DJ Kayper by Anita Chatterjee In the male dominated circuit of DJs this girl is showing the world that there is a place for women behind the decks.  They call her DJ Kayper A.K.A Kaajal  Bakrania. DJ Kayper is born and raised in the UK but her madd skills as a DJ has received internationally recognition and she has played in clubs from Mumbai, India to New York City.  The art of being a club DJ requires using several turntables, CD players or a hard drive source, a club disc jockey selects and plays music in a club setting. The setting can range anywhere from a neighborhood party or a small club to a disco, a rave, or even a stadium. The main focus of club DJs is on the music they play and how they remix tracks in and out of each other or also just to add a bit of energy to a track.They build their sets by choosing tracks to control the energy level of the crowd and use beatmixing (or "beatmatching") technique for seamless transition between tracks. DJ Kayper has become an icon in this genre, with her fresh enthusiasum, and a plethra of new technique. Her talent as well as her ravishing personality led her to her own show on the BBC Asian Network. On a cold winter afternoon I had a chance to meet her in New York City.  When I first met her she came across as  a soft spoken  girl, but as the interview began I realized that she is  an extremely driven individual who is determined to share her gift with the world and be apart of the powerful hip hop movement.  I interviewed Kayper before her weekend of gigs that were to be held at some of the hottest clubs in the east coast.  As I looked at this young girl I wondered what inspired her to become a DJ.  K: “I was 12 when I started deejaying, my older cousins got me into it.” Kayper’s older cousins were road show DJs and were a strong influence on her exposing her to the world of hip hop. K: “I shocked my cousins after it got to a point where I started teaching them about hip hop, my parents didn’t understand they insisted that deejaying is not for girls but they weren’t strict. When it came to the point of deejaying at clubs they were not happy at all , so my brother would cover for me. I would sneak records out and he would say that he was dropping me off at a friend’s house. I felt bad about lying but when I went to university I felt free. Most Asian girls get that feeling of freedom at University but I was different I felt that now I can go out and DJ instead of getting drunk. They saw me in a magazine after I won the Vestax prize and then they came around.” As she continued to talk about her past I could  sense the passion and determination in this young women’s voice  but I couldn’t help but notice her angelic features and wondered why she would call herself Kayper. K: “I was mischievous when I was younger even though I don’t look it but that’s how I got the nick name Kayper.” Kayper’s naughty flavor penetrated into her music. She fused classic and current hip hop, R&B/ Reggae and Soul along with traditional South Asian beats known as Bhangra. Word spread about Kayper’s talent and by the young age of 15 she was playing at bars and clubs around London.  Kayper’s unique sound started gaining global recognition and she deejayed for crowds in Mauritius, Austria, New York and India. K: “I’ve always been a person that needed to set trends rather then follow them; combining my roots with my passion for hip hop and turntablism has allowed me to stand out DJs in the game today.” This philosophy led her to be the first female to win the prestigious Vestex Juice DJ competition. Her amazing talent was recognized by DJ Jazzy Jeff who was quoted saying “ DJ Kayper is the best female DJ that I’ve ever heard in my life!” As Kaypers success blossomed as she worked along side DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Cash Money, Clinton Sparks, Killa Kela, Scratch Perverts and Mr. Thing. Kayper has also been associated with some of the most powerful names in hip hop such as Pete Rock, Ghost Face,  Guru and Pharoah Monch. Despite a flourishing career Kayper continued to face challenges being a female wanting to excel as a DJ. K: “ When I started 11 years ago people were like “ who are you” Just leave it to the guys.” To this day there are some that have the same responses but not as blatant but then there are others that balance it out.” The glass wall in the old boys club didn’t stop her determination. She secured a weekly club night and called it ebonics which became monumental in east London.  In 2006 Kayper signed a contract with the prestigious BBC Asian Network where she now hosts her own series called “The Hype Show”.  “The Hype Show” quickly turned into one of the hottest music shows on the BBC Asian Network. Kayper has had the opportunity to bask into the lives of top entertainers through her show. K: I have interviewed Common, Questlove, Lupe Fiasco, Nelly Furtado, Chamillionaire, Xzibit, Kelly Rowland, Omarion, Amerie, and The Game.” Her show not only features the big wigs industries but also serves as the breeding ground for up and coming talent.  Through her show as well as personally Kayper continues to serve the community by her affiliation with the Urban Deck Divas a female DJ crew that highlights the top female DJs in the industry. DJ Kayper's current accomplishments are just the start to something even bigger: K: “I look forward to producing my own album”. DJ Kaypers album titled “Yo! MTV RAPS” is being promoted in heat! The Album captures the golden era of hip hop. The twenty five tracks within the album are classic hip hop mixes.  The album is being promoted internationally to serve her international fan base.  Fan pages and Facebook groups for her are filled with shout - outs to endorse the album. New York city’s premier South Asian music and promotions firm, Komposit Entertainment, has teamed up with Kayper to spread the word of her music to the rest of the United States. Kayper has just as strong of a male following as she does female.  Her talent has been recognized in several publications nationally. DJ Kayper has also received a best club DJ nomination for the UK Asian music awards this year.  While most DJs rely on beatmatching, phrasing, and slip-cueing to preserve energy on a dancefloor, Kayper’s sheer presence is enough to ignite a fire on the dance floor. This hidden British Gem is now making her way into the heart of the United States. Her United States fans are anticipating are Spring 2008 tour! You can watch the Hype show every Wednesday night at 10pm just check out bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/djkayper and for more information on Kayper check out http://www.myspace.com/djkayper. For booking contact: Jgaytzby@gmail.com