Music is #MYRLGN with DJ Nameless

We reached out to LA-based disc jockey Annessa De La Cruz, AKA DJ Nameless, to curate a playlist of good vibes and undeniable bangers. Her source of inspiration? Artists influencing Black culture.

Open up your Spotify, press play on her playlist, and learn more about the artist behind the music and the passion project, ACCENTS.

Why did you choose to go by Nameless? What is the meaning behind it?

Nameless was originally the name of my platform, and when I started DJ’ing people just called me DJ Nameless before I chose a DJ alias, so I stuck with it. By being Nameless as a person and platform I feel absolved of any titles and free to explore any and every creative medium that interests me. I never want to be boxed into one way of expressing myself.

What inspired you to start DJ-ing? Describe the moment when you realized this was it for you.

I have always been passionate about music. After my first art installation I realized that there were a lot of women DJ’s circulating Los Angeles so I bought some equipment and taught myself. My friends started booking me way sooner than I anticipated because they always knew me as someone who had good taste in music. I guess it’s a trade that always made sense for me.

Who do you consider an influential person in the Black community shaping history today?

If I’m being honest I don’t have too many individual influences, but I do show a lot of respect and support to anyone who’s brave enough to follow through on their vision.

As far as history is concerned, I’ve started putting emphasis on the preservation and documentation of what is happening in the present. Every passing moment is a part of the reshaping of history.

That being said, everything I do is to put a magnifying glass on the underdog: the people, places, and things that the quintessential “influential” person borrows from but fails to mention so that they are not forgotten in historical conversations. Those are the True influencers (no pun intended).

Tell us about your passion project, ACCENTS.

Accents is a visual and sonic experience that celebrates Black culture across different cities that I’ve lived in. It’s part vinyl record, 35mm film, written stories and soon to be a documentary.

In one of my touring installations you can come in and listen to the vinyl record composed of cut conversations in which you can distinguish each city based on the accents and subject matter, as well as see the photography up close.

My first show was in Los Angeles at Harun Coffee in Leimert Park, I am currently in residency at Axiom Fine Arts gallery in New Orleans. Next month I will show Accents at Congruent Space in Chicago. It has been a long and beautiful process to see something come to life exactly how I envisioned it.

Put us on to new music. What artists should we be looking out for?

Flighteous
Jameel Na’im X
Stone Cold Jzzle
Cojo
Pookie Blow
Villain Park
Yaya Bey
Ketu
Dare House

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