We all need more cute boys in our lives… especially when they take the form of one of NYC’s hottest lady DJs on the rise!
Thotyssey: Hello DJ cb, thanks for chatting with us today! As summer starts to wind up, how would you say the season has treated you?
cute boys: Hi! It’s been a crazy, sweaty summer. I’ve been playing more and more gigs… all while I work on remixes, collabs, and original music. I’m feeling super grateful to finally be working in music and bringing cute boy vibes all over!
When I first saw your name on a flyer, I assumed maybe you were a twink DJ duo… but here you are, a singular woman!
A common misconception! It’s a bit of a manifestation. When I started DJing in college, a friend asked me to play their New Years party. I told them I would do it for free if cute boys would be there. They started calling me DJ cute boys from that, and it stuck! The uniting force behind all my work is that cute boys energy. I like to keep it lowercase so it can be an improper noun, evoking all the cute boys in the world.
Cute indeed! What’s your DJ sound like nowadays, and would you say it evolved from something else?
It’s changed with the times, for sure. My college days were the time of, like, EDM trap– so I’ve left that kind of stuff behind, lol. But I’ve been playing pop hits since the very beginning, and have always been super inspired by the hyperpop community and all the amazing producers I’ve met on SoundCloud. I’ve always loved high energy, extreme emotion, and gagging the crowd a bit.
Where are you from originally, and before college was music always a part of your life?
I lived in Virginia Beach, Virginia until I was 18, and have been in Brooklyn for 14 years now (!). Virginia Beach is famous for musicians like Pharrell and Missy Elliot, but I kind of grew up as a little gay nerd blasting JPop and Bjork on my iPod headphones in the passengers seat of my mom’s car or on long bus rides to school. Music was something that emerged early for me as a hobby out of genuine interest when I started tinkering on my desktop computer in high school, and it really has evolved for me over the last decade and a half where now I can treat it as a bit more than a hobby while still honoring the things that I found exciting about it early on.
Tell us about the original musical you’ve put out! What’s the sound like, and can folks get their hands on it?
I’ve done a lot of really fun collabs with friends like Nasir MF and Kate Kush that are streaming everywhere! I’ve also been pumping out remixes for friends – keep an eye out for upcoming remixes for Eros White and Tasheff / Colette March. I’ve been bouncing beats back and forth and having production conversations with a few people while a handful of original tracks slowly come together, and I’m planning to release an EP when the time is right. It’ll be a nice surprise for the girls.
Very exciting! How did you come to find yourself DJing in NYC, and what’s it like to be part of the queer nightlife scene here these days?
I’ve been hustling in Brooklyn for almost half my life now while pumping out remixes on the side. I was clubbing a ton pre-pandemic, but I didn’t really know anyone; I was just a random brick with a popular SoundCloud. Eventually people started to notice and connect the dots, with a lot of help with some very good Judies like Tasheff and DJ Gay Panic. When I met DJ P_A_T he was like, “I love your “Headphones On” remix, I had no idea you were local.” And I was like, “I used to tweak out to your sets at the Rosemont in 2018, diva!” It’s really cool to feel like I’m a part of things now, and I don’t take it for granted.
DJing has been my main job this summer, and I’ve been hitting it hard! The scene feels like it’s thriving right now, and I’m feeling blessed to be riding this wave with new and old friends. I’m really excited for even more different events and nightlife niches to emerge in Mamdani’s beautiful New York.
Let’s talk about some gigs coming up, starting with the weekly drag show you support at Oberon: Wednesdays Are Ovah, starring Essa Noche and her special guests! How do you like DJing Essa’s show, and drag shows in general? That’s a completely different animal!
It’s definitely different from playing a straightforward set. But I love facilitating shows, and working with queens like Essa keeps me on my toes. I’m running soundboards, switching tracks last minute, getting airdrops from the girls, and hitting my cues all at once. It’s intense, but so worth it because the girls always give incredible shows. Brooklyn drag is truly one of a kind!
This weekend, you have a two gig Friday! Firstly, you’ll be on the decks for Metropolitan Bar’s monthly Hella!
“Hella Hot Topic” is this month’s installment of Hella, DJ Manila Ice’s iconic party. It’ll be a mix of Y2K, pop punk, goth glam, questionable hair choices, and of course cute boy vibes. I’m really excited to see what Manila Ice puts together for it.
That night you’re also in the mix at Echo Bravo for the DJ Aster-led Life After Trance, a special edition of their Gay Guy Friday!
Life After Trance always brings exceptional lineups, it’s gonna be a ki to tear it up with the girls. Aster is such a fabulous planner and promoter.
Looking ahead to Wednesday the 19th, you’ll be spinning at Bossa Nova Civic Club for Tuckwild, benefiting Bri Joy’s affirmative surgeries! What’s this night gonna be like?
The artist formerly known at Buckwild – now Tuckwild! That shit is going to be absolutely insane. I love Bri, and have worked with him a lot; I’m overjoyed to be able to support.
I’ll be doing my weekly gig at Oberon, then coming in hot for a late night set at Bossa. I will be providing that good shit–and in return I am expecting sweat, debauchery, and tucks galore (but don’t expect any tucking from me).
What else is coming up for you?
My end of the month is pretty stacked! Super excited particularly to play with my bestie Kate Kush in Burlington, VT in early September. Friday the 28th of August will be a banger as well between Jon Ali’s Bumpin’ at Metropolitan and Helix Fang’s Fruit Flies at All Night Skate! However, my main message would be: book cute boys! I’m a self managed trans DJ with sickening credit card debt and lots of room in the schedule. I always brings the heat, and I’m looking to bring it far and wide.
Hear that, NYC! To end, we all collectively still seem to be deep in this moment of Madonna lore. Is there any single or track of hers from Confessions II, or anytime earlier, that you wanna give the cute boys remix treatment to the most?
I’m living for the Madonnaissance, though I will not stand for any slander of Madame X or Rebel Heart! I love Madonna deep cuts–my all time fave song is “X-static Process” (though some days it’s “Gone“). No one has booked me for a Madonna party yet, which feels like a major oversight! Luis Fernando, this message is for you!
There’s so many great tracks on Confessions II. I’ve heard a lot of good “Danceteria” edits, and I’m thinking about throwing one into the mix. I’d love to remix some of her 80s classics too, so they mesh with my sets. Imagine a “Borderline “cute boys remix? “Express Yourself!?” My God.
We’re praying it into existence! Thanks, cb!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for DJ cute boys’ upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram, TikTok and SoundCloud.
Thotyssey 