DJ Princess Cut

She’s the DJ who calls up Playa Fly, Killer Mike and Devin the Dude to host her annual birthday parties, the mixer that throws on a classic Goodie Mob cut or an obscure Geto Boys track in the midst of a set – just for the Southern hip-hop heads who might be in attendance. As one of the fastest rising DJs on the Atlanta scene, Princess Cut, aka Sweetbox Jones, is anything but average.

My music selection is one thing that makes me stand out as a female DJ in Atlanta, because a lot of DJs aren’t from here,” says the College Park native. “They can play in the club, but when it comes to pulling out those few songs that nobody’s heard in a long time that make the crowd go crazy, they can’t. I take pride in doing that because it’s my city.”

Starting her spinning career while still a psychology major at Georgia State University, Princess Cut got her break DJing at College Park’s Center Court after learning the ropes from the bar’s resident spinner, DJ Buu.

“It was like once I started, I couldn’t stop,” says Princess Cut, who also spins soul classics, international pop and electro house. “Six months later, I purchased my own Technics 1200 turntables and just took it from there.”

While her ascension has been relatively smooth, Cut admits she still has to show and prove – especially since she’s in an industry where women are either obsolete or marginalized. But she’d rather rock a pair of headphones than a tiara any day.

“Once people look over my shoulder and see that I actually know what I’m doing, and they see it’s not a game,” says Cut, “the respect is there.” With a weekly Thursday night gig at Django on Peachtree Street and regular appearances at the IQ Lounge, Cut’s perspective is as wide open as her musical inclinations.

“It’s not a question of whether or not women know hip-hop,” she says. “I have some great lady friends who can take you deep into hip-hop. Women can actually be harder into the music than guys.”