Riz Rollins
Born1953-54[1]
OccupationDisc jockey[1]
Years active1980–present[1]
Known forExpansions show on KEXP-FM[1]

Riz Rollins, also known as DJ Riz, is a disc jockey in Seattle. He is known as a radio personality on KEXP-FM and for presenting his radio show there, "Expansions".[1]

Riz is a prominent gay and black public figure in LGBT culture in Seattle.[2] He is known for deejaying at gay venues including Pony and Cuff Complex.[1]

Rollins grew up in Chicago.[1] His mother took him to his first music concert, where performers Dionne Warwick, Gene Chandler and The Temptations influenced his perspective.[1] He sang in the Operation Breadbasket choir.[3] He regularly heard Reverend Jesse Jackson preach.[3] Upon hearing the James Brown song, "Cold Sweat", he felt that it described his life as a poor black youth.[3] He lived in Chicago till age 25.[3] He studied religion and psychology in college.[3]

In a 1992 article, a reviewer of radio shows on KCMU-FM (now KEXP-FM) said that Rollins was one of the people who defined the culture of the station.[4][5]

In the 1990s when Rollins began deejaying in Seattle, he played artists including Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, The Pharcyde, and De La Soul.[2] When Seattle Art Museum profiled Rollins in 2018, he cited Kerry James Marshall as an inspiration.[6] In a profile of the black arts scene in Seattle, Rollins commented that it is more vibrant than many people are aware.[7] Rollins likes Espresso Vivace.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Brodeur, Nicole (17 February 2013). "Riz Rollins does not take requests". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  2. 1 2 Mudede, Charles (20 June 2018). "How DJ Riz Rollins Changed Seattle". The Stranger. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Uitti, Jake (28 May 2015). "City Superheroes: KEXP's luminous Riz Rollins". crosscut.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  4. ↑ Hirshberg, G (25 November 1992). "CURSE on KCMU radio: Has the UW's alternative music station really sold out?". Seattle Weekly. pp. 31–33.
  5. ↑ Winter, Dana (2020). "A Word From Our Listeners: How Program Change Rocked KCMU". ScholarWorks. Seattle University. Archived from the original on 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  6. ↑ Rollins, Riz (4 May 2018). "My Favorite Things: DJ Riz Rollins on Kerry James Marshall". YouTube. Seattle Art Museum. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  7. ↑ Romano, Tricia (1 August 2014). "Sci-Fi Beats With a Pacific Flavor". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
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