SPINCONTROL 

Turntable specialist Lavelle Dupree talks about pre-show rituals, San Diego and what it’s like to be one half of the DJ super-group Scooter & Lavelle. While some DJs might be hesitant to split their success down the middle, Dupree finds plenty of reason to appreciate working with partner Gerald Fulton, better known as DJ Scooter.
    “Two heads are better than one,” Dupree says. “You don’t have to travel alone, you always have someone you trust with you and you have someone to play off of –– not just the crowd.” Dupree also credits some of his partnership’s artistic prowess to the relationship he and Scooter have developed.
    “He pushes me outside of my comfort zone, and that’s how new stuff happens.” Fresh creativity indeed is happening with this DJ duo today, but to appreciate where Scooter & Lavelle are now, it’s important to take a look back ––  back to the beginning.

Tracks and Travel
    The two DJs met during their first residencies at Pacific Beach’s The Candy Bar.
    “I was House; he was Hip-Hop,” Dupree says of their introduction. “Two-thirds through my set, he hopped on and started scratching. The rest is history.”
    The duo gained popularity during their stint playing San Diego’s On Broadway as the Saturday night regulars. They still play there once every other month. “It’s a really beautiful place,” Dupree says, “and it’s home. Everyone there knows how we do it.”
    When they aren’t at home in San Diego, Scooter & Lavelle are playing nearly every other big-name venue in and out of the country. Favorites include Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and Buenos Aires, Brazil. Scooter & Lavelle’s blend of two of the most popular dance music styles doubtlessly keeps the jobs steadily rolling. Dupree remains true to his House roots as a fan of DJ Milo and Deep Dish, while Scooter’s Hip-Hop favorites include the Black Eyed Peas, Mos Def and Grand Master Flash.
    In preparation for an upcoming gig, Fulton and Dupree make sure that for every House song Lavelle is going to play, Scooter has complementary Hip-Hop options that will stack nicely on top. As for any pre-show rituals, Dupree says, “I don’t have some pair of red underwear that I only wear when I’m playing, or anything like that. Prayer and preparation –– that’s all we do.”

Staying Busy
    In terms of technology, the pair uses a Pioneer CDJ and Fulton’s laptop –– two pieces of equipment that they insist make traveling with more than 8,000 songs incredibly easy. Dupree says his motivation comes from the feeling he gets when merging a group of divided cliques of friends into a single entity, waving their hands in sync.
    “I really love bringing people together, creating a positive vibe and a respectful but carefree atmosphere,” he says. Scooter and Lavelle’s fifth album, “Hard Act 2 Follow,” is a great source of pride for the DJs. All of the songs are original House tracks created by the group, often with vocalists they brought in themselves. The positive vibe that Dupree is working to create at his shows clearly carries over into his personal life, too. He and his mother also have started a business called Friends & Family that helps place mentally disabled people in stable living situations.
    As for advice on creating a successful show, Lavelle encourages bar and club owners to make sure an artist is right for the venue. He says that too often an owner hears good things about a DJ but doesn’t hear a sample of his or her music. NCB