LADY ON THE BEAT: TIFF MCFIERCE
Interview + Story By: Mich"Elle" Nance
Sway In The Morning, February 2015
You know the song “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life”? It was one of those kinds of nights when I went out to Meeting In The Ladies Room, a party curated by DJ Tiff McFierce. It was the kind of party that had every one up dancing like no one was watching, the kind of party that you didn’t want to leave, the kind of party that when you did pry yourself out the door you found a whole new respect for the DJ and their craft.
Tiffany McPherson grew up in the Bronx on the same block as Kid Capri. As a youngster her heart was set on being just like Cocoa Chanelle and she admired the legendary DJ Red Alert. Dancing since the age of six, being on stage isn’t new to her. As her mother tells it, she’s actually been dancing since before she could walk. That’s why it’s no surprise to her family and close friends that she’s established her career as a DJ, and not just any DJ, she’s coined herself as “The Dancing DJ”. It’s not uncommon to catch Tiff stepping out from behind the booth to dance along to her own tunes. Hitting a quick two-step with her crowd is just one of the attributes that make this young spinner a true gem.
There’s a sincere sense of hunger about her. It’s evident in her longing to give a crowd what they came for. It’s in the way that she talks about how she aspires to bring awareness to wellness issues through her influence. It’s in the tone she chooses when describing how much of a fan of music she is as well as a deliverer of the beat.
In 2009 Tiff kicked off her DJing career starting from scratch. Her start came by tinkering around with equipment offered up by family friends. Then, as any red blooded millennial would do, she turned to the finest source of research known to man: YouTube.
TIFF: I knew nothing, I started YouTubing stuff like how to setup turntables, how to setup mixers to learn how to use the equipment. And then I met a guy on the street who was giving out flyers for something about DJs and I said “oh it’s so funny, I’m learning how to DJ.” He said “well I’m starting an agency for female DJs.” He had a spot on the Upper West Side set up with four stations with turntables. I learned there for about a month, no Serato, I was on vinyl. The first record I learned how to blend was ‘Nas Is Like”. I was on that record for like 6 weeks just blending different records, that’s how I learned how to blend and I got so sick and tired of that record!
WAISD: Fast forward, how did you start booking gigs and spinning for larger events?
TIFF: My first gig was an opening set at a lounge in downtown Manhattan. To me it was horrible, I played the whole song of every song. I was so scared. I was so nervous. It was just bad. I wasn't mixing, I didn’t blend anything, I wasn’t off beat when I switched songs but it’s like I forgot everything that I learned in the past 6 years. I played a 20 minute set and I was like I don’t know if I can do this. And then I went back to practicing and it was like nothing, I was like why is this happening?
WAISD: So what helps you get in the zone for a gig? What helps you get focused so you don’t have those moments when you’re off your game.
TIFF: I still get a little nervous before I DJ every time. I don’t get bad nervous but I get a little anxious I wonder what the crowd is gonna be like. I don’t have sets or playlists so I need to do it from the top of my head. I just listen to music, I’ve always listened to music. I’ll just listen to new music, listen to stuff I like. Sometimes I’ll think of new blends or new mixes to do. New mashups, that helps me get in the zone, keeps me creative.
WAISD: What kind of music did you grow up on?
TIFF: I grew up on every single thing. My family is Jamaican, so, reggae. My aunt loved Michael. My mom loved Boy George. A lot of 50s, 60s R&B, my grandfather loved that. I grew up in the Bronx so there was always salsa playing especially on the block in the summertime. I’ve loved Prince since I was in 3rd grade, I was like obsessed with Prince and Alanis Morissette. I listened to a lot of rock music growing up too. The 90s for rock was a great time, I really love Green Day. Late 90s Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park still to this day is one of my favorite bands. Aerosmith, I’m a big Steven Tyler fan. I listen to really grungy rock bands too; there’s a band called Kitty and I loved them because they were four girls and it was hard core rock, it was the type of rock that you can’t just listen to and not like rock music or that type of rock. It would really throw you off. My mom was like Tiffany listens to the weirdest music I’ve ever heard but she was used to it at that point because I had always listened to a lot of types of music. I’m a hip hop head til the death of me. Hip-hop, rap music and R&B are the things that really make up the core of what I love in music and what I listened to.
WAISD: If there was any artist that you can name that shaped your perspective on music who would they be?
TIFF: Michael. So influential, you listen to those songs and they’re so timeless. He was one of the reasons I wanted to dance. Prince - I always felt like his artistry was something I wanted to be like because he just had it. I’ve been a Jay Z fan since I was about 11. That shaped a lot of my swag; how I play things, how I go about things. I like to watch artists that are really about their artistry. I shaped who I am, but I’m shaped by artists who are super into their art and know themselves so they’re not trying to be like anyone else they’re trying to find their sound and then they go with that. Those are artists that I always listen to now; if you look at my phone or playlists it’ll definitely have Michael, Prince or Jay.
WAISD: From the new generation of artists, who do you think has it?
TIFF: Right now? Kendrick, his first studio album to me is a classic. I think he should have won all those Grammy’s. Cole has it. Cole and Kendrick definitely have it; they need to do an album together. Ne-Yo is someone to me who definitely has it. People don’t say it that much but Ne-Yo is one to me, his songwriting and his musical arrangements. Ne-Yo is the closest thing we have to an MJ. I don’t know, a lot of the music today is really microwaveable so it’s really popcorn it’s real instant. There’s things that are catchy but there aren’t any real bodies of work. Music videos are not even the same so I can’t even say who’s got it. I feel like there are some people trying to find it, and I feel like there are people who want to say they want to keep music alive but I don’t really know if they got it yet.
WAISD: How do you set yourself apart? What’s unique about going to a party where Tiff McFierce is spinning?
TIFF: I think what sets me apart is that I don’t think of this as a hobby it is something that I’ve wanted to do since I was 10. I grew up on the same block as Kid Capri so I used to see him DJ sometimes at block parties. I remember when he DJ’d in my nana’s house for my aunt’s birthday party. I saw first hand what that was like to be a good DJ and control crowds. I think what sets me apart is that I got a real glimpse and lived in that life in an era where you had to be dope so I take that very seriously and I think that I need to always be on top of my game. So what sets me apart is the passion for it.
WAISD: Outside of music, what else are you passionate about?
TIFF: Health and wellness is something that I’m really passionate about. I think that mental health and wellness, especially in the ages of teens to 30s and 40s, that’s not something that people talk about much. Then when people like a Robin Williams pass away everyone’s like oh my God this is so tragic but I feel like a lot of people suffer in silence especially in this age of social media. Its just a lot of fronting and a lot of trying to keep up with the Jones’ and there’s not a lot put on self worth, self acceptance and self love. I think those are the things I’m most passionate about and inspiring young girls. I volunteer for a lot of things, I’ve taught dance at schools since I was 17. I want to be able to do a lot more like raising money for things that I’m really interested in like mental wellness and physical wellness snd things for young girls, especially young brown girls. They have a lot thrown at them and they’re the most unprotected.
My passions are music and dance and acting and being a businesswoman, I love doing those things and I love curating new things but my purpose is to use those and do something for young women especially.