There's something a little Sheila E about Tracy Young. Her steadfast, stoic presence when she's doing her DJ thing reminds you of Prince's bongo-smacking concubine in her Arsenio Hall Show heyday. For both women, that temple-of-steel impenetrability is/was their greatest weapon in a male-dominated world.
On face, Young -- Miami-based since leaving the DC area in 1998 -- would appear to have everything dicked. The biggest female DJ in the world, her game is a tribal, disco-ized house that gets the body moving before you know what's happening.
But stoicism and great tuneage will only get you so far without a little help from above. In Young's case, there is, or was for a long time, a direct line to Madonna that came into play when Madge caught Young's millennium party set at Liquid, where she'd recently snagged a residency. Madonna so adored her that Young became her signature DJ, spinning on her tours and playing all the important after-parties, up to and including the one for the Next Best Thing movie premiere and the wedding reception in Scotland for Madge and Guy Ritchie.
There are other bullet points to her story, as you'd imagine. Young was an MTV fixture for a time, DJing for House of Style and making several appearances on Sisqo's Shakedown. She also runs her own record label, Ferosh, which has in turn spun off Feroshwear, a club-inspired clothing line. The plan for New Year's Day is the same as it's been for a few years now: Young will spin from 8 a.m. until she can no longer stand, and thou shalt party.
Genesis VI at Mansion, featuring Tracy Young and Celeda. Thursday, January 1. Mansion, 1235 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Doors open at 8 a.m. Tickets cost $60 for regular entry, $90 VIP in advance from www.wantickets.com. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-531-5535; www.theopiumgroup.com
-- Eric W. Saeger
(Photo via www.djtracyyoung.com.)
Here's a video from a recent Tracy Young gig at Mansion, this past November 30.
