“We Put Our Personality Into Everything We Do”: DJ Pauly D Builds New Record Label on Jersey Shore Roots
Jersey Shore exploded in 2009 with a controversial premise and chaotic charm. But underneath the show’s spray tans and parties was an endearing belief: family above all.
Family drove the series to three seasons and many spin-offs. Now, that principle drives DJ Pauly D as he launches his new record label, Blowout Beats.
The DJ and reality TV star, whose real name is Paul DelVecchio, launched the label not to fund his patented hairstyle—don’t worry, his garage houses a lifetime supply—but to actualize a longtime passion. He has been touring constantly since 2009, the year Jersey Shore premiered. During that time, he’s met countless underexposed artists.
“I’m in a different state every day, and I see so much undiscovered talent all around the world,” DelVecchio tells EDM.com. “Why not be the guy to help those people get discovered? I want to put together an incredible team to help get them out there. I feel like the perfect avenue for that.”
[embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=TjDgPiLOOY0[/embed]He isn’t exclusively scouting DJs. A family consists of different roles, and DelVecchio has room to fill in his new home, from producers to writers and beyond. He is cultivating a specific culture at Blowout Beats, one that draws on his greatest strengths—from the boardwalk to the club.
“There is a lot of talent out there, but I like the ones with personality,” he explains. “I feel I do that with my DJing as well. I bring the personality along with the talent. That’s what I’m looking for.
“We put our personality into everything we do: our clothes, our hairstyle, everything. The DJ should do that too. I DJ to the crowd. I feed off their energy. They're putting on a show for me, too. We work together as a team to create that vibe.”
DelVecchio recently dropped “WYD After,” his first release since 2019’s “Silver and Gold.” The song’s release wasn’t an impulse decision or strictly promotional material. It was his commitment to expanding his artistic footprint.
“It’s the first time I’m saying this, but I will start creating music regularly,” DelVecchio confirmed. “It’s too much fun and I love it.”
Original music is an avenue DelVecchio neglected longer than planned. Electronic artists wear many hats: producing music, performing it live and touring. Added to that are his responsibilities of filming various reality shows—Jersey Shore: Family Vacation is in its eighth season—and his other business ventures.
“WYD After” reignited his passion for making music.
“There’s nothing better than creating music. Having an idea, putting it together and playing it out feels like a full circle moment,” DelVecchio said. “I’ve missed that. Bringing that back to my set is amazing. It’s what my sets have been missing.”
Reality television stars come and go, but few have parlayed their fame so fruitfully. The show’s emphasis on partying offered a favorable segue for DelVecchio, but celebrity only does so much without talent and drive.
For him, the show was a commercial to advertise his pre-existing DJ career. He has a simple philosophy for anyone using his journey as a blueprint.
“Don’t be afraid to go the extra mile,” he advised. “Take the initiative and do what you love on television. See if it translates after. It doesn’t always, but for me it did.
“It’s truly been a blessing being on a reality show. It allowed me to live out my dream.”
DelVecchio and the Jersey Shore cast walked into their Seaside Heights vacation home for the first time completely blind. The show’s premise was obscure. He could not have predicted the show’s success, let alone its life-altering domino effect, from DJing around the world to launching Blowout Beats.
The show was not only a success, but it also influenced a generational lexicon. “GTL,” “come at me bro!” and “smushing” are ingrained vocabulary for those who grew up on the show. To this date, people still yell, “Cabs are here!” when they spot DelVecchio.
“That’s the coolest thing," he says. "There was never a script. No one told us how to talk. It was a reality show, so we were being ourselves. People picked up on it and thought it was strange or cool…
“For it to be on t-shirts or for people to yell stuff out to me at airports, for it to still translate today is really cool. It’s surreal. I never thought that would happen.”
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