It’s reasonable to say that since Season 2, the resident Vanderpump Rules DJ has advanced significantly. One of those folks you just have to support is DJ James Kennedy. Love him or hate him, or agree that he’s now the “number one guy in the group,” you have to give the Vanderpump Rules star credit for writing memorable one-liners and catchy songs.
The music-loving troublemaker, who debuted on the show in Season 2 as Kristen Doute’s boyfriend, has progressed from bussing tables to running the DJ booth for his well-known “See You Next Tuesday” gigs at SUR. James has a deep love affair with music, despite his turbulent relationships with his boss, Lisa Vanderpump, and his coworkers.
Over the past ten years, James’ DJ career has been chronicled on Vanderpump Rules, whether he’s remixing music, working with one of his cast members on a new song, or just playing music in the corner of SUR. Continue reading to find more about his musical endeavors and current DJ career trajectory.
DJ James Kennedy got started in music as a teenager
During a 2015 appearance on the Vanderpump Rules After Show, James revealed that his love of music started at a very young age.
“There was one day I remember my dad caught me just sitting in my room listening to Oasis and I remember the look on my dad’s face, like ‘I knew it, this kid. He loves music.’ Because my whole life before, I was like ‘I love soccer! I want to play football,'” he said. “And it was that day my dad realized this kid is going to be in music.”
After learning piano, violin, and guitar, he discovered producing music when he moved to Ibiza at the age of 14, he told viewers. James said that he landed an internship at Interscope records several years later, which ultimately led him to the doors of SUR, asking for a DJ gig.
James’ father, Andros Georgiou, who served as the managing director of Aegean Records and was a close friend of the late George Michael, was also instrumental in directing his musical career. James stated on the show, “He understands what you need—you need the talent, and you need a look as well.” “You need a brand.”
Given that James’ godfather is the late lead singer of Wham!, it’s safe to say that James was destined to fall into music. (James has frequently called his “Uncle George” with affection.)
A Vanderpump Rules episode from March 2023 featured James’ father praising his son’s professional endeavors. “You’ve come on so far from those early days, right?” he responded.
Can DJ James Kennedy also rap?
Although James can’t sing, you can occasionally hear him rap, such as in his first song with Lala Kent, another member of the VPR cast, “Feeling You.”
During the previously mentioned 2015 VPR After Show appearance, James stated, “I rap because I’ve written poems a lot in my life, and it’s come to the point where it’s like a very Eminem style rap, I’m very quick, Dizzy Rascal, maybe, a very British-style grind.”
He’s been known to show off his freestyle skills and even went as far as to call himself “White Kanye” in 2016, in an homage to the rapper currently known as Ye. “I think I’m like him in the sense that I expl ore sound,” James told The Daily Dish in an interview in 2016. “I want to create something no one has heard or seen before and I have nothing stopping me, the only thing that could possibly stop me is myself.”
James officially retired the nickname in September 2020. “I’m just going to be James Kennedy — the best DJ I can be, myself,” he told Page Six. “But his music still lives within me.”
What original albums or songs has James Kennedy released?
James released his first EP, Blitz, in 2014, and his first album, Pump Sessions, in 2016. He’s also performed a number of original songs on Vanderpump Rules and Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, and he posts his remixes of original songs to his Soundcloud account, where you can really get a feel for his DJ skills.
Being the supportive friend he is, James’ fellow Vanderpump cast members have been heavily featured on his tracks. He and Ariana Madix collaborated on the song “Party” in 2019 and he has been known to feature his longtime BFF and frequent collaborator, Lala, on songs like “Playboy Bunny” and “Ride with Me”.
See You Next Tuesday at SUR
James became the resident DJ on Tuesday nights at SUR, which is formally known as See You Next Tuesday.
Although the show has become synonymous with Kennedy, he can today only sometimes be found on the microphone on Tuesday nights at SUR — that is, when he isn’t on tour or spending time with girlfriend Ally Lewber. Still, he sells See You Next Tuesday merchandise on his website if you really want to go hard and represent the DJ.
Is James Kennedy still a DJ?
It’s easy to respond: yes. In fact, his musical career is thriving now more than it was before. James opened for Kaskade at the 2022 Imagine Festival; he discussed this performance in an April 2023 Vanderpump Rules episode. James commented, “It’s kind of surreal,” at one point in the show.
“You know, I’ve been to a lot of clubs, but this is my first music festival. Kaskade is opening for me. There must be 30,000 or 50,000 individuals present. For those of you who have been living under a rock, Kaskade is a renowned songwriter, DJ, and music producer. It is truly an honor to open up for someone as accomplished as him.”
That same year, James appeared on MTV’s Wild n’ Out where he spit bars. He was also the DJ for Scheana Shay and Brock Davies’ wedding, and took his DJ set on tour. James’ dreams continued to come true in April 2023 when he performed a surprise B2B DJ set at the 2023 Stagecoach Music Festival, the sister festival to Coachella. And his career sights just keep growing. “I’ve been doing massive shows all around the United States,” James told Interview magazine in May 2023. “I’ve been working with Tao Group and I’m in chats with the biggest venues in Las Vegas to be deejaying at some pool parties. And then, obviously, I’m doing a huge post-BravoCon party.”
At BravoCon 2023, James appeared on panels and even took home the “Who Said That? Award for Colloquial Excellence” at The Bravos for calling Tom Sandoval a “worm with a mustache” on Season 10 of Vanderpump Rules.
In the last quarter of 2023, James took his show on the road, performing at various clubs across the United States until 2024.