l o c a l a r t i s t
DJ Scott Lassiter b y K e v i n B o y l e
I met Scott Lassiter at a charity fun run in WaterColor. The day before the race, I was told to make contact with the DJ and he would give me a microphone to announce the talking points at the start/finish line. “Great, a DJ, can’t wait to listen to Shakira on a loop,” pessimistic Kevin thought to himself. I had not encountered a local DJ in a quite a while and obviously I was not impressed by my last experience. I arrived at 6:30 AM ready to make sarcastic comments on a microphone about how out of shape I am and to apologize to the runners who I had trouble pronouncing their name as they crossed the finish line. Who knew a named spelled Herbert is pronounced HAYBEAR. Sorry, Louisiana. But I arrived to a perfectly tracked remix of some of my favorite songs. A continuous array of songs both old and new having an obvious positive and uplifting effect on the runners and everyone else in attendance. I listened for a solid 15 minutes before I realized it would be a good idea to announce that the race was starting soon. After that race, I was a follower and fan of DJ30A. To that point and for the years that have followed, Scott Lassiter has worked tirelessly to make DJ30A a staple of hotspots like the new Hotel Effie in Sandestin, the Pearl in Rosemary Beach, and pretty much every event in the area. His background is as interesting as the tracks he spins around town. “I was in the Marine Corp for 6 years. I was in 2nd Battalion 8th Marines and I also volunteered to join a small unit called Small Craft Company,” recalls Lassiter. “We specialized in quick hit Riverine raids. After the Marines I started a telecom company from scratch, sold it, and moved down to 30-A about 12 years ago.” He goes on to explain about how he had been in bands growing up and started DJing 20 years ago. While living in Atlanta, he enjoyed being a part of the underground music scene of the early 2000s and got into music production. But being a DJ was not Lassiter’s focus when he moved to the beach. In fact, his focus was on rebounding A good DJ plays to the crowd, always changes their sets, mixes in musical key, and can beat match to blend two songs and make a special blend for the crowd.
DJ Scott Lassiter
from a tough time in his life as he sought refuge in the close-knit local community. An encounter with a famous local changed his whole perspective and ignited a passion that had fallen by the wayside. “I moved here from Atlanta hurting and not happy. The community welcomed me, healed me, and has supported me,” Lassiter explains. “Oli and the Red Bar family invited me to dust off my turntables one night when my friend Vladi was sick. This was after I stopped producing and DJing for years. That random invitation was a godsend and the reason I am doing what I love right now. When Red Bar opened back up, I was one of the first in the door with flowers and hugs! I simply cannot leave this place.” DJ30A became a big fish in a little pond. Opportu- nities from weddings and other private events evolved into regular gigs and invites to play at some of the top events on 30-A. With his continued success, I asked him what misconceptions he encounters as he plays around South Walton. “The number one misconception is that we aren’t doing anything. DJ Press Play if you will,” Lassiter chuckles. “Just like horrible bands, we also have horrible DJs that give us bad names. A good DJ plays to the crowd, always changes their sets, mixes in musical key, and can beat match to blend two songs and make a special blend for the crowd.”
DJ30A’s success has grown past the beach confines of South Walton. With over 300 tracks on Spotify and Apple Music, Lassiter has found collaborations with the Grammy award winning duo The Crystal Method as well as working with his studio partner Huda Hudia with whom he shares 4 number one hits in the breakbeat genre. “I have also written songs for some national commercials,” Lassiter adds. “I’ve cowritten for some country and rap acts but NDAs are involved. Pretty cool to know that some of the songs you hear on the radio and on TV have been written in the backyard on the Bay in South Walton!” Just for my own selfish reasons, I wanted to know the most annoying song people request at weddings. “This is tricky… instead of answering with a song, let me give some advice,” Lassiter says as he locks in eye contact with me. “Before you make a request, look around the room. If the dance floor is rocking, please don’t come knocking.” Noted. Looks like my days of requesting Deep Blue Something’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s are over.
DJ30A is available for regular gigs, private events, and weddings. Visit DJ30A.com or email scott@dj30a.com for more information.
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