Today we’d like to introduce you to Trumaine “DJ TAB” Epps.
Hi Trumaine “DJ TAB”, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I got started in djing in 2000 my 7th grade year of middle school at Normandy Middle, I was up one night at home watching a movie called Juice starring 2 Pac and Omar Epps. In the movie Omar Epps plays a dj name DJ GQ and on one of the scenes in the movie Omar Epps is in his bedroom scratching and mixing and that was the first time I seen a dj scratch and I knew that’s what I wanted to do so I told my mom and dad that I wanted to turntables and my mom and I made a bet that I would good grades that 1st semester my 7th grade year and I work my butt off studying, passing all my test and just overall being a good student and that semester I think I ended up with all A’s and B’s on my report. Once my mom and dad got my report they came home one day from the grocery store and my mom told me to run out to the car to get the rest of the groceries and when I opened the back door there was my very first dj turntable set on the back seat it was like Christmas or my birthday came early, I smiled ear to ear all that day. I practice day and night and keep in mind when I got into djing there was only turntables, cd’s and vinyl records, I use to hustle my butt off around my neighborhood cutting grass, raking leaves, shoveling snow in the winter just to buy all the latest music on vinyl and of course my mom would pitch in a few dollars with me to buy all these records. I would say that what my mom did buy making me work hard for what i wanted she showed that it what builds character in people because now days so many people in this world just want things handed to them and to that’s why now at the age 37 and one of the if not the top dj out of Saint Louis and the midwest. It was a long road, a lot of ups and downs but without my family and friends to keep pushing me and keep me motivated I would not be who I am to this day. My first real job was working at Mathews-Dickey boys and girls club here in Saint Louis where I played little league baseball, football and basketball and I would work umpiring baseball games, refereeing basketball games and working the chains at the football games still in order to buy vinyl and dj equipment. Over my years in this business I have always strived to think outside the box especially when it came to marketing myself. Marketing for me has played the biggest role in my dj career and my businesses. I use to and still do hand out flyers, posters, do scholarship for high school seniors and mentor kids who want to get into entertainment and media. I also started throwing some of the biggest events at a young age along side my mother and friends, my mom was my first manager and my number one supporter. I threw some of the biggest teen parties back in the early 2000’s where I banned from even djing in the city of Saint Louis because my parties would do 1000-3000 or more teens. Now today I am recognized by the Saint Louis Media Hall of Fame for my work in radio and media as well as being nominated in 2015 Global Spin Award along aside giants like Dj Khaled, Dj Envy, Calvin Harris, Dj Musturd, Skrillex and more. Now in 2025 I’m the only DJ from Saint Louis who is a Live Nation Artist and touring the world performing has become and full time career that love to death.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Some of the struggles that I face that people in entertainment still face is of course haters but as you progress in your career field of choice your caliber of haters also progress. One of my major struggles coming up was not being booked and at the time I’m still a kid and didn’t understand why promoters didn’t want to book me, I use to shed tears to my mom about how that affected me and once again my mom and friend of hers ended up becoming partners in a teen club here in Saint Louis called The Arena which people knew back in the early 2000’s as The Limelight. My mom was the first ever to book Chris Brown in Saint Louis and paid Chris at the time less than $10,000 and the show did over 4000 teens at The Arena that my mom owned and of course I was the house dj so I did all the parties and concerts my mom did, my mom booked Lil Wayne, D4L, Crime Mob and so many others and to this day all the artist that we book are friends of mine now in 2025.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about STREETZ 105.1?
Outside of touring performing across the world I also own thee biggest digital radio station in the midwest STREETZ 105.1. I started Streetz 105.1 back in December of 2017 and the first month my station did close to 300,000 listeners.
Streetz 105.1 has been the premiere outlet for the hottest music and news in Hip Hip and R&B community! Streetz has become a nationally recognized brand spawning a number of Dj’s such as DJ Bounce, DJ Flightt, DJ Wildboy, and on air personalities like D Smoovee who is also the host for the Saint Louis XFL football team the Battlehawks, Kizz Q, Reggie Dub, Kelocc G, T-Marley, J Star and so many more. Dj Tab has become famous for setting the standard for the millennial sound and delving into the community to make a positive impact on the culture while pushing it forward. Through its philanthropic contributions to different charities, support of local charitable events and insightful programing that addresses issues throughout St. Louis multicultural community. As entertainment, media and the music industry continue a transition into the digital age, Streetz 105.1 stays ahead. Now in 2025 Streetz 105.1 has accumulated close to 10 million listener streams from all over the world. DJ Tab company Streetz 105.1 was the marketing leader along aside Fema with marketing the dangers of covid-19 and also promoting the covid-19 vaccine across the entire Saint Louis region. Streetz 105.1 and DJ Tab is the marketing leader when it comes to helping artist and businesses grow there brands.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
In the next 5-10 years I think this radio business will go strictly digital meaning no FM radio because I think cars in the next 5-10 years would have built in unlimited internet and as for the dj business I feel that it’s going to only get better especially when it comes to dj technology and venues will be design more futuristic, I’m hoping.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.djtab.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/djtab314
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djtabworldwide
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trumaine-%E2%80%9Cdj-tab%E2%80%9D-epps-9b203a180
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/djtab314
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/streetz-105-1-st-louis
- Other: https://www.Streetz1051.com
