the pandemic, they asked us both
to play that first Saturday. We needed to
brand the night and we went with Meet
the Evils, taking DJ Sofa King Evil’s last
name. We also took it to another level
by reenacting our favorite movie and TV
posters. To keep the night fresh, we play
off of crowd reaction, so no Saturday
night is ever the same. Keeping up with
trends is a full-time job. While we try to
stay on top of new music, we also try to
think about what is considered a classic or
nostalgia for new generations. We like to
use classic songs or familiar songs to frame
or introduce new music.
DJ Sofa King Evil, you’ve been in
the business for many years as a DJ,
announcer, and instructor. How did
you get your start and what keeps you
motivated?
I got my start DJing in high school. One
of my school friends was a DJ and we
just hung out, helped him carry gear to
gigs and pass out flyers in the parking lot.
After high school, I attended Clayton State
where I helped build their Internet Radio
Station. This led me to a gig as a public
address announcer for the University’s
basketball teams. I never thought I would
ever be an instructor, but when Scratch
Academy opened up in Atlanta, they
reached out to me to join the team. I
couldn’t pass up the chance to learn from
the Djs I idolized and grew up listening to
on the radio, and to also have the privilege
to teach the next generation of Djs
with them. Passion for music keeps me
motivated. I love what I do and who I do
it for — that is what keeps me going.
DJ Lillie Smalls, you’ve got a graduate
degree in management and finance.
What do those skills bring to your
business and your work as a DJ?
I think what made me a great business
analyst also helped me be successful with
our DJ business. As a business analyst, I
would take a lot of time to understand
the requirements and the process before
scoping out a project — DJing is no
different. Before every gig, I like to
understand what the audience would
want to hear and if there are any events
to build towards. I also think I read a
DJ crowd in the same way I would read
a room in the office, knowing when to
and how to present issues in a meeting.
I DJ by sensing what the crowd wants to
hear and understanding
their energy before
introducing songs into a
space.
When you’re not
spinning, where do you
both like to hang out to
listen to music?
DJ Sofa King Evil: We
were homebodies before
the pandemic, we’re even
more homebodies now!
While Twitch, Zoom,
and other live streaming
platforms make it more
convenient to check
out what other Djs
are playing around the
world, we always try to
find time to support our
friends locally. If they’re
throwing a party somewhere or throwing
down in the kitchen, we will pull up. You
can’t really get away from music in the
city. We are lucky to be in a city where
the music is great everywhere you go —
from Philips Arena to the hair salon, real
ATLiens know what sounds good. Gotta
love Atlanta.
Be sure to follow #MeetTheEvils on social
and check out their website at www.tedmc.
co. QD
KATE’S CLUB PRESENTS THE
GALA
MAY 14th, 2022
LOEWS ATLANTA HOTEL I 6:00PM - MIDNIGHT
The evening features a cocktail reception, silent and live auction,
dinner, live entertainment and an even livelier dance floor.
Atlanta Hawk's center #17, Onycka Okongwu, is the 2022
Mourning Glory Gala Honorcc.
All proceeds from the Mourning T I
Glory Gala directly supports Kate's |
Club's programs. Kate's Club is an y V P IJPYi I
Atlanta-arca nonprofit whose J I * |
mission is to empower children and ]
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SCAN FOR MORE INFO
OR TO PURCHSE TICKETS
50 MAY 2022 | [□
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