‘Who’s on Aux?’ – a Glimpse into Langston’s DJ Culture

The alluring sounds of the Langston Center blare through its small wooden building, as songs blend together the universal experiences of Langston students from the past, present, and future. The master of these fates stands behind a booth containing turntables, speakers, and cables; these prodigies of sound are better known as DJs.  

The question of who is controlling the music is one every person has asked when figuring out a vibe for a setting, even mundane ones like driving from place to place. However, as the underlying backbones of the “college experience,” a DJ’s job cannot be that ordinary.  

DJs are to be the professional vibe curators of any event or party that goes on in a college campus, leveling up how people spend their time at school. Langston University is not an exemption to this practice, and through its tight knit community LU has made way for a number of DJs.  

Students have become accustomed to seeing flyers featuring artists like DJ C Dot, DJ Loverboy, or DJ Almighty, who are all popular picks for campus events. When selecting these artists, Assistant Dean of Students within the Division of Student Affairs Dr. A Dominique Williams said, “The first thing is availability, and the second thing is, who does a better job at that particular type of event.”  

Williams explained that DJs aren’t tied to certain events. “Whoever’s most available is typically who we choose, but if there’s a certain look or aesthetic, then that might be the second factor.” 

These factors can range from song versatility to fan favorite status to who can get the crowd to move, whether that be through strolling or line dancing. The ability to gauge these factors comes from a strong sense of intelligence and awareness on the part of these DJs.  

These artists must constantly stay up to date with culture on all levels, in hopes of making an engaging environment for fans. Isaak Rayburn, otherwise known as DJ Ray, is a sophomore hyper-major who balances being an Edwin P. McCabe scholar with being a performing and traveling DJ. He sheds light on what creates a good DJ and atmosphere.

He said, “Really, it’s all based on the crowd. 
You can suck at mixing and, you know, mess up a song or play too early, but as long as the crowd’s into it, it doesn’t matter. ” 

Joining Dear Langston in the Spring of 2026, Sani Thomas, also known as DJ Big S3, has felt career growth DJing at Langston. Thomas said, “I feel like Langston, they’re different because they a vibe. It’s not boring.”

Outside of just the student body, Langston University has made a sanctuary for its DJs. Williams said the university allows them to flourish if they put themselves out there.

With Langston being small school, there is no way for these artists to not run into each other or have known each other. Rayburn explains that Langston harbors a family-like community of DJs. 

“We’re all close. I mean, some of those guys don’t even go here, but they’ll sleep in my room and sleep on the couch,” he said.  

This proximity allows for DJs who are seen to be coming up, like Thomas and Rayburn, to have opportunities to network with more veteran artists through this circle. Thomas said, “I feel like I did build a lot of connections… I’m like, everybody know me down here.”  

Both Rayburn and Thomas began their passions through community and have sustained them in the same way.

Rayburn said he got his start when “my friends from high school used to throw parties, and I would always just sit back and listen to them DJ and, you know, like, I could probably do that. So, for Christmas one year, I asked for, like the smallest DJ board they had… I just sat my room and practiced for like six months, and then finally went outside and tried it.”

For Thomas’s career, this start was made through family ties, saying they were introduced through DJ Drop It. “I seen him with the DJ board and I’m all like, what’s this? … I learned from that day. I’ve been DJing for like, I’ll say, five years now.”

A curiosity for an art that started from connections with their loved ones has now turned into a phenomenon that bonds the students on this campus.

Standing in the Langston Center or the Paw Walk or the C.F Gayles Field House at a sporting event has now become more than just being at a “function.” Rather, the inhabitants are listening to songs that will later define their college years.

Those students may not always remember the tests or assignments, but they will be nostalgic over the booming beats curated by Langston University DJs. For that, the question of “who’s on aux” may now come with a deeper level of appreciation than it did before.